China – Huli Jing
狐狸精, húlijīng – “fox spirit”, or 九尾狐; jiǔwěihú – literally nine-tailed fox
Korea – Kumiho
구미호/九尾狐, kumiho – literally nine-tailed fox
Japan – Kitsune
キツネ(の妖精) – kitsune (no yōsei) – fox (fairy)
Originating from Chinese mythology and folklore, foxes that live for over a thousand years and the accumulation of great energy become nine-tail foxes. They are creatures which can shapeshift – usually into the form of a beautiful woman – so that they can seduce and consume the heart or liver of men. In most versions of the myth, a nine-tails fox which transforms into a human will always maintain some aspect of its fox nature – fox-like eyes, the ears, or even the nine tails.
The nine-tails fox is considered as having a morally ambiguous nature in the Chinese and Japanese versions of the myth with ancient texts mentioning its assistance of humans, and the humans that trick the naïve nine-tails fox. One Chinese story, The Three Sui Quash the Demons’ Revolt, the huli jing teaches a young girl magic which enables her to conjure armies with her spells.
In the Korean version, the nine-tails fox is typically portrayed as a blood thirsty and vengeful creature. However, in the Gyuwon Sahwa*, the kumiho is described as an auspicious fox spirit with “a book in its mouth”. As the text was supposedly written in 1675, there is speculation that the current and violent imagery of the kumiho was influenced by the Japanese occupation of Korea. In the Taiping Gunagji (太平广记: Tàipíng Guǎngjì – sometimes translated as Extensive Records of the Taiping Era: A collection of stories collected in the Song Dynasty), it is claimed that foxes were worshiped and considered sacred beings in the Silla Kingdom.
A nine-tails fox with enough willpower that can abstain from killing and/or consuming human flesh (or in some cases – any meat) for a thousand days, is said to be able to fully transform into a human. In the Korean version of the myth, a nine-tails fox can also become human by obtaining a “cintamani” (wish fulfilling jewel in both Hindu and Buddhist tradition).
While not much is known (in English translations) about the magical abilities of the huli jing of Chinese myth, the kitsune which shares some similarities with European fae-folk has considerably more magic. Some of the kitsune’s abilities include:
– Possession
– Generating fire and/or lightning
– Wilful manifestation in the dreams of others
– Flight
– Invisibility
– The creation of elaborate illusions almost indistinguishable from reality
There are stories of kitsune with even greater powers, and some have characteristics reminiscent of vampires or succubae which feed on the life-force of human beings – usually through sexual contact.
Something specific to the kumiho of Korean mythology is what is the possession of a ‘yeou guseul’ (여우구슬 – fox marble) which is said to give power to the kumiho and contains knowledge. The kumiho is able to absorb a human’s energy with it, the method usually resembling a deep kiss; and a human who can steal the yeou guseul from the kumiho and “observes sky, land, and people” will gain preternatural abilities.
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*Gyuwon Sahwa (규원사화/揆園史話) – A forged document from the early 20th century claiming to be a history written in 1675 that describes ancient Korean history.
Related Post(s):
The Demon of Sunboksa (short story)
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Source(s):
Gyuwon Sahwa – Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyuwon_Sahwa
Huli Jing – Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huli_jing
Kitsune – Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitsune
Kumiho – Mythology Wiki – https://mythology.wikia.org/wiki/Kumiho
Kumiho – Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumiho
