Fox (mythology)

• You may also be looking for the Yuriban Fox.

Fox is a figure appearing in Yuriban mythology. Though she occasionally takes on aspects of a trickster figure, generally Fox appears in stories as a first-resident character, and her adventures tend to elucidate on elements of native culture. She is most often depicted in children's stories and art.

Portrayal

Fox is traditionally depicted in art as an archetypical kitsune, appearing in art with long, wild red hair, nine tails and a little coronet of oak leaves. She's usually depicted as a young woman. She may also be depicted as a typical Yuriban Fox with oak leaves caught in her tail.

When she does appear in stories, Fox tends to drive the narrative through both her curiosity and her exceptional cleverness. She initially appears as a regular fox who happens to be much more insightful and aware than the other animals, and this carries over into most of her other stories. Generally Fox stories fall into two categories, those in which she seeks out some secret or truth about Yuriba, and those in which she knows a secret and entices others to learn it through games and tricks. She is typically depicted as benevolent and ultimately interested in helping others, though she is also depicted as very fond of practical jokes and tricks.

Unlike some mythic tricksters, Fox is seldom depicted with more than minor magic tricks and illusions at her disposal, and though the Lady is inevitably depicted as fond of her, her nature is explicitly stated to be non-divine.

Common stories

The kitsune story

Fox features in a common children's story about the origin of the kitsune, set in a time when Yuriba was new and inhabited only by animals. One day the Lady went to a forest clearing and met four animals - Hen, Wolf, Cat and Fox. Curious, the Lady asked them to share with her the most wondrous thing they had ever seen.

Hen gathered a few sticks and built a semblance of a nest. Wolf ushered her pups over and displayed them with pride. Cat frolicked to a nearby sunbeam, rolled over and basked in it. Fox thought about it for a couple of seconds, then deftly reached out with her paw and began to draw a spiral in the turf, curving it outward and outward to touch Hen's nest, then Wolf's pups, then Cat's sunbeam, and finally to touch the Lady at the outside of the spiral. The Lady was so delighted by Fox's answer she gave her the gift of a new shape, that of the kitsune, and told her she would always have a special place in her heart.

True names

Another common Fox story told to kids focuses on the days just after Fox was given the shape of a kitsune. Because she was no longer entirely a fox, the other animals - less-benevolent trickster figure Squirrel in particular - wondered what they should call her, if not Fox. The question hadn't occurred to her but she did begin to wonder. Curious, Fox turned to the stars and asked Tenteisei, but she couldn't see it in the heavens. She sat by the fire and asked Kaika, who also couldn't guide her to the answer. She sat down and meditated, but Zokutou wouldn't tell her anything but koans. Finally she wandered to a sacred circle where she found Harumeku and asked her what she could truly be called. With a giggle Harumeku leaned close and whispered it to her.

The returned to the other animals the next day. "Well?" Squirrel demanded. "What do we call you?" Fox just smiled cryptically and walked off without a word, and from then on continued to be known as Fox, holding her true name in secrecy forever and leaving Squirrel irked.

The story is most often told to young Yuriban children to drive home the point that their true name is for them and them alone.