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Kitsune
is the Japanese word for fox. There are two subspecies of foxes in Japan,
named Red Fox and Hondo Kitsune, and they are both related to
mythological belief in Japasese folklore.
Kitsune
are believed to possess great intelligence, long life, and magical powers.
Foremost among these is the ability to shapeshifting into human
form.
Kitsune
usually appears in the shape of a beautiful woman, a young girl, or an old man,
but almost never an elderly woman.
The word kitsune is often
translated as fox spirit ghosts, however this doesn’t mean that they are not
living creatures, nor that they are not foxes.
Looking for the fox's tail
is one common method of attempting to discern the true nature of the
kitsune, but some sources speak of other methods to reveal its true
shape. Sometimes, a shapeshifted kitsune will cast the shadow of a fox rather
than of a human; other stories say that a transformed kitsune's reflection will
be that of a fox.
Supernatural
powers commonly attributed to the kitsune include, in addition to shapeshifting,
the ability to generate fire from their tails or to breathe fire, named
kitsune-bi, literally foxfire, the power to appear in dreams, and the
ability to create 'illusions' so elaborate as to be almost indistinguishable
from reality.
Some tales go further
still, speaking of kitsune with the ability to bend time and space, to drive
people mad, or to take such nonhuman and fantastic shapes as a tree of
incredible height or a second moon in the sky. Occasionally kitsune are ascribed
a characteristic reminiscent of vampire or succubus Incubus these
kitsune feed on the life or spirit of humans, generally through sexual
contact.
In Japanese folklore, the
kitsune are often presented as tricksters; sometimes very malevolent ones. The
tricksters kitsune employ their magical powers to play tricks on people; those
portrayed in a favourable light tend to choose as targets overly-proud samurai,
greedy merchants, and boastful commoners, while the more cruel kitsune tend to
abuse poor tradesmen and farmers or Buddhist monks.
Despite their role as
tricksters, however, a kitsune will keep a promise it has given and will
strive to repay any favour it owes Occasionally a kitsune will take a liking to
and attach itself to a certain person or household; as long as it is treated
with respect, it will use its powers for the benefit of its companion or hosts.
Kitsune are also commonly
portrayed as lovers. These love stories usually involve a young human male and a
kitsune who takes the form of a woman. Sometimes the kitsune is assigned
the role of seductress, but often these stories are romantic in nature. Such a
story usually involves the young man unknowingly marrying the fox, and
emphasizes the devotion of the fox-wife.
Many of these stories also
possess a tragic element — they usually end with the discovery of the fox, who
then must leave her husband. On some occasions, the husband wakes, as if from a
dream, to find himself far from home, filthy, and disoriented, and must often
return to confront his abandoned human family in shame.
Victims of
kitsunetsuki were often treated cruelly in hopes of forcing the fox to
leave. It was not unusual for them to be beaten or badly burned. On some
occasions, entire families were ostracized by their communities after a member
of the family was believed to be possessed.
In Japan,
kitsunetsuki was a common diagnosis for insanity as recently as the early
20th century. Possession was the explanation for the abnormal behaviour
displayed by the afflicted individuals.
Therianthropy
