What place does the fox have in Japanese culture?
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You like the japan and want to learn more about the place foxes occupy in Japanese culture? We have created this guide to explain where kitsune comes from and what is their importance in the country of the rising sun.
What's a Kitsune?
You wonder what may be magical, immortal and incredibly adorable? The Kitsune. These legendary foxes have been making the Japanese joy for centuries, whether it be by celebrating a marriage with "fox fire" lanterns or by running the village asshole naked in the streets and having him give all his money. But the Kitsunes are not only fun and fun: they can be incredibly wise, and incredibly dangerous too!
Physical description of kitsunes:
The newborn Kitsune could easily blend into a range of average foxes. They must acquire their magical appearance, as well as their magical powers, over time. For example, every hundred years, a Kitsune gets pushed a new tail. He can have up to nine tails in total. In his later years, his red fur may begin to become golden, and then finally white.
When thejapanese fox reaches his hundredth birthday, he can start changing shape, a trick that makes his description very difficult. These magic foxes love to take human forms. They tend to choose forms that inspire the greatest respect: an elegant young woman or a wise old priest. who can command an army or an enemy who needs to be humiliated. Fortunately, the fox's disguise is rarely. If they have a disturbing mood, they can also pretend to be humans they have seen before: a perfect prince. If you take him off guard, you could see his bottlebrush tail!
Some of the Kitsune the oldest and most powerful can also take other forms. They are known to appear in the sky in the form of incredibly high trees and second moons. Some of them can even disappear!
But whatever form a Kitsune takes, there will always be a gift. He must always keep his sound with him hoshi no tama, a glowing ball or irisated jewel. The ball contains his soul, and without it he will become helpless and die. In human form, the Kitsunes usually wear their hoshi no tamas as amulets, but in fox form they wear the magic balls in their mouths or tie them to their tail.
The personality of kitsunes.
There aren't two exactly identical Kitsunes, and they're all complex characters! Their great intelligence and unlimited creativity make them difficult to predict. Yet they can be divided into two major groups: the Zenko and the Yako.
The Zenko are good foxes that serve Inari, the goddess of rice and prosperity. The Zenko often appear as priests, to bring wisdom to humans. They can also bring messages to leaders or become the guardians of some homes, bringing to their families wealth and happiness. Finally, they settle disputes between humans and wicked foxes, usually taking the side of humans!
The Yako are bad foxes. While the Zenko foxes can be malicious, Yako foxes can be downright destructive. They ruin reputations, steal valuables, and even attract travelers into deadly traps. Most of the time, the Yakos attack arrogant or lazy people, but they are also known to harass innocent people!
Many Kitsune, Zenko and Yako, also seem to have a penchant for romanticism. Disguised as beautiful young women, they often marry humans. Most Kitsunes turn out to be loving and loyal wives, although the marriage usually ends with the hunting of the Kitsune. A few Kitsunes may seduce men, but only to steal them or place them in humiliating positions after they fall asleep. When two Kitsunes get married, they hold elaborate wedding celebrations, which may include the ignition of magic lanterns " fox fire" or the call of rain from a light blue sky.
Special capabilities of kitsunes
The Kitsunes are incredibly magical creatures. Their powers are limited only by their imagination, which, given the vividness of the Kitsunes' imagination, means that they are virtually not limited at all!
They specialize in the art of illusion. Morphism is only the first of many skills in this field. In addition to transforming their bodies, these magic foxes can also transform the world around them. They can create decadent mansions and dream gardens from a cemetery. They can evoke masses of silver and gold, which turn again into aspiring in the morning. And they can spend years in a human form, never being identified as a fox.
The Kitsunes also have psychic powers. They can take possession of the human body, usually to humiliate a person who has harmed them by running her naked into the city, giving all her money or eating huge amounts of food until she becomes fat. As a less radical measure, a Kitsune can enter a human's mind during his sleep to convey a message to him through a dream.
The Kitsunes also have various other powers. Some can fly. Others can breathe fire. Some can control time and others can see the future.
The origin of kitsunes
Like many aspects of Japanese culture, the Kitsune were inspired by the Chinese, who told stories of nine-tailed magic foxes called huli jing.
The Kitsunes made their debut in Japanese literature in the eighth century, and their legend has never denied itself since. They are found as statues around ancient shrines for Inari, on calligraphy rolls of the best Japanese artists and, of course, in thousands of tales.
The Japanese believed in their magic foxes for a good part of the 18th century. Special tofu recipes were invented as offerings for foxes who lived around the temples of inari. Families kept foxes as pets, believing foxes would bring them wealth and success. Some families, who were thought to be descended from Yako foxes, were ostracized by their community. And many cases of mental illness were described as kitsunetsuki, or possession by foxes.
Modern appearances
The charming Kitsunes have not lost their grip on Japanese culture. Actually, their customs have spread all over the world!
Since foxes are such adorable creatures, they are mostly popular in visual entertainment such as comics, animes, and video games. They appear in Naruto, Pokemon, Animal Crossing, Selda And Mario.
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Tortoise also plays an important role in Japanese culture, so if you are interested in its ovipositor, we suggest you visit it Tortoise world Found products related to shellfish.
