Kitsune – Nine-Tailed Fox Of Japanese Mythology Explained - Symbol Sage (2024)

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Yordan Zhelyazkov

October 26, 2023

Kitsune – Nine-Tailed Fox Of Japanese Mythology Explained - Symbol Sage (2)

The Kitsune yokai (spirits) in Japanese Shintoism are a popular and wide-spread myth. These magical multi-tailed foxes can shapeshift into people, possess humans like demons, or charm people to do their bidding. They can do all that, and more, either in service to the benevolent kami god Inari or simply out of sheer mischievousness or malevolence.

What are the Kitsune?

Kitsune – Nine-Tailed Fox Of Japanese Mythology Explained - Symbol Sage (3)

The name Kitsune in Japanese literally translates to a fox. As the Japanese culture had spent millennia coexisting with the many red foxes on the islands of Japan, it’s no surprise that the people there developed countless myths and legends about these clever and mysterious animals.

Kitsune – Nine-Tailed Fox Of Japanese Mythology Explained - Symbol Sage (5)

The kitsune myths make an easy distinction between ordinary foxes and kitsune yokai – ordinary foxes have only one tail while the yokai animals have two, three, or even up to nine tails. What’s more, according to the Shinto myths, the more tails a kitsune has, the older and more powerful it is.

The Powers of the Kitsune

The kitsune are powerful yokai that wield many powerful abilities. In addition to their cunning and intelligence, they are also skillful magicians and can use their magic for a wide range of purposes.

1. Kitsune-Tsuki – Possession

The term kitsunetsuki or kitsune-tsuki translates to The state of being possessed by a fox. This is one of the signature abilities of the more powerful kitsune yokai. While such possessions are sometimes done in accordance with Inari’s will, in most kitsune myths there’s malicious intent behind the kitsune-tsuki.

For a long time, this trickery from the mythical Japanese foxes was the default explanation for myriad mental conditions, both for lifelong conditions and those developed later in life.

Kitsune – Nine-Tailed Fox Of Japanese Mythology Explained - Symbol Sage (7)

Aside from such instances, however, kitsune-tsuki was believed to usually be done to young girls. The fox yokai were said to possess Japanese maidens by entering their bodies through their fingernails or between their breasts. After a kitsune-tsuki, the victims’ faces sometimes changed to a more slender and elongated shape and people were said to sometimes develop new abilities such as learning to read overnight.
Funnily enough, Japanese girls with kitsune-gao (fox-faced) features such as narrow faces, high cheekbones, closet-set eyes, and thin eyebrows are viewed as exceptionally beautiful in Japanese culture.

Kitsune – Nine-Tailed Fox Of Japanese Mythology Explained - Symbol Sage (8)

2. Kitsunebi – Fox Fire

The kitsune yokai are also known as masters of fire and lightning. In many tales, the kitsune would create small flashes of fire, light, or lightning to confuse, scare, or attract people. This fire wasn’t often used aggressively, but almost exclusively as a mind-games tool, just like most of the other kitsune abilities.

3. Hoshi No Tama – Kitsune’s Magical Pearls

In most paintings and depictions of kitsune or people possessed by them, there is a mysterious, small, white ball in their mouths. Usually viewed as a magical pearl and sometimes as a ball of kitsunebi light, these captivating jewels are a symbol of the kami Inari. When the kitsune are in their standard fox form, they sometimes carry the Hoshi no Tama wrapped in their tails.

According to some myths, the magical pearls are the sources of the kitsune powers, given to them by Inari. In other myths, the kitsune use the pearls to store their magical powers in them when they possess people or transform into people. And then there are legends that the Hoshi no Tama is the soul of the kitsune. Whatever the case, the Hoshi no Tama is another proof of just how fascinated the Japanese people were with pearls – they even gave them to their mythical foxes.

4. Shapeshifting

One of the most powerful abilities that only older and more powerful kitsune have is shapeshifting or transformation. It’s believed that a kitsune has to be at least 50 to 100 years old and grow many tails to master this ability. Once they learn how to shapeshift, however, kitsune can transform into any human, including to imitate actual living people and pose as them in front of others.

To transform into a human, the kitsune fox first has to place some reeds, a leaf, and/or a human skull on its head. Once they transform, the most common human form for a kitsune is that of a beautiful young girl or a mature woman, however, the kitsune can also transform into young boys or old men. For some reason, they almost never transform into middle-aged men.
Unlike with kitsune-tsuki or possession, where the intent is usually malicious, shapeshifting is more often done with a benevolent goal – the kitsune do it to help guide someone, teach them a lesson, or just do the Inari’s bidding.

5. Other Abilities

Depending on the myth, kitsune yokai can have many other magical abilities as well. They can fly, become invisible, manifest dreams and visions into people’s minds, or create entire visual illusions. They are also said to live for hundreds of years and are said to be more intelligent than people.

Zenko or Yako?

Kitsune can either be benevolent servants of the kami Inari or they can be self-serving and malicious yokai. The terms for these two distinctions are zenko and yako.

  • Zenko Kitsune: The term zenko literally translates to good foxes. These are the celestial and benevolent foxes that are servents of the kami Inari. In English, such kitsune are often just called “Inari foxes”. They are also usually viewed as rarer but more powerful than their evil counterparts.
  • Yako: Yako translates to field foxes. These yokai are also sometimes called nogitsune. Usually weaker than zenko, self-serving, and simply mischievous, in some myths the yako kitsune can be very powerful and outright evil.
Kitsune – Nine-Tailed Fox Of Japanese Mythology Explained - Symbol Sage (9)

Symbolism of Kitsune

The kitsune symbolize intelligence, cunning and trickery, however, in general, they’re viewed as mischievous supernatural spirits. The kitsunes’ connection to their patron goddess, Inari Ōkami, the deity of fertility, agriculture, rice, sake, tea, as well as industry and merchants, emphasizes the beings’ supernatural nature.

This doesn’t make their allure any less captivating. To the contrary – it plays to their mysteriousness. Like foxes in other cultures’ folklore, the kitsune are highly-intelligent tricksters and are very good at manipulating people, both for benevolent and malevolent reasons. They can be viewed both as guardian spirits and as evil witches depending on who they serve and help.

All this likely stems from the high intelligence of ordinary foxes who’ve been near-constant companions of the people of Japan for millennia.

Importance of Kitsune in Modern Culture

Despite being mere spirits, the kitsune are one of the most famous worldwide mythological beings from Japanese legends. That’s likely because of how prevalent foxes are in the folklore of other cultures. The relationship between the kitsune and the major Shinto deity Inari Ōkami also helps boost their popularity.

However, probably the simplest and most significant reason for the popularity of the kitsune is how fascinating the multi-tailed aspect of these spirits is.

As a result of that, kitsune foxes can be seen throughout various modern manga, anime, and video game series. Some of the most popular examples include the anime series Yu Yu Hakusho, the hit anime Naruto, as well as video games such as League of Legends and it’s famous Nine-Tailed fox-woman Ahri, Crush Crush, Okami, Sonic the Hedgehog, and others.

Wrapping Up

The kitsune are highly popular mythical creatures of Japanese mythology, with many portrayals and myths surrounding them. They’re described as wise, intelligent and witty beings with many capabilities. Just like the real red foxes that can be found everywhere in Japan, the kitsune abound in Japanese mythology.

Kitsune – Nine-Tailed Fox Of Japanese Mythology Explained - Symbol Sage (2024)

FAQs

Kitsune – Nine-Tailed Fox Of Japanese Mythology Explained - Symbol Sage? ›

Kitsune – Nine-Tailed Fox Of Japanese Mythology Explained - Symbol Sage. The Kitsune are magical multi-tailed foxes which can shapeshift into people, possess humans like demons, or charm people to do their bidding.

What does the 9 tailed fox symbolize? ›

Through its mythical origins and the stories passed down through generations, the nine-tailed fox emerged as an auspicious symbol, embodying the ideals of abundance, prosperity, and the favorable blessings of fortune.

What do kitsunes symbolize? ›

Kitsune is a symbol of intelligence and long life, therefore it is said to be "intelligent as a fox". Kitsune love freedom, but are naturally very sociable and playful with others. Their jokes can be funny or dangerous.

What element is a kitsune? ›

In Japanese mythology, there are said to be 13 types of kitsune, which correspond to different elements—celestial, wind, spirit, darkness, fire, earth, river, ocean, forest, mountain, thunder, sound, and time.

Are kitsunes evil or good? ›

There are primarily two types of kitsune: mischievous and good. The latter grouping is often expanded to include a more defined spiritual hierarchy.

Is the nine-tailed fox good or bad? ›

Black foxes and nine-tailed foxes are likewise considered good omens. According to beliefs derived from fusui (feng shui), the fox's power over evil is such that a mere statue of a fox can dispel the evil kimon, or energy, that flows from the northeast.

Who is the goddess of nine-tailed fox? ›

In Han iconography, the nine-tailed fox is sometimes depicted at Mount Kunlun and along with Xi Wangmu in her role as the goddess of immortality. According to the first-century Baihutong (Debates in the White Tiger Hall), the fox's nine tails symbolize abundant progeny.

What power does a kitsune have? ›

Powers & Abilities

Shapeshifting - Kitsunes can take human form by shapeshifting into a human. They can also shapeshift into their true appearance, a large fox creature. Superhuman Strength - Kitsunes are stronger than humans. They can easily knock down and overpower humans with little difficulty.

What does it mean if your spirit animal is a kitsune? ›

The Fox spirit animal is mischievous, clever and self-assured. It's fearless and can handle any situation in any environment. Sensitive, dynamic and intelligent, your Fox totem can pass on its wisdom and passion. Meaning: Observation, Discernment, Intelligence et Sensitivity.

What happens if a kitsune falls in love? ›

Kitsune are the only yokai in Japanese folklore who fall in love and get married, which typically results in a Fox's Wedding, or Kitsune no Yomeiri,. The jubilant event itself is quite a common motif in Japanese folklore, with numerous paintings depicting kitsune parading towards marital bliss.

What do Kitsunes hate? ›

Promise: Kitsune must keep their promises or suffer a deterioration in their rank and power. Canidae: Kitsunes are known to have a great fear and hatred of dogs and wolves. Some become so rattled by the presence of that they will revert to the shape of a fox and flee.

What do Kitsunes love? ›

Good Japanese Foxes: Zenko (善狐)

They are sometimes simply called Inari foxes. Even if they do not have nine tails, these kitsune are always depicted as being white in color. Inari Foxes, in Japanese folklore, are particularly fond of fried sliced tofu called aburage.

Are Kitsunes always female? ›

Kitsune are spiritual beings that can shapeshift into either male or female forms and possess superior intelligence.

What is the spirit of the nine-tailed fox? ›

Kitsune are believed to possess superior intelligence, long life and magical powers. They are a type of yōkai, or spiritual entity, and the word kitsune is often translated as "fox spirit". Physically, kitsune are noted for having as many as nine tails.

What does a nine tailed kitsune tattoo mean? ›

A simplified representation of the kitsune is one with many tails, sometimes as many as nine of them. These are shown as representative of the wisdom that the kitsune has, as well as its overall power. These types of kitsune are known as “kami,” which is a messenger spirit in the Japanese religion of Shinto.

What does the 9 tailed fox mean in korean? ›

While the Chinese and Japanese mythology of them can portray them as morally ambiguous the Korean nine tailed fox is almost entirely seen as evil and violent. After reaching 1000 years old the fox is blessed with shape shifting powers, often depicted as a beautiful woman with fox like characteristics.

What does the nine-tailed fox pendant mean? ›

It is widely believed to be a strong amulet to attract love and marriage luck, besides being an amulet. to protect from third party interference. It is also said to enhance one's attractiveness and make one more desirable. to their partner when carried for a period of time.

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