K is for kitsune

Kitsune

(in japanese - 狐) japanese term for fox.

Foxes are characters of Japanese folklore, with features similar to European elves. In Japanese mythology, they are portrayed as intelligent beings and possessing magical abilities that increase with age and knowledge. The more kitsune has tails, the smarter and more powerful it is, up to the most powerful nine-tailed fox ghosts. They have the ability to take human form. Some legends describe kitsune as using these abilities to cheat and deceive. Other stories speak of them as faithful, guardians, friends, lovers and wife.

In Japanese mythology, they are associated with Inari, a shintō deity, whom they serve as (sometimes in the form of ghosts) messengers. This role strengthened the supernatural meaning of the fox. The Japanese thought that the kitsunebi phenomenon is also associated with foxes. The fire was to come from the bones that the foxes held in their mouths.

Kitsune can be divided into two types: yako (wild foxes) and zenko (good foxes)

Yako

Wild foxes

According to beliefs, wild foxes possessed people, brought them sickness and madness. Only the mountain ascetics or the priestesses of miko from Shinto shrines could banish the demon from the possessed human.

The second of the wild foxes is referred to as Nogitsune, which is a bad version of Kitsune, which "fed" on pain, conflict and chaos.

Zenko

Good foxes

Good foxes were considered to be performers of the will of the deities, and sometimes even to be deities of food, crops, mountains and happiness. In the zenko group we distinguish kinko (golden foxes), ginko (silver foxes), byakko (white foxes), kokko (black foxes), tenko (heavenly foxes). In addition to them, there were also kūko (air foxes), which became foxes that lived over three thousand years, they were considered to be deity foxes.

There are cases when Zenko also possessed people, but unlike wild foxes, they did it to help them, for example to develop special skills in them or to cure incurable diseases.

One of the wild foxes is shown in the history of ,,Kitsune yamabushi ni ada no nasu koto" (On revenge of the fox on the mountain hermit).

I recommend you anime " Kamisama Hajimemashita", (and "kitsune no nenko san" and "kitsune no kae" and...) about kitsunes.

Images are from Pinterest, information from Wikipedia.

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