| Kitsune | |
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Real Name |
Kitsune |
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First Appearance |
Japanese Folklore |
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Created by |
Japanese Folklore |
Origin[]
In Japanese folklore, kitsune are foxes that possess paranormal abilities that increase as they get older and wiser. According to folklore, the kitsune-foxes (or perhaps the "fox spirits") can bewitch people, just like the tanuki they have the ability to shapeshift into human or other forms, and to trick or fool human beings. While some folktales speak of kitsune employing this ability to trick others—as foxes in folklore often do—other stories portray them as faithful guardians, friends, and lovers. Notable kitsune from legend include Tamamo-no-Mae who was a courtesan under the Japanese Emperor Konoe as well as Kuzunoha who was the mother of the astrologer-magician Abe no Seimei.
Foxes and humans lived close together in ancient Japan; this companionship gave rise to legends about the creatures. Kitsune have become closely associated with Inari, a Shinto kami or spirit, and serve as its messengers. This role has reinforced the fox's supernatural significance. The more tails a kitsune has—they may have as many as nine—the older, wiser, and more powerful it is. Because of their potential power and influence, some people make sacrifices to them as to a deity.
Kitsune have as many as nine tails. Generally, a greater number of tails indicates an older and more powerful Kitsune; in fact, some folktales say that a fox will only grow additional tails after it has lived 100 years. (In the wild, the typical lifespan of a real fox is one to three years, although individuals may live up to ten years in captivity.) One, five, seven, and nine tails are the most common numbers in folktales. These kyūbi no kitsune (九尾の狐, 'nine-tailed foxes') gain the abilities to see and hear anything happening anywhere in the world. Other tales credit them with infinite wisdom (omniscience). After reaching 1,000 years of age and gaining its ninth tail, a kitsune turns a white or golden color, becoming a tenko (天狐, 'heavenly/celestial fox'), the most powerful form of the kitsune, and then ascends to the heavens.
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- Nihon Ryōiki
- Renshi zhuan
- Shin'yaku Kegonkyō Ongi Shiki
- Wamyō Ruijushō
- Konjaku monogatarishū
- Nagashino
Notes[]
- Vulpix & Ninetales originally from Pokemon Red & Green (Blue & Red internationally) are based the Kitsune.