What is the meaning of kitsune in Japanese mythology? This concept refers to foxes that have supernatural skills, the main one of which is to transform or inhabit a person. The first mentions of them are found in the legends of China, and only later the mystical belief in kitsune appeared in Japan, where it acquired specific details, turning into an independent folklore element. According to legend, the deity Inari once descended to earth on a snow-white fox, giving people prosperity and fertility. Inari does not have a specific gender, and can appear before a person either in the form of a lovely girl or in the form of a gray-haired old man. The deity was accompanied by subordinates - magical foxes with a mischievous rather than a good disposition. The Japanese name for fox is kitsune. They will be discussed in the article.
Classification of kitsune species
Kitsune are extraordinary and mysterious creatures of Japanese folklore. There are two types of them in myths. One of them is called the Hokkaido fox, and the second is called Kitsune. Both species are carriers of ancient knowledge, use magical powers as needed, live long lives, and over time transform into a more advanced species. They have incredibly fine hearing and are able to see past and future events. When meeting such a red-haired prankster, you need to be on your guard, she knows how to read minds and will definitely try to fool the person she meets.
In Japanese mythology, kitsune is represented as an evil demon, but more often than not, the cunning werewolf spends his time creating traps and laughing at gullible travelers. There is another classification of foxes:
- Myobu provides support to people and serves the deity Inari.
- Nogitsune - a fox with an evil disposition, becomes a werewolf, terrifying the entire area with bloodthirsty actions.
Kitsune are unsurpassed hypnotists, capable of transporting a person to the future and past, and performing entire theatrical performances.
:smiley_cat: A selection of anime with kitsune :smiley_cat:
Girls with cute ears have long been in the hearts of many. Today I selected several anime with their participation. Of course, this is only a small part, but for now that’s all. First, some useful information :sparkles:
:hearts: History :hearts:
A kitsune is a fox endowed with supernatural powers.
In Japanese folklore, these animals have great knowledge, long life and magical powers. Chief among them is the ability to take the form of a person; the fox, according to legend, learns to do this after reaching a certain age (usually one hundred years, although in some legends - fifty). Kitsune usually take the form of a seductive beauty, a pretty young girl, but sometimes they also turn into men.
5 anime featuring kitsune
(This is not a top one, so the ranking of any anime does not determine its rating or anything)
1.Wagaya no Oinari-sama/Inari in our house
Year of manufacture: 2008
Genre: adventure, fantasy, comedy, mystery
Country: Japan
Number of episodes: 24 eps. + specials
Director: Iwasaki Yoshiaki
Description: The Takagami brothers - sixteen-year-old Noboru and eleven-year-old Toru - travel to the province to visit their maternal uncle and dying grandmother. Arriving, the brothers find the old woman in good health and mysteriously worried: the matriarch of the Mizuchi family tells her grandchildren that the strength of their priestly clan is becoming impoverished (!), the magic of the Protector Maiden Mizuchi is weakening (?!), and that is why Tohru is in danger of being eaten by a demon (!!! ).
And the only thing that remains for them to do is to go wake up Inari-sama, a powerful fox sealed by the spells of the Mizuchi clan. Inari-sama wakes up. Inari-sama sulks. Inari-sama agrees to protect... moreover, Inari-sama is going to go with them to the city and live in Takagami's house! This is something Noboru and Toru absolutely did not count on...
2.Tactics/Tactics
Year: 2004
Genre: adventure, mystery, shonen-ai(!)
Country: Japan
Number of episodes: 25 eps.
Director: Hiroshi Watanabe
Description: “Tactics” immerses us in the world of Japanese mythology. Kantaro Tinomiya had the ability to see and communicate with spirits from early childhood. Already
told him about the existence of one legendary tengu (a humanoid mountain spirit with wings, tall height and enormous strength), superior in strength to the evil Japanese oni demons, who was sealed in a secluded place (like a genie in a bottle). And since then, Kantaro has been obsessed with the idea of finding this “demon eater” tengu and making friends with him. Having grown up, he officially engages in ethnography, but his true craft is expelling the evil oni. One day, during a session of expelling another demon, Kantaro comes across a tomb where that same tengu is sealed. He manages to break the seal, and the tengu receives the name Haruka from him. The demons follow the man who gave them their name, and thus the glorious union of Kantaro and Haruka is created. They and Kantaro’s faithful friend, the demon fox Yoko, will have to measure their strength with more than just them...
3.Gingitsune/Silver Fox
Year: 2013
Genre: everyday life, fantasy
Country: Japan
Number of episodes: 12 eps. (25 min.)
Director: Misawa Shin
Description: The series tells about the life of a girl named Makoto Saeki. After her mother dies, the heroine becomes a miko at a fertility temple. Her entire family, up to the 14th generation, served in this temple. Makoto turns out to be able to communicate with a werefox named Gintaro. This is the guardian spirit of the temple. The fox is somewhat lazy, but quite good-natured and friendly. He also really likes oranges. The girl's father is the rector of the temple, his responsibilities include
with parishioners. And she herself is forced to learn very quickly, despite her young age. After all, Makoto must decide to communicate with her divine patron. When she turned 16, she turned into an affable girl who took her vocation responsibly. But she has not yet succeeded in becoming a full-fledged priestess. Makoto is an ordinary girl who sees the meaning of life not only in communicating with spirits. However, thanks to her talent for predicting the future, she becomes popular at school and in the city. Her classmates are happy to be friends with her. The girl sincerely rejoices at the arrival of the mysterious guy Satoru, who also belongs to an ancient family, to the temple. Her life is filled with novelty and romance. By the way, the fox Gintaro also finds a girlfriend. After all, Satoru brought with him a young fox, also the family keeper.
4.Yobi, the Five Tailed Fox/Fox Girl
Year: 2007
Genre: adventure, fantasy, drama
Country: South Korea
Number of episodes: full-length film (86 min.)
Director: Sung-kang Lee
Description: Yubi is a young fox sorceress who lives in the mountains near a big city - she can turn into a girl. Most foxes from the Yubi family live more than 1000 years, Yubi is still only a little over 100 years old, or by human standards she is a 10-year-old girl. And so far she only has 5 magic tails out of 9 possible.
Having accidentally met a simple boy in the forest, Yubi falls in love and now she wants to remain human forever. While searching for a way to become human, Yubi meets Detective Shadow, who claims to know the secret way and is ready to help her. Dangerous and fun adventures, magical transformations and treacherous betrayal await Yubi and her friends on her way...
PS this is my very first anime, I hope you like it too :blush:
And the last for today... I can’t help but say my English teacher’s signature phrase: “Last but not least”
5.Inu x Boku SS/Secret Service Dog and Me
Year: 2012
Genre: comedy, romance, mystery
Country: Japan
Number of episodes: 12 (+ special)
Director: Tsuda Naokatsu
Description: Shirakiin Ririchio is the heiress of a wealthy family, who is carefully protected by a whole staff of servants. But the girl doesn’t like this at all, because she is sure that if things continue like this, she will never be able to live independently. Therefore, Ririchiyo leaves home and decides to go to “Ayakashi Kan” - the Abode of Spirits. You can enter this mansion only after a strict selection process, and upon settlement, each resident receives a Secret Service agent at his disposal, but the girl refused the services of a bodyguard. But soon Ririchiyo finds out that the agent assigned to her is the fox spirit Soshi, whom she once saved.
That's all :blush:
I hope you liked my selection and I helped you in some way :sparkling_heart:
:sparkling_heart: Thank you for your attention :sparkling_heart:
Always Coming: The Legend of the Kitsune
The Japanese composed a romantic legend, tinged with a touch of sadness, about a mysterious girl who turned out to be actually a kitsune. A young man from the Mino region named Ono set out to find a girl of extraordinary beauty. He asked his neighbors, looked closely at all the local beauties, but all in vain. One day the guy was completely exhausted from grief and his feet themselves led him to an abandoned wasteland. Among the milky fog, a fantastic sight opened up to him - a sophisticated charmer stood in a cloud of reddish hair, a spark of mischief splashed in her almond-shaped eyes.
Soon the wedding ended, and the young couple had a baby. At the same hour, the owner's dog gave birth to a puppy, who disliked the lady. He attacked the young mistress, and she turned into a fox and ran towards the wasteland. It began to call her in desperation: “Stay a fox if you like it better, but the doors of my house are always open for you. Come to me and our son, we will always be glad to see you.” Every night the mistress returned home, where she again acquired a human form, but in the morning she became a red fox. Therefore, “kitsu-ne” can be translated literally as “always coming.”
Kitsunetsuki - obsession or medical syndrome
There are two categories of foxes in Japanese mysticism: “Nogitsune” or free foxes and “Tenko”, who serve their mistress - the goddess Inari. In some cases, the spirit of a fox can enter a person in moments of weakness or anger. During its stay in human form, the spirit restores strength after injury.
In medical practice, the invasion of a fox or Kitsunetsuki is sometimes noted. The possessed person can be recognized by his changed gastronomic tastes: love for poultry, tofu, rice, as well as nervousness and increased sexual activity. There is an opinion that this is how “fox blood” manifests itself. In ancient times, the possessed were given over to exorcists, and then purified by fire. Suspicion fell on people with a special type of appearance - thick hair, close-set almond-shaped eyes, an elongated and slightly snub nose. A kitsune can be recognized by its reflection in a mirror or by a cast shadow, although this statement does not apply to half-breeds and higher kitsune.
Magic Abilities: Kitsune Tail
As foxes grow older, they acquire increasingly powerful magical abilities. The youngest kitsune have only one tail. While learning the art of transformation, they cannot hide it well enough under their clothes. Over time, a fox may develop three, five, seven or even nine tails. The ability to hypnosis, create illusions, the ability to become invisible, fly and change the original form appears. Young foxes play pranks among people and love tricks and deception. There are known stories of romantic relationships between humans and one-tailed kitsune.
Creatures with five or seven tails have black fur; they are no longer afraid to appear in their real form. The elite among foxes are the nine-tailed kitsune, who have reached the venerable age of thousands of years. Such creatures have incredible magical abilities, and their skin takes on a golden, white or silver color. Higher ranks of foxes can live on their own or form the retinue of Inari no Kami. They have unlimited power over time and space, they can transform into any creature or object - a huge tree, a second moon in the sky, a fire-breathing dragon. They subjugate masses of people to their will or bring madness to an entire settlement.
Panda in Chinese
For centuries , the panda has been a traditional object of adoration and the most recognizable national symbol of modern China . First of all, this concerns giant pandas, which are described in ancient treatises as a mystical beast that embodies the dual nature of Yin and Yang.
especially loved for their non-aggressive disposition, friendliness and developed intelligence, compared to other representatives of the animal world . The Chinese even invented a concept called “Panda Diplomacy” and use these cute animals to establish friendly relations with other countries.
The Chinese character熊猫(xióngmāo), meaning "panda", consists of two characters:熊(xióng) - bear and猫(māo) - cat. How to write the hieroglyph “cat” can be seen above, but here is the diagram for writing the hieroglyph “bear”:
You can learn the correct pronunciation of some Chinese words discussed in this article by watching a short video.
Animals in Chinese: dog, cat, fox, tiger, wolf have names that are easy to learn. The article provides Chinese vocabulary on the topic “Animals”.
Foxes and flames
Since ancient times, there has been a legend that a werefox can cause a flame by hitting its tail on the ground. Kitsune are creatures who knew how to light a fire that did not cause harm, but real disasters also happened from the actions of werewolves. One of the monks was worried about a dream about a kitsune fox, so he began building a 7-story pagoda. As soon as it was built, a fire started, after which not only the pagoda burned down, but also many inhabitants died.
By the will-o'-the-wisps in the swamp they know where the kitsune are now frolicking. Red foxes breathe bluish flames or produce them from the tips of their tails. Before the New Year, kitsune from the nearest eight provinces gather to light a fox fire at the foot of an ancient tree. Residents of Japan believed that if a bright flame is visible far away, it means that heavenly foxes will bring prosperity and a rich harvest to the field.
Origin
As is the case with many other folk beliefs, it is impossible to reliably determine when people first began to perceive foxes as something supernatural. But the first mentions of this date back to the period of the Chinese Han Dynasty (3rd century BC). Then legends about werefoxes began to spread en masse in the Celestial Empire.
Interestingly, China is not the birthplace of these stories. With a high degree of probability, they were brought here from India, where there were many stories about foxes and snakes that could turn into beautiful women. Such werewolves could become good wives, but with one condition - the husband should not violate a certain prohibition. If the man stumbled, then the werewolf wife turned back into an animal and left him forever.
Were-foxes definitely came to Japan from China. Once upon a time, Chinese culture had a tremendous influence on Japanese culture and, in fact, shaped it. Suffice it to say that at that time Chinese was the main language for science and literature in Japan.
Did the Japanese bring something of their own to the primary image of the kitsune? Yes, it was in the Land of the Rising Sun that the werewolf fox turned into a symbol of the goddess Inari.
The Art of Deception
Foxes have inexhaustible possibilities to create fantastic illusions and make people crazy. They create hallucinations that can briefly deprive a person of the ability to perceive reality adequately. One fox found out about the old man's greed and decided to laugh at him. He saw a huge field of beautiful chrysanthemums in the spring and rushed to collect armfuls of them. After all, in the fall, chrysanthemums bloom everywhere, and in the spring they can bring considerable income if you sell them on the market. Another kitsune decided to play a prank on an old woman who loved going to theatrical festivals. One day, grandma was returning home through a mountain pass and found herself in a real theater, where she saw a touching love story between a courageous samurai and a snow-white fox.
Chinese character tiger
The tiger, according to the Chinese, is the king of beasts and one of the main sacred symbols of the country . He embodies natural strength, courage and military valor. The tiger is one of the animals of the Chinese astrological calendar and, in a duet with the dragon, is considered the personification of the male energy of Yang and the element of fire.
In Chinese, the tiger is represented by the character虍(hǔ) - this is 141 characters from the table of radicals. The most commonly used character for an adult tiger is老虎(lǎohǔ), a tiger cub is called幼虎(yòuhǔ). Here are examples of idiomatic expressions and this character that are widely used in China:
骑虎难下(qí hǔ nán xià) - literally translated “it is difficult to get off the back of a tiger.” This is what they say about a difficult, hopeless situation.
虎头蛇尾(hǔ tóu shé wěi) - translated as “the head of a tiger and the tail of a snake.” An idiom demonstrating the contrast between a good start and a bad ending to something (close in meaning to the Russian “start for health, finish for peace”).
卧虎藏龙(wò hǔ cáng lóng) - “crouching tiger, hidden dragon.” This is not at all about kung fu fighting stances, but about the hidden capabilities and untapped potential of a person, country or phenomenon.
See how to write the key hieroglyph “tiger” correctly:
Revenge for the offense caused
Fox Kitsune takes revenge on her offenders with particular cruelty. A samurai once scared a werewolf, and he harbored a grudge. Two envoys from the master arrived at the warrior’s home with an order to immediately commit seppuku. The warrior wanted to immediately follow the order, but at the last moment the dogs recognized the werewolves, revealing the deception.
In another story, a samurai severely wounded a werewolf during a hunt, for which he turned into a human and burned down the offender’s house.
Fox lights or "kitsune-bi"
Werewolves can reveal their presence in the dead of night with music or flickering lights in the wastelands. If a person shows interest and goes to find out what is happening, then no one can guarantee his safety. The source of the lights are star pearls, reminiscent of precious stones or pearls, endowed with magical properties. Kitsune in fox form wear pearls around their necks or in their mouths. If you manage to take possession of such an artifact, the fox will grant any wish for the return of the valuable item.
It is worth remembering that a werewolf can call his friends for help, and then it is not a reward that awaits, but punishment. But the magical creature is obliged to fulfill the wish of the insolent person, otherwise he will be demoted in status and position. In exchange for a pearl, a fox can give many gifts, but you should not ask for material items, because kitsune are masters of lies and tricks. In your hands, gold bars crumble into pieces of bark, money turns into leaves, and precious stones become pebbles. Intangible gifts from kitsune are extremely valuable - longevity, health, good luck in all matters.
Cat in Chinese
Representatives of the purring tribe in China are called猫(māo), which in pronunciation is very similar to the meow of a cat . At the same time, the cat in Chinese will be公猫(gōng māo), and the Chinese character for cat will be母猫(mǔ māo).
If we disassemble this hieroglyph into its components, it turns out that it consists of three radicals : field, grass and beast (or monster) . It turns out that the cat is an animal that protects the field from monsters. In China, cats have always been treated with noticeable respect for the fact that they protected crops from rodents and hunted rats that carried plague.
It is believed that the cat was not included in the number of animals of the astrological Chinese calendar only because it itself did not come to the Buddha’s call - it was either sleeping, or hunting, in general, it was busy with its own affairs.
In addition, the sound of the character for cat in Chinese is similar to the character for “octogenarian ,” which is why cats are considered a symbol of longevity and are often depicted on birthday cards and gifts.
Scheme for writing the character “cat” in Chinese:
Here are some phrases and Chinese idiomatic expressions using this character:
三脚猫(sānjiǎo māo) - literally translated as “three-legged cat”, often used when talking about an amateur, a dropout.
猫儿上楼梯——眼睛往下瞧(māo er shàng lóutī - yǎnjīng wǎng xià qiáo) - literal translation “the cat climbs the stairs and looks down”, that is, to do something carefully, with caution.
猫跟老虎不是梯类动物(māo gēn lǎohǔ bùshì tī lèi dòngwù) - “cat and tiger are animals of different orders.” This is what they say about people or phenomena of incomparable levels.
Inari Shrines - Kitsune Worship
The god Inari has been associated with foxes in the Japanese minds for several centuries. There are now about 30 thousand Shinto shrines in the country, which indicates the proximity of the deity to every home. Shrines can be recognized from afar - the torii gates are painted red, which is considered a talismanic color. The gates are painted with cinnabar, which has been applied to the face since ancient times to protect against the influence of evil forces. Over time, they stopped painting faces, but they still paint the gates of the god Inari, and also use red to create the Japanese kitsune mask. On both sides of the entrance to the temple territory there are foxes with their mouths closed or open; some hold in their teeth the keys to a barn with grain, ears of corn or a ball, symbolizing a stone that fulfills all wishes. Foxes are considered the patrons of trade, which is associated with the red color of the coat, denoting prosperity and wealth.
Chinese character wolf
In Chinese, wolf is represented by the character狼(láng).
Despite the widespread distribution of these animals in the northern regions of China, wolves are not often mentioned in Chinese folklore . And if the image of a wolf appears somewhere, then it carries the most negative traits: greed, deceit, cruelty, gluttony, depravity. According to Chinese legends , one of the most terrible conquerors who plundered and conquered the country in the 13th century, Genghis Khan was a descendant of wolves.
Here are a few Chinese idioms associated with this animal:
鹰视狼步(yīng shì láng bù) - the look of a kite and the step of a wolf. This is what they say about an insidious, predatory, terrible person.
中山狼(zhōngshān láng) - Zhongshan wolf (named after the province in which The Tale of the Old Teacher and the Gray Wolf takes place). The tale tells how a wolf attacked a scientist who saved him from hunters. In China, the Zhongshan wolf is called an ungrateful, treacherous person who repays good with evil.
The wolf in China is often associated with officials and power. For example, they say about cruel rulers:如狼牧羊(Rú láng mùyáng) - a wolf herding a flock of sheep.
Here's how to write the Chinese character 狼 correctly:
