Kitsune: A Japanese Folklore - What is a Kitsune? Why are They a Case of Contradiction?

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‘Trickery, Illusion, Greed, Faith, Benevolence, Intelligence is what a Kitsune, a case of Contradiction’

Ayakashi is also known as Yokai are supernatural beings from old Japanese folk tales which are passed down from one generation. These beings are not demons, they are spirits that are said to be the cause of many supernatural occurrences.

Kitsune is one such yokai from Japanese folklore. Kitsune is a Japanese word for “ Fox ”. They are said to possess great intelligence and different paranormal abilities which increase as time passes. Foxes and humans lived close together in ancient Japan and this companionship gave rise to legends about the creatures.

Kitsune have become closely associated with Inari, a Shinto kami or spirit, and serves 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, the more tails it has. Because of their potential power and influence, some people make sacrifices to them as to a deity.

Are Kitsune Good or Evil? 

These Kitsunes are believed to possess superior intelligence, long life, and magical powers.  The word spirit is used to reflect a state of knowledge or enlightenment, all long-lived foxes were believed to gain supernatural abilities and not like being a ghost or something.

The Kitsune are said to be either “ Zenko - 善狐 ” or “ Yako - 野狐 ”. Zenko means ‘good foxes’ and Yako means ‘field fox’. Zenko is often related to Inari and celestial beings which bring good fortune to the people and their worshipers. On the other hand, Yako is a mischievous one who causes trouble for fun and some of them have malicious intentions toward people. 

A kitsune may take on human form, an ability learned when it reaches a certain age—usually 100 years, although some tales say 50. There are thirteen different kinds of Kitsune each with its element, including Heaven, Dark, Wind, Spirit, Fire, Earth, River, Ocean, Mountain, Forest, Thunder, Time and Sound. 

Fox Fire

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One of the Kitsune’s most well-known abilities is “ Kitsune-bi - 狐火 ”  which translates to Foxfire. This is a red flame produced by a kitsune wagging its tail. It is said that they use this light to lure humans.

Kitsunes are generally portrayed as shapeshifters who turn into humans. Usually, they take the form of young Japanese girls, beautiful women, and older men. In some of the stories, they transform into beautiful women to trap or lure powerful men.

It is said that when a kitsune gains its ninth tail, its fur becomes white or gold and attains a heavenly state or turns into a celestial bring. Lengs has it that the evil kitsunes were hunted by cutting off their tails since the tails are the source of their power and are their weakness. 

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Shape-Shifting is a Common Attribute

Kitsune are said to take the form of attractive women to control, deceive, or lure men to otherwise undesirable fates. In a way, stories about kitsunes could be seen with many similarities to certain vampire myths in the west. The myths surrounding Kitsune vary as wildly as legends of angels, djinn, or demons. 

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In some other tales out there, the deception by the Kitsune wasn't out of maliciousness, but rather loneliness and emptiness of eternity. As fun as eternal life may sound, you stay behind even though the ones you love may leave you'll stay behind. Having such a cruel fate, they simply wanted a suitable "mate" to share their lives with through thick and thin.

Kitsune symbolises good harvests, tea and sake, fertility and prosperity, cunning and smarts, business and money, all in equal measures and all at different turns.  There is a lot of anime and manga based on this mythology, for instance, A powerful Nine-Tails is one of the sources of power for the main character in Naruto, In Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits stars Aoi Tsubaki, the second male lead is kitsune and the entire story involves various Ayakashi.

Inuyasha is a typical anime for every kitsune and yokai lover. In the Anime Kamisama Hajimemashita, the story tells about the lonely life of a kitsune and his long-awaited bride, this anime shows a lot about the loneliness that comes in the MC’s long life. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, the story of the Kitsune is a fascinating one and one that is also seen repeatedly throughout Japanese folklore, myth, and legend. 

Written By: _CB_Ryuu_