Origins?

It is widely agreed that many fox myths in Japan can be traced to China, Korean, or India. Many of the earliest surviving stories are recorded in the Konjaku Monogatari, an 11th-century collection of Chinese, Indian, and Japanese narratives.

There is debate whether the kitsune myths originated entirely from foreign sources or are in part an indigenous Japanese concept dating as far back as the fifth century BC. Japanese folklorist Kiyoshi Nozaki argues that the Japanese regarded kitsune positively as early as the 4th century A.D.; the only things imported from China or Korea were the kitsune's negative attributes

Huli Jing

húli jīng ( 狐狸精 ) is a mythological Chinese monster that has the ability to transform into humans when they have sufficient energy, obtained in forms such as human breath or the essence of the moon and sun. 


Huli Jing in Chinese mythology are mostly female, though they can be on the side of evil or good. One of the most infamous fox spirits in Chinese mythology was Daji (妲己), who is portrayed in the Ming novel Fengshen Yanyi. 


And here's a completely irrelevant picture of a nine-tailed fox just because i can  (:

What is a Kumiho?

Kumiho ( or sometimes alternatively spelt "Gumiho" )


Anybody ever watch the Korean drama "My Girlfriend is a Gumiho?" Well if not, I definitely recommend it. But bear with me a little longer and I'll clear up this Gumiho business.


What is it?

Like it's Japanese and Chinese counterparts, a fox that has lived for a thousand years turns into a Kumiho. It has the ability to transform into humans, but its preferred shape is that of a beautiful girl who sets out to seduce men in order to eat their hearts and livers (gruesome.....). 


Unlike its Japanese and Chinese counterparts, the Gumiho is seen as purely evil. Some tales say that if a Kumiho abstains from killing and eating humans for a thousand days, it can become human. Others, like the drama Gumiho: Tale of the Fox’s Child (this one is a bit scary guise), say that a Kumiho can become human if the man who sees her true nature keeps it a secret for ten years.


Stories on this malignant figure can be found in the encyclopedic Compendium of Korean Oral Literature (한국 구비문학 대계).  ( Yay bedtime reading! ) 

What is a Kitsune?

Kitsune is the Japanese word for fox ( 狐 ), but in English, the word "kitsune" refers to the mythical foxes of Japanese folklore. They are depicted as being intelligent and their magical ability increases with their age/wisdom. Kitsune are able to transform into human beings and often use this ability to cause mischief.


Because of their magical properties, they are seen as minor deities and people often make offerings to them or carve stone statues of them to keep away evil spirits. 

Why have I chosen this topic?

I happened to be reading a book (Vampire Diaries ahem) and it mentioned something about kitsune. What is a kitsune? I asked myself, and by typing my query into Google a myriad of different responses jumped out at me. The kitsune (or fox spirit) have been mentioned in many different cultures - Chinese, Japanese, Korean, as well as being a significant spirit in Taoist and shamanistic religions. Since then the fox spirit's significance is apparent in other books I read as well, some being kind and others being mischievous... so where did the original myth originate from?


...stay tuned ~