If you mention the terms "mimic" and "metamorph", most people interested in the world of the paranormal will probably think of .

Regular "pop" werewolves are quite limited in shape and size.

Japan has its own metamorph.

They call him Kitsune. This word means "fox".

Japanese legends say that every fox has the ability to turn into a person, be it a man or a woman.

And like many werewolves that can be found in the world's legends, Kitsune combines a malevolent creature with a calm, helpful essence.

Mostly, however, he acts like a classic deceiver - manipulating people and playing endless mind games with them.

Those Kitsune that have a positive personality are known as Zenko, while those that are evil and dangerous are called Yako.

Harmless Zenko often hide food and various household items, which forces the “target of the prank” to search endlessly for his things.

While dangerous Yakos are looking for unwary people and leading them to various disastrous places, such as swamps, waterfalls, cliffs.

Stories of Japanese Kitsune are connected to the folklore and mythology of China, where legends of supernatural foxes have a history of thousands of years. These were stories of paranormal foxes known in China as Huli Jing, which were soon adapted and expanded upon by the Japanese.

Kitsune is considered a material entity. This is not a being that has returned from the grave in ghostly form but is nevertheless an entity that has paranormal abilities and is spiritual in terms of its worldview.

In terms of their physical form, Kitsune look like regular foxes. Except for one thing: they can have up to nine tails.

The forms that Kitsune can take on are numerous and varied. They often take the form of a beautiful woman, like Scottish kelpies and succubi.

Women and teenage girls are some of the most popular Kitsune disguises. Sometimes they take the form of a wrinkled old man.

As for how exactly the shape change occurs, everything is very strange. To begin the transformation, the Kitsune must carefully place a bunch of reeds on his head.

Japanese legends claim that in the event of transformation into a woman or girl, Kitsune also becomes the owner of their mind, such as the takeover of a human body by a demonological entity.

All of this points to the decidedly bizarre nature of this incredible werewolf. Of course, there is no doubt that much of this is just myth, legend and folklore.

But maybe there is some truth in all this? We shouldn't completely discount the intriguing ancient stories of a mysterious imitator.

Xi Jinping, Chairman of the People's Republic of China, speaking at a symposium marking the 69th anniversary of the victory over the Japanese invaders during World War II, calling on Japan to take a more responsible approach to assessing...

Fox in Japanese mythology and its meaning

The fox, found in the myths of Japan, China, and Korea, is a spirit, but not endowed with evil or good character traits. In the mythology of these countries, foxes are different, they have both similarities and differences. Their purpose is to monitor the balance of good and evil. The fox in Japanese mythology is called Kitsune.

Types of foxes in mythology

In Japanese mythology there are two types of foxes, red kitsune And Hokkaido fox. They are both endowed with knowledge, they have a long life, they have magical abilities. Foxes, according to myths, are able to move quickly, they have very good eyesight and sense of smell, and read people’s secret thoughts. It is believed that the life of a fox is not much different from the life of people, they walk on two legs,

Japanese mythology and folklore about foxes Kitsune - translated from Japanese, fox spirit. If you pay attention to folklore in Japan, a kitsune is a type of demon, although it is more accurate to say a mischief maker rather than a demon.

The sacred meaning of the fox

Any part of the fox's body is equipped with magic; by hitting it with its tail, it may cause a fire. She can change her appearance, turning either into a beautiful girl or into an old man, but this can be done when the fox reaches 100 years of age; before that she cannot do this. But this is not her main skill, she can move into a person, has magical knowledge, can travel in people’s dreams, and, like a fire-breathing dragon, breathes out fire.

In addition, they are often credited with such incredible abilities as turning into plants of unusual height and shape or creating a second celestial body. This all shows how powerful they are. Some myths describe how kitsune guard certain objects whose shape resembles a ball or pear. There is an assumption that whoever becomes the owner of this item will be able to subjugate the kutsine.

Since this ball contains part of their magic, they will be forced to obey, otherwise they will face a decrease in their level and the loss of part of their power.

In mythology there are two types of Kitsune:

Myobu- a divine fox, she is often associated with Inari, and she is the goddess of rice, which is why she is considered the messenger of God.
Nogitsune- a wild fox, according to myths she is often evil, her intentions are unkind.

The special significance of the fox in Japanese mythology is quite understandable; the fox is the messenger of the god Inari, who often does good deeds for people. In some cases, foxes are credited with unusual skills; they can create illusions when a person can lose reality.

Changing meaning of the fox in mythology

Having reached the age of 1000 years, the fox in Japanese mythology becomes stronger, it grows from 1 to 9 tails, the color of the fur also changes, it can be white or silver or even gold. In general, according to myths, foxes live a very long time, up to 8000 years. Nine-tailed fox in Japanese mythology - a creature endowed great abilities. According to the myth, the god Inari brought the silver foxes closer to him, they began to serve him, swearing that they must always keep this oath.

In some legends, Inari is also represented as a fox, but in fact, this is a deity; there are always figurines of foxes next to his shrines, and before, live foxes were always kept near Inari temples.

The most famous and revered is the spirit - guardian of the Kyuubi, this is also a fox, they are considered the most intelligent and cunning creatures. They choose a lost soul and protect it for 2 days, but for some there is an exception and Kyuubi stays with this soul for much longer. The role of such a fox is to protect the lost soul; it accompanies them until incarnation. These foxes may even have multiple souls that they help.

Often evil kutsine are shown to be deceivers, but for their pranks they choose people with the shortcomings of the proud, evil, and greedy.

Fox is the guardian of the family

The belief that foxes can become guardians of the family in Japan has been preserved, but the owner of a fox cannot be an ordinary person; this is only available to certain groups that belong to the same community. It is possible to join it only by becoming related to them, or by buying a house or land from them. Usually they try to reduce communication with such people because the neighbors are afraid of how their defender might react to them.

Some legends tell stories of foxes turning into beautiful women; cunning, dexterous foxes were skilled seductresses. They skillfully used this, seduced men and often became their wives. In such marriages, children were born who had special qualities.

The devotion of foxes' wives is noted in legends; they could live long enough, hiding their appearance, but if the real essence is revealed, the fox must leave her husband. But there are exceptions, according to one of the legends: the wife, frightened by the dogs, turned into a fox, but the husband, who loved her very much, could not part with her, especially since they had children. Lisa was unable to leave her family and returned every night.

If translated literally, kutsine means, let's go get some sleep. But this story is an exception; in all the others, the foxes left. It should be noted that children born from the wives of foxes had special abilities that are not available to humans, but they could not turn into foxes. Some of the stories tell about unsuccessful stories of foxes seducing men, when, due to inexperience, she poorly disguised her tail.

But it should be noted that the listed species of foxes are not all, there are many more of them.

For example, white fox Byakko, a good sign, she is a real messenger of the gods. black fox There is no need to be afraid either, it is associated with goodness. But Fox Cuco this is an evil creature that needs to be feared, but it should be noted that the Japanese love their foxes, treat them with respect, it is believed that the souls of dead people move into the fox, these explain the fact that fox holes can often be found near burial places of people .

Video: Kitsune Fox Fashion Show

So, who are kitsune? What are they? What do they own and where did they come from? In search of an answer to these questions, I scoured many sources of information and my labors were not in vain. And now you can evaluate the results of my labors.

Kitsune (狐) is the Japanese name for fox. In folklore, a kitsune is a type of yokai, that is, a demon. In this context, the word "kitsune" is often translated as "fox spirit." However, this does not necessarily mean that they are not living creatures or that they are anything other than foxes. The word "spirit" in this case is used in the Eastern sense, reflecting a state of knowledge or insight. Any fox that lives long enough can thus become a "fox spirit". There are two main types of kitsune: the myobu, or divine fox, often associated with Inari, and the nogitsune, or wild fox (literally "field fox"), often , but not always, described as evil, having malicious intent. These creatures are found in various folklore works of the peoples of the East. For example, in Japan there are two subspecies of foxes: the Japanese red fox (Hondo kitsune, native to Honshu; Vulpes vulpes japonica) and the Hokkaido fox (Kita kitsune, native to Hokkaido; Vulpes vulpes schrencki). The image of the werewolf fox, the spirit fox, is very widespread in Asia. In China and Korea, the fox is usually only interested in human blood. In the Land of the Rising Sun, the image of the werewolf fox is much more multifaceted, although even here they sometimes indulge in vampirism. Kiyoshi Nozaki, a famous researcher of legends about kitsune, proves in his works the autochthonous nature of Japanese legends about were-foxes. Whereas similar stories from the continent, in his opinion, only superimposed on top of those that had existed since time immemorial - and gave the “original Japanese friends of man” sinister features. Whether this is true or not is up to you to judge - I find kitsune attractive and interesting exactly as they are. In all their contradictions, with a rather harmful, but deep and noble character. After all, Japanese culture, unlike continental culture, since the Heian era, places a person higher, the more facets and contradictions he has. Integrity is good in battle, but in everyday life it is a sign of primitivism, the Japanese believe.
Now, I would like to tell you where the kitsuns came from.
Most sources agree that some people who led a righteous, secretive and obscure lifestyle become kitsune after death. After the kitsune is born, it grows and gains strength. A young kitsune, as a rule, engages in mischief among people, and also enters into romantic relationships with them of varying degrees of seriousness - in such stories, one-tailed foxes are almost always involved. A kitsune reaches adulthood at the age of 50-100, at which time he acquires the ability to change shape. Level The strength of a werefox depends on age and rank - which is determined by the number of tails and the color of the skin. In addition, very young kitsune often betray themselves by their inability to hide their tail - apparently, while still learning transformations, they are often betrayed even at a higher level by a shadow or reflection. This is how, for example, Kuzunoha, the mother of Abe no Seimei, discovered herself.

You can also consider the abilities of a kitsune. As it turned out, the main ability of a kitsune is the adoption of a human form; according to legend, a kitsune improves its ability to transform after living for 100 years (some sources say that after 50 years)... Kitsune usually take on the form seductive beauty, pretty young girl, but sometimes they turn into old men. It should be noted that in Japanese mythology there was a mixture of indigenous Japanese beliefs that characterized the fox as an attribute of the god Inari (a good example is the Legend - “Fox-weight”) and Chinese, which considered foxes to be werewolves, a family close to demons. In general, kitsune in Japanese mysticism are divided into two categories: those in the service of Inari “Tenko” (Heavenly Foxes), and “Nogitsune” (Free Foxes). However, it seems that the line between them is very thin and arbitrary.
But transformation is not their only talent; in Japanese folklore, these animals have great knowledge, long life and magical abilities. Kitsune also have the ability to inhabit other people's bodies, breathe out or otherwise create fire, appear in other people's dreams, and the ability to create illusions so complex that they are almost indistinguishable from reality. Some of the tales go further, speaking of kitsune with the ability to bend space and time, drive people mad, or take on such inhuman or fantastic forms as trees of indescribable height or a second moon in the sky. Interestingly, kitsune are not tied to the phases of the moon; they are capable of much deeper transformations than ordinary werewolves. Occasionally, kitsune are attributed characteristics characteristic of vampires: they feed on the life force or spiritual force of people with whom they come into contact. Sometimes kitsune are described as guarding a round or pear-shaped object (hoshi no tama, that is, “star ball”); it is stated that whoever takes possession of this ball can force the kitsune to help himself; one theory states that kitsune “store” part of their magic in this ball after transformation. Kitsune are required to keep their promises or face punishment by reducing their rank or power level. It is worth paying attention to the representation of kitsune in the form of vampires. One of the legends says that kitsune is very similar to a vampire, they also drink human blood and kill people. However, fairies-elves also sin in this way - and, as a rule, both take harsh measures in order to take revenge for an intentional or accidental insult. Although sometimes they do this, as they say, out of love for art. Sometimes, however, foxes limit themselves to energy vampirism - feeding on the vital forces of those around them.
Let's talk about the kitsune's tail.
Kitsune can have up to nine tails. In general, it is believed that the older and stronger the fox, the more tails it has. Some sources even claim that kitsune grows an additional tail every hundred or thousand years of its life. However, foxes found in fairy tales almost always have one, five, or nine tails. Five and seven-tailed kitsune, often black, usually appear in front of a person when they need it, without hiding their essence. The Nine-Tails are the elite kitsune, at least 1000 years old. Nine-tailed foxes typically have silver, white, or gold coats and a ton of high magical abilities. They are part of Inari no Kami's retinue, serve as her emissaries, or live on their own. However, some even at this level do not refrain from committing small and large dirty tricks - the famous Tamamo no Mae, who terrified Asia from India to Japan, was just a nine-tailed kitsune. According to legend, Koan, another famous mystic, turned to the nine-tailed kitsune at the end of his earthly life.
When kitsune receive nine tails, their fur turns silver, white, or gold. These kyubi no kitsune ("nine-tailed foxes") gain the power of infinite insight. Similarly, in Korea it is said that a fox that has lived for a thousand years turns into a Kumiho (literally "nine-tailed fox"), but the Korean fox is always depicted as evil, unlike the Japanese fox, which can be either benevolent or malevolent. Chinese folklore also has "fox spirits" (Huli jing) with many similarities to kitsune, including the possibility of nine tails.
In some stories, kitsune have difficulty hiding their tail in human form (usually foxes in such stories have only one tail, which may be an indication of the fox's weakness and inexperience). An attentive hero can expose a drunken or careless fox that has turned into a human by seeing its tail through its clothes... By the way, according to some legends, kitsune are capable of changing gender and age if necessary...
Now I would like to talk about some representatives of kitsune.
One of the famous Kitsune is the great guardian spirit Kyuubi. This is a guardian spirit and protector who helps young “lost” souls on their path in the current incarnation. Kyuubi usually stays for a short time, only a few days, but if attached to one soul, it can accompany it for years. This is a rare type of kitsune that rewards a lucky few with its presence and assistance.
By the way, I would like to note that most often in folklore, kitsune are often described as deceivers, sometimes very evil ones. Trickster kitsune use their magical powers to play pranks: those shown in a benevolent light tend to target overly proud samurai, greedy merchants, and boastful people, while more cruel kitsune seek to torment poor merchants, farmers, and Buddhist monks.
The most interesting thing is that very often kitsune are described as lovers. Such stories usually involve a young man and a kitsune disguised as a woman. Sometimes the kitsune is assigned the role of a seductress, but often such stories are rather romantic. In such stories, the young man usually marries the beauty (not knowing that she is a fox) and attaches great importance to her devotion. Many such stories have a tragic element: they end with the discovery of a fox entity, after which the kitsune must leave her husband.
The oldest known story of fox wives, which provides the folk etymology of the word kitsune, is an exception in this sense. Here the fox takes the form of a woman and marries a man, after which the two, after spending several happy years together, have several children. Her fox essence is unexpectedly revealed when, in the presence of many witnesses, she is afraid of a dog, and in order to hide, she takes on her true appearance. Kitsune prepares to leave home, but her husband stops her, saying: “Now that we have been together for several years and you have given me several children, I cannot simply forget you. Please, let’s go and sleep.” The fox agrees, and since then returns to her husband every night in the form of a woman, leaving the next morning in the form of a fox. After that, she began to be called kitsune - because in classical Japanese, kitsu-ne means “let's go and sleep,” while ki-tsune means “always coming.”
The offspring of marriages between humans and kitsune are usually attributed special physical and/or supernatural properties. The exact nature of these properties, however, varies greatly from one source to another. Among those believed to have such extraordinary powers is the famous onmyoji Abe no Seimei, who was a hanyō (half-demon), the son of a human and a kitsune.
Rain falling from a clear sky is sometimes called kitsune no yomeiri, or “kitsune wedding.”

The names of Japanese kitsune are well represented
1) Bakemono-Kitsune - they, in turn, are magical or demonic foxes. Example: Reiko, Kiko or Koryo, that is, those foxes that do not have a tangible form.
2) Byakko - means “white fox”. Meeting her is a kind of very good omen, since it is believed that this particular fox serves the god Inari and acts as a kind of messenger of the Gods. It is worth immediately noting that the spelling of the name Byakko, which refers to a fox, and the same name, but which refers to the Divine Tiger, who is the ruler of the West, are different, so they should not be confused and associated.
3) Genko - translated means “black fox”. Meeting her is also usually a good sign, just like meeting Byakko.
4) Yako or Yakan - almost any kind of fox, in its own way the same as Kitsune.
5) Kiko - a ghostly fox, is a type of Reiko.
6) Koryo - “fox-stalker”, also a type of Reiko.
7) Cuco - also called the “air fox”, this animal is very angry and loves intrigues. In Japanese mythology it is placed on a par with Tengu (which is a Japanese type of troll)
8) Nogitsune - “wild fox”. This word is also used to distinguish between “good” and “bad” foxes. Sometimes the Japanese use “Kitsune” to denote the “good” fox that is the messenger of Inari and “Nogitsune” - foxes that commit mischief and deceive people. But they are not demons, but rather just mischief-makers and jokers.
9) Reiko - “ghost fox”. It is impossible to definitely attribute this fox to the forces of evil, but at the same time it is definitely a bad spirit. Simply put, in the middle between good and evil, and at the same time has a tendency towards bad things. As for me - gray mediocrity.
10) Tenko or Amagitsune is a kind of “divine fox”. This is our Kitsune, who has reached 1000 years of age. The main distinguishing feature of Tenko is its nine tails (and sometimes there is also a golden skin).
11) Tamamo-No-Mae is a demonic version of Tenko. This fox is deceptively beautiful, a very aggressive and powerful demon. This is also one of the most famous demon foxes in Japanese folklore. (Reminder: Kyuubi is a guardian spirit, he is kind among the Japanese.)
12) Shakko - “red fox”. They are considered both forces of good and forces of evil. It is believed that this is the same as Kitsune. Or, more simply put, another name for Kitsune.

Foxes in Chinese mythology.
China is the main source of the spread of fox spirits to other countries (Korea, Japan) and also the place where these animals spread and settled most in the culture. Chinese foxes are: libertines, great scholars, faithful lovers, professional seducers, poltergeists, tricksters, avengers and drinking companions. This is their difference from Japanese fox spirits - they are always inseparably present and live with people, which contributes to their moralizing function. Also, Chinese foxes can transform into any person they want, which is beyond the control of Japanese Kitsune. But on the other hand, they cannot turn into anyone other than people. And Chinese philosophy explains this by saying that only people know the achievement of immortality and the comprehension of wisdom, which foxes strive for. Therefore, there is no point in turning into something other than a person.
1) -Hu is actually the fox in person.
2) - Khujin is a fox spirit, literally translated as “beautiful fox.”
3) - Khushian - they call immortal foxes.
4) - Jingwei Hu (Jiuweihu) - a fox with nine tails. It was believed that a person who ate its meat may not be afraid of poisons.
5) - Long Zhi is their nine-headed and nine-tailed cannibal fox. (The snake Gorynych can’t compete with her here in terms of the number of heads and tails - definitely, only maybe Hydra from Greece)
6) -Laohu is an old fox. In China, formally, all fox spirits are old, since the ability to transform into a person depends on their age. Laohu is even older than the other foxes. In addition, Laohu is the only fox species that does not have a sexual function, and this is most likely due to their age. There are theories about the absence of gender in Laohu.
Foxes in Korean mythology.
Here we will look at one species that interests us the most - the thousand-year-old nine-tailed fox - Kumiho. This werefox in Korean mythology is always female and a demon. Their gumiho is a seductress, a cunning wife, and even at times a succubus (the main goal of succubi is to turn the male population into slaves and feed on their energy until their death) or a vampire. In short, a bloodthirsty creature whose ultimate goal is to kill the victim. And such a bloodthirsty werewolf fox is the only representative who kills with his own hands among the countries of the rising sun.

This is what they are, these creatures, subjects of the goddess Inari. Cheerful and angry, romantic and cynical, prone to both terrible crimes and sublime self-sacrifice. Possessing enormous magical capabilities, but sometimes suffering defeat due to purely human weaknesses. Drinking human blood and energy - and becoming the most devoted of friends and spouses...

Fox charms

“The heavenly fox has nine tails and golden fur; she can penetrate into the secrets of the universe, based on the alternation of male and female principles.”

The fox envelops the person who loves her with an evil obsession, not allowing him to live peacefully in his own home and ordering him to sacrifice the most pressing issues of conscience. She seduces the unfortunate man with her inhuman beauty and, taking advantage of his love, drinks the juices of his life, and then throws him as a victim of death and goes to hunt for another. The Fox turns him into a soulless executor of his orders, orders him to act as if in a dream, losing the feeling of true life.

But by interfering in a person’s life in this way, the fox does not always act evil. It is true that she fools stupid people, mocks the greedy and rude, hunting for happiness that was not written in their race. It is true that she cruelly punishes for debauchery, and most importantly, for treachery and meanness in relation mainly to herself - but how can all this be compared with those inhuman joys that are created by the appearance in the gray and wretched life of a person of a seductive beauty who immerses into true happiness, for which a person will do anything, even to his obvious death.

The fox comes to the person herself, becomes a delightful lover and faithful friend, a kind genius who protects her friend from evil people. She appears in the life of a scientist even more subtle than he himself, and delights him with an indescribable charm, which is especially dear to a man married to an illiterate, half-animal woman who guards his hearth and does not at all claim inexhaustible loving attention and which unfolds all his complexity. personality, resurrects it. With a light heart he rushes towards his death.

Lisa is not only a woman. She can also appear to a person in the form of a man. This will be a finely educated scientist, a conversation with whom will inspire the spirit; he will be a comrade and friend, selflessly and sincerely devoted, looking for an answer in the depths of someone else’s soul, but indignant and executing his comrade for any attempt to use his divine power to please his rude appetite. The fox lives with a person, is no different except for his characteristic oddities, but sometimes he is invisible and sends his charms only to his chosen one, whose heart is not chained by philistine fear and blind tales. The invisible fox is still the same devoted friend, sometimes, however, incomprehensible in his actions, more like the actions of an enemy, but then he really turns out to be genuine gold.

Bringing a fatal charm to a person, leading him to the borders of death, the fox itself brings him healing, helping like nothing in the world. She keeps the pill of eternal life, burning in the eternal radiance of the pale witch moon and capable of reviving even a decomposed corpse. And before becoming the immortal genius of the above-ground spheres, she once again intervenes in a person’s life and brings him peace and happiness.

From the foreword by Academician V.A. Alekseev to the collection of stories by Pu Songling “Fox Charms”

The very first Japanese legend about foxes was set out in three books of the 8th and 12th centuries. And it sounds like this:
During the reign of Emperor Kimmei (540–571), a man from the Ono region of Mino Province went in search of a good wife. A long time passed when he met a beautiful woman in a field and asked her: “Will you become my wife?” She agreed; he married her and took her into his home. After some time, they had a child. But then there was a puppy in the house who constantly barked at the owner. She asked her husband to kill the animal, because she was very afraid of dogs, but he, although he loved his wife very much, did not agree. One day the woman felt as if a dog was biting her, but the puppy jumped away barking, because suddenly the frightened woman turned into a fox, climbed the fence and sat there. Then the husband, looking at his wife who had turned into a fox, said: “We lived together for a long time, and we had a child, so I cannot forget you. Always come to this house at least for the night.” She acted in accordance with her husband’s words and came to the house each time only to spend the night. Therefore, she was given the name “Ki-tsune” (岐都禰), “always coming.”
There is another famous story about werefoxes set out in the famous
“Notes on the Search for Spirits” (Sou Shen Tzu) by the great Gan Bao - Juan XIX, story 425. It was from her that Pelevin started in “The Sacred Book of the Werewolf.” Although, in my opinion, the theme of were-foxes is not completely explored in him, the ancient legends sound more interesting and convincing, although they are small in volume. Late Han is 6-189 AD. ne.

During the Later Han, during the Jian-an years, a native of Peiguo County named Chen Xian was the military governor of Xihai. Buqu, from his personal guard Wang Ling-Xiao, fled for an unknown reason. Xian even wanted to execute him. After some time, Xiao ran away a second time. Xian could not find him for a long time and therefore put his wife in prison. But when his wife answered all the questions without concealment, Xian realized: “Everything is clear, he was taken away by evil spirits. We need to find him."

And so the governor, with several dozen foot and horsemen, having captured hunting dogs, began to scour the walls of the city, tracking down the fugitive. And in fact, Xiao was discovered in an empty tomb. The werewolf, hearing the voices of people and dogs, disappeared. The people sent by Xian brought Xiao back. In appearance he was completely like a fox; there was almost nothing human left in him. I could only mutter: “A-Tzu!” About ten days later he gradually began to come to his senses and then said:

“When the fox came for the first time, a beautiful woman appeared in the far corner of the house between the chicken roosts. Calling herself A-Tzu, she began to beckon me to her. And this happened more than once, until I, without expecting it, followed her call. She immediately became my wife, and that same evening we ended up in her house... I don’t remember the meeting with the dogs, but I was glad as never before.

“This is mountain evil,” the Taoist fortuneteller determined.

The Notes on the Illustrious Mountains says: “In ancient times, the fox was a depraved woman, and her name was A-Tzu. Then she turned into a fox.”

This is why werewolves of this kind mostly call themselves A-Tzu.

A-Tzu may look something like this, her look is appropriate.

At the end of the article I would like to say that it is a pleasure to write about such interesting creatures...

Mythology: Kitsune (狐) Nine-tailed demon fox

Kyuubi (actually a kitsune). They are considered smart, cunning creatures that can transform into people. They obey Inari, the goddess of cereal plants. These animals have great knowledge, long life, and magical abilities. Chief among them, I repeat, is the ability to take the form of a person; the fox, according to legend, learns to do this after reaching a certain age (usually a hundred years, although in some legends it is fifty). Kitsune usually take the form of a seductive beauty, a pretty young girl, but sometimes they also turn into old men. Other powers commonly attributed to kitsune include the ability to inhabit other people's bodies, breathe or otherwise create fire, appear in others' dreams, and the ability to create illusions so complex that they are almost indistinguishable from reality. Some of the tales go further, speaking of kitsune with the ability to bend space and time, drive people mad, or take on such inhuman or fantastic forms as trees of indescribable height or a second moon in the sky.

Kitsune are associated with both Shinto and Buddhist beliefs. In Shinto, kitsune are associated with Inari, the patron deity of rice fields and entrepreneurship. Foxes were originally the messengers (tsukai) of this deity, but now the difference between them has become so blurred that Inari himself is sometimes depicted as a fox. In Buddhism, they became famous thanks to the Shingon school of secret Buddhism, popular in the 9th-10th centuries in Japan, one of the main deities of which, Dakini, was depicted riding across the sky on a fox.

In folklore, a kitsune is a type of yokai, that is, a demon. In this context, the word "kitsune" is often translated as "fox spirit." However, this does not necessarily mean that they are not living creatures or that they are anything other than foxes. The word "spirit" in this case is used in the Eastern sense, reflecting a state of knowledge or insight. Any fox that lives long enough can thus become a "fox spirit." There are two main types of kitsune: the myobu, or divine fox, often associated with Inari, and the nogitsune, or wild fox (literally "field fox"), often, but not always, described as evil, with malicious intent.

Kitsune can have up to nine tails. In general, it is believed that the older and stronger the fox, the more tails it has. Some sources even claim that kitsune grows an additional tail every hundred or thousand years of its life. However, foxes found in fairy tales almost always have one, five, or nine tails.

When kitsune receive nine tails, their fur turns silver, white, or gold. These kyubi no kitsune ("nine-tailed foxes") gain the power of infinite insight. Similarly, in Korea it is said that a fox that has lived for a thousand years turns into a gumiho (literally "nine-tailed fox"), but the Korean fox is always depicted as evil, unlike the Japanese fox, which can be either benevolent or malevolent. Chinese folklore also features "fox spirits" with many similarities to kitsune, including the possibility of nine tails.

In some stories, kitsune have difficulty hiding their tail in human form (usually foxes in such stories have only one tail, which may be an indication of the fox's weakness and inexperience). An attentive hero can expose a drunken or careless fox who has turned into a human by seeing its tail through its clothes.

One of the famous Kitsune is also the great guardian spirit Kyuubi. This is a guardian spirit and protector who helps young “lost” souls on their path in the current incarnation. Kyuubi usually stays for a short time, only a few days, but if attached to one soul, it can accompany it for years. This is a rare type of kitsune that rewards a lucky few with its presence and assistance.

In Japanese folklore, kitsune are often described as tricksters, sometimes very evil ones. Trickster kitsune use their magical powers to play pranks: those shown in a benevolent light tend to target overly proud samurai, greedy merchants, and boastful people, while more cruel kitsune seek to torment poor merchants, farmers, and Buddhist monks.

Kitsune are also often described as lovers. Such stories usually involve a young man and a kitsune disguised as a woman. Sometimes the kitsune is assigned the role of a seductress, but often such stories are rather romantic. In such stories, the young man usually marries the beauty (not knowing that she is a fox) and attaches great importance to her devotion. Many such stories have a tragic element: they end with the discovery of a fox entity, after which the kitsune must leave her husband.

The oldest known story about fox wives, which provides the folk etymology of the word “kitsune,” is an exception in this sense. Here the fox takes the form of a woman and marries a man, after which the two, after spending several happy years together, have several children. Her fox essence is unexpectedly revealed when, in the presence of many witnesses, she is afraid of a dog, and in order to hide, she takes on her true appearance. Kitsune prepares to leave home, but her husband stops her, saying: “Now that we have been together for several years and you have given me several children, I cannot simply forget you. Please, let’s go and sleep.” The fox agrees, and since then returns to her husband every night in the form of a woman, leaving the next morning in the form of a fox. After that, she began to be called kitsune - because in classical Japanese, kitsu-ne means “let's go and sleep,” while ki-tsune means “always coming.”

The offspring of marriages between humans and kitsune are usually attributed special physical and/or supernatural properties. The exact nature of these properties, however, varies greatly from one source to another. Among those believed to have such extraordinary powers is the famous onmyoji Abe no Seimei, who was a han'yō (half-demon), the son of a human and a kitsune.

Rain falling from a clear sky is sometimes called kitsune no yomeiri, or “kitsune wedding.”

Many people believe that kitsune came to Japan from China.

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✪ MYTHICAL CREATURES. Kitsune

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Folklore

In Japanese folklore, these animals have great knowledge, long life and magical powers. Chief among them is the ability to take the form of a person; the fox, according to legend, learns to do this after reaching a certain age (usually a hundred years, although in some legends it is fifty). Kitsune usually take the form of a seductive beauty, a pretty young girl, but sometimes they also turn into men. It should be noted that in Japanese mythology there was a mixture of indigenous Japanese beliefs that characterized the fox as an attribute of the god Inari (see, for example, the Legend - “Fox-weight”) and Chinese, which considered foxes to be werewolves, a family close to demons.

Other powers commonly attributed to kitsune include the ability to inhabit the bodies of others, to breathe or otherwise create fire, to appear in others' dreams, and the ability to create illusions so complex that they are almost indistinguishable from reality. Some of the tales go further, speaking of kitsune with the ability to bend space and time, drive people mad, or take on such inhuman or fantastic forms as trees of indescribable height or a second moon in the sky. Occasionally, kitsune are credited with characteristics reminiscent of vampires: they feed on the life force or spiritual force of people they come into contact with. Sometimes kitsune are described as guarding a round or pear-shaped object ( Hoshi no Tama, that is, “star ball”); it is stated that whoever takes possession of this ball can force the kitsune to help himself; one theory states that kitsune “store” part of their magic in this ball after transformation. Kitsune are required to keep their promises or face punishment by reducing their rank or power level.

Kitsune are associated with both Shinto and Buddhist beliefs. In Shinto, kitsune are associated with Inari, the patron deity of rice fields and entrepreneurship. Initially, foxes were messengers ( tsukai) this deity, but now the difference between them has become so blurred that Inari himself is sometimes depicted as a fox. In Buddhism, they gained fame thanks to the Shingon school of secret Buddhism, popular in the 9th-10th centuries in Japan, one of the main deities of which, Dakini, was depicted riding across the sky on a fox.

In folklore, a kitsune is a type of yokai, that is, a demon. In this context, the word "kitsune" is often translated as "fox spirit." However, this does not necessarily mean that they are not living creatures or that they are anything other than foxes. The word "spirit" in this case is used in the Eastern sense, reflecting a state of knowledge or insight. Any fox that lives long enough can thus become a "fox spirit." There are two main types of kitsune: myobu, or divine fox, often associated with Inari, and nogitsune, or wild fox (literally "field fox"), often, but not always, described as evil, having malicious intent.

When kitsune receive nine tails, their fur turns silver, white, or gold. These kyuubi no kitsune(“nine-tailed foxes”) gains the power of infinite insight. Similarly, in Korea it is said that a fox that lives for a thousand years turns into gumiho(Kumiho) (literally "nine-tailed fox"), but the Korean fox is usually depicted as evil, unlike the Japanese fox, which can be either benevolent or malevolent. Chinese folklore also features “fox spirits” (huli-jing), which are similar in many ways to kitsune, including the possibility of possessing nine tails.

One of the famous kitsune is also a great guardian spirit Kyubi. This is a guardian spirit and protector who helps young “lost” souls on their path in the current incarnation. Kyuubi usually stays for a short time, only a few days, but if attached to one soul, it can accompany it for years. This is a rare type of kitsune that rewards a lucky few with its presence and assistance. Kyuubi can control natural phenomena, time and take people to other worlds, from where they soon return as very old people. But, as a rule, such foxes rarely harm people.

The oldest known story about fox wives, which provides the folkloric etymology of the word "kitsune", is an exception in this sense. Here the fox takes the form of a woman and marries a man, after which the two, after spending several happy years together, have several children. Her fox essence is unexpectedly revealed when, in the presence of many witnesses, she is afraid of a dog, and in order to hide, she takes on her true appearance. Kitsune prepares to leave home, but her husband stops her, saying: “Now that we have been together for several years and you have given me several children, I cannot simply forget you. Please, let’s go and sleep.” The fox agrees, and since then returns to her husband every night in the form of a woman, leaving the next morning in the form of a fox. After that they began to call her kitsune- because in classical Japanese kitsu-ne means "let's go and sleep", while ki-tsune means "always coming."

The world of Eastern mythology is full of amazing creatures that are little understood by Westerners. Each mystical creature has a story and its own character. With the gradual increase in Russians' interest in Japanese culture, corresponding questions arose: why do different films and anime show the same character? Who is he, this nine-tailed demon fox, and what do you need to know about him in order to fully perceive other people's cultural realities?

Who are kitsune?

Fans of Japanese literature and cinema are probably already familiar with the concept of “kitsune”. This is the hieroglyph for fox in the language of the Land of the Rising Sun. The term also refers to the mythical nine-tailed demons.

In classical Japanese mythology, a fox, after living for many years and gaining wisdom, achieves enlightenment and becomes a supernatural being. Such an animal often takes on the role of a storyteller and moral mentor of people, in the form of parables it tells about the laws of existence of the material world. There are versions that the nine-tailed kitsune fox is called upon to serve Inari Okami (the gods of rice) and protect their shrines, but various sources also mention wild spirits of animals - both benevolent and hostile towards people. Some foxes offer rewards to those who are honest, pious, hardworking, or poor. Others become advisors to great rulers and persuade them to evil. However, most Japanese cultural monuments attribute to kitsune a tendency to humiliate the proud, greedy and power-hungry.

Nine-tailed fox: mythology and fiction

Currently, issues of the character, appearance and individual characteristics of kitsune are considered simultaneously from the point of view of mythology and artistic fiction. Why? The fact is that the initial information about folklore demons was passed on by word of mouth. Information recorded in writing varies depending on the source. In addition, over the years, legends in which the main character was the nine-tailed fox were translated into many languages and subjected to in-depth anthropological analysis. As a result, scattered data, of course, can be generalized, but the information offered below may not correspond to the motives of certain legends or works of art.

Kitsune are born in one of two ways: either they are born as ordinary foxes from two kitsune parents, or they arise as disembodied spirits and inhabit the bodies of unborn babies. In addition, a nine-tailed fox in the past may turn out to be an ordinary person who “shared” his soul with a kitsune or was transformed into a mythical creature by some deity. It is believed that amazing creatures dwell in the mortal world until they reach a thousand years, and then ascend beyond the boundaries of the material world and achieve a state similar to nirvana. If the fox spirit becomes bored with this timeless immaterial state, he will gain the possibility of rebirth - and his life in the mortal world will begin anew.

Magic power

Interestingly, the nine-tailed fox was not always like this. The number of tails a magical animal has reflects the degree of its supernatural power. As a rule, very young foxes have one tail. Nine, accordingly, symbolizes the greatest power. Some sources mention a single ten-tailed fox - the goddess kitsune.

The main magic of a kitsune is the power over illusions. Be that as it may, magical animals are distinguished not so much by their supernatural abilities as by their intelligence, wit and cunning. Traditionally they retreat to faith, blessed weapons and monks of any religion except Buddhism.

Species

Typically, the nine-tailed fox belongs to one of two types: the kitsune itself - or the nogitsune. The fundamental difference is commitment to good or evil. Kitsune has a certain set of rules or laws that all foxes must obey. One of the standard rules is not to kill. The actions of nogitsune are not limited by any regulations or laws. Interestingly, all nine-tailed foxes in the myths of other Asian countries, including China, fall under the definition of "nogitsune", while Japanese foxes are often benevolent creatures.