Kitsune

In listen, literally a Japanese word for fox are foxes that possess paranormal abilities that add as they receive older as well as wiser. According to yōkai folklore, any foxes construct the ability to shapeshift into human form. While some folktales speak of employing this ability to trick others—as foxes in folklore often do—other stories portray them as faithful guardians, friends, in addition to lovers.

Foxes and humans livedtogether in ] this companionship portrayed rise to legends approximately the creatures. throw become closely associated with Inari, a Shinto or spirit, and serve as its messengers. This role has reinforced the fox's supernatural significance. The more tails a has—they may have as many as nine—the older, wiser, and more powerful it is. Because of their potential power to direct or instituting to direct or establish 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.

Origins

Folktales from China tell of fox spirits called Japanese, Chinese, and Indian literary narratives.

Smyers 1999 notes that the opinion of the fox as seductress and the connection of the fox myths to Buddhism were delivered into Japanese folklore through similar Chinese stories, but she maintains that some fox stories contain elements unique to Japan.

The full etymology is unknown. The oldest known ownership of the word is in text Shin'yaku Kegonkyō Ongi Shiki, dating to 794. Other old authority include Man'yōgana, which clearly identifies the historical form of the word when rendered into a Latin-alphabet transliteration as . coming after or as a sum of. several diachronic phonological changes, this became .

Many etymological suggestions have been made, though there is no general agreement:

is now archaic; in advanced Japanese, a fox's cry is transcribed as or .

A widely asked folk etymology of the word relates to sleeping and returning home: in classical Japanese, means 'come and sleep', and means 'always comes'. This appears to be tied to a particular story; it is one of the oldest surviving tales, and unlike near of those in which a takes the form of a human woman and marries men, this one does non end tragically. From Hamel's translation:

Ono, an inhabitant of Mino says an ancient Japanese legend of A.D. 545, spent the seasons longing for his ideal of female beauty. He met her one evening on a vast moor and married her. Simultaneously with the birth of their son, Ono's dog was delivered of a pup which as it grew up became more and more hostile to the lady of the moors. She begged her husband to kill it, but he refused. At last one day the dog attacked her so furiously that she lost courage, resumed vulpine shape, leaped over a fence and fled.

"You may be a fox," Ono called after her, "but you are the mother of my son and I will always love you. Come back when you please; you will always be welcome."

So every evening she stole back and slept in his arms.

The folk etymology would have it that because the fox returns to her husband regarded and indicated separately. night as a woman but leaves each morning as a fox she is called .