Kitsune

***Kitsune*** (狐, キツネ, IPA: [kitsɯne]) in the literal sense is the Japanese word for 'fox', specifically in the red fox of East Asia. A kitsune is a monster that, in appearance, looks somewhat similar to werewolves, but with a more fox-like than wolf-like appearance. Kitsunes seem to be very rare and uncommon. They feed on the pituitary gland, a part of the brain- without it, they will die. All foxes have the ability to shapeshift into human form. 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, lovers, and wives.

## Dictionary

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.

Conversely foxes were often seen as "witch animals", especially during the superstitious Edo period (1603–1867), and were thought of as goblins who could not be trusted (similar to some badgers and cats).

## Appearance

Kitsunes look like regular human beings but have the ability to partially shapeshift themselves into animal-like (fox) qualities. A kitsune's primary weapon is their claws; they can extend claws from their finger tips upon demand. And, if they are feeding or attacking, their eyeballs turn yellow and fox-like while the pupils narrow. All in all they take on a very similar appearance a werewolf does.

## Origins

Japanese fox legends had their origins in the fox spirit of Chinese mythology, also found in stories throughout East Asia. Folktales of China tell of fox spirits called *húli jīng* (Chinese: 狐狸精) that may have up to nine tails; these were adopted into Japanese culture as *[[kyūbi no kitsune]]* ('nine-tailed fox'), covered in more detail below. Many of the earliest surviving stories are recorded in the *Konjaku Monogatarishū*, an 11th-century Japanese collection of Japanese, Chinese, and Indian literary narratives.

### **Etymology**

The full etymology is unknown. The oldest known usage of the word is in text *Shin'yaku Kegonkyō Ongi Shiki*, dating to 794. Other old sources include Nihon Ryōiki (810–824) and Wamyō Ruijushō (c. 934). These oldest sources are written in Man'yōgana, which clearly identifies the historical form of the word (when rendered into a Latin-alphabet transliteration) as *ki1tune*. Following several diachronic phonological changes, this became *kitsune*.

*Kitsu* is now archaic; in modern Japanese, a fox's cry is transcribed as *kon kon* or *gon gon*.

A widely known folk etymology of the word relates to sleeping and returning home: in classical Japanese, *kitsu-ne* means 'come and sleep', and *ki-tsune* means 'always comes'. This appears to be tied to a specific story; it is one of the oldest surviving *kitsune* tales, and unlike most of those in which a *kitsune* takes the form of a human woman and marries men, this one does not end tragically.

## Characteristics

*Kitsune* are believed to possess superior intelligence, long life, and magical powers. They are a type of demonic *yōkai*, or demon. The word *kitsune* is sometimes translated as 'fox spirit', which is actually a broader folkloric category. This does not mean that *kitsune* are ghosts, nor that they are fundamentally different from regular foxes. Because the word *spirit* is used to reflect a state of knowledge or enlightenment, all long-lived foxes were believed to gain supernatural abilities.

There are two common classifications of *kitsune*:

* The *zenko* (善狐-literally 'good foxes') are benevolent, celestial foxes associated with Inari; they are sometimes simply called Inari foxes in English.
* On the other hand, the *yako* (野狐, literally 'field foxes', also called *nogitsune*) tend to be mischievous or even malicious.

Local traditions add further types. For example, a *ninko* is an invisible fox spirit that human beings can only perceive when it possesses them.

*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.

### **Shapeshifting**

A *kitsune* may take on human form, an ability learned when it reaches a certain age – usually 100 years, although some tales say 50. As a common prerequisite for the transformation, the fox must place reeds, a leaf, or a skull over its head. Common forms assumed by *kitsune* include beautiful women, young girls, elderly men, and less often young boys. These shapes are not limited by the fox's own age or gender, and a *kitsune* can duplicate the appearance of a specific person. *Kitsune* are particularly renowned for impersonating beautiful women. Common belief in medieval Japan was that any woman encountered alone, especially at dusk or night, could be a *kitsune*. *Kitsune-gao* ('fox-faced') refers to human females who have a narrow face with close-set eyes, thin eyebrows, and high cheekbones. Traditionally, this facial structure is considered attractive, and some tales ascribe it to foxes in human form. Variants on the theme have the *kitsune* retain other foxlike traits, such as a coating of fine hair, a fox-shaped shadow, or a reflection that shows its true form.

In some stories, *kitsune* retain – and have difficulty hiding – their tails when they take human form; looking for the tail, perhaps when the fox gets drunk or careless, is a common method of discerning the creature's true nature. A particularly devout individual may even be able to see through a fox's disguise merely by perceiving them. *Kitsune* can also be exposed while in human form by their fear and hatred of dogs, and some become so rattled by their presence that they revert to the form of a fox and flee.

Other supernatural abilities commonly attributed to *kitsune* include possession, generating fire or lightning, willful manifestation in the dreams of others, flight, invisibility, and the creation of illusions so elaborate as to be almost indistinguishable from reality. Some tales speak of *kitsune* with even greater powers, able to bend time and space, drive people mad, or take fantastic shapes such as an incredibly tall tree or a second moon in the sky. Other *kitsune* have characteristics reminiscent of vampires or succubi, and feed on the life or spirit of human beings, generally through sexual contact.

### ***Kitsunetsuki***

*Kitsunetsuki* (狐憑き, 狐付き), also written *kitsune-tsuki*, literally means 'the state of being possessed by a fox'. The victim is usually said to be a young woman, whom the fox enters beneath her fingernails or through her breasts. In some cases, the victims' facial expressions are said to change in such a way that they resemble those of a fox. Japanese tradition holds that fox possession can cause illiterate victims to temporarily gain the ability to read. Though foxes in folklore can possess a person of their own will, *kitsunetsuki* is often attributed to the malign intents of hereditary fox employers.

Attempting to rid someone of a fox spirit was done via an exorcism, often at an Inari shrine. If a priest was not available or if the exorcism failed, alleged victims of *kitsunetsuki* might be badly burned or beaten in hopes of driving out the fox spirits. The whole family of someone thought to be possessed might be ostracized by their community.

In Japan, *kitsunetsuki* was described as a disease as early as the Heian period and remained a common diagnosis for mental illness until the early 20th century. Possession was the explanation for the abnormal behavior displayed by the afflicted individuals. In the late 19th century, Shunichi Shimamura noted that physical diseases that caused fever were often considered *kitsunetsuki*.

In modern psychiatry, the term *kitsunetsuki* refers to a culture-bound syndrome unique to Japanese culture. Those who suffer from the condition believe they are possessed by a fox. Symptoms include cravings for rice or sweet adzuki beans, listlessness, restlessness, and aversion to eye contact. This sense of *kitsunetsuki* is similar to but distinct from clinical lycanthropy.

## Powers and Abilities

* **Super Strength** - Kitsunes appear to be stronger than humans. They can knock down and overpower humans with little difficulty.
* **Super Speed** - Kitsunes possess supernatural speed that is described as fox-like. Along with their speed, they use their strength to catch their prey or enemies off guard and kill them expediently.
* **Claws** - All Kitsunes have long talon-like claws that they use to tear at their victims.
* **Invulnerability** - They can only die if they're stabbed in the heart, or starvation.
* **Shapeshifting** - Kitsunes can shapeshift into a combination of fox and human, similar to that of Werewolves.

## Weaknesses

* **Heart destruction** - A kitsune can be killed by being stabbed in the heart with a knife or dagger.
* **Starvation** - Without a regular supply of human brains (more specifically, pituitary glands) they will presumably die. Younger Kitsunes become ill if they lack proper food.

## Known Kitsune

* Yū
* Nao