Fox spirit


The fox spirit or nine-tailed fox is a mythical fox entity originating from Chinese mythology that is a common motif in East Asian mythology.
In East Asian folklore, foxes are depicted as a familiar spirit possessed of magic powers. These foxes are depicted as mischievous, usually tricking other people, with the ability to disguise themselves as a beautiful woman.

Development

Nine-tailed foxes appear in Chinese folklore, literature, and mythology, in which, depending on the tale can be a good or a bad omen. The motif of nine-tailed foxes from Chinese culture were eventually transmitted and introduced to the Japanese and Korean cultures.
During the Han dynasty, the development of ideas about interspecies transformation had taken place in Chinese culture. The idea that non-human creatures with advancing age could assume human form is presented in works such as the Lunheng by Wang Chong. As these traditions developed, the fox's capacity for transformation was shaped.

Descriptions

The nine-tailed fox occurs in the Shanhaijing, compiled from the Warring States period to the Western Han period. The work states:
In chapter 14 of the Shanhaijing, Guo Pu had commented that the nine-tailed fox was an auspicious omen that appeared during times of peace. However, in chapter 1, another aspect of the nine-tailed fox is described:
In a Tang Dynasty Story, Foxes could become humans by wearing a skull and worshipping the big dipper. They would try multiple skulls till they found one that fit without falling off.
On the eve of the Jurchen invasion, a fox went to the throne of Song Dynasty Emperor Huizong. This resulted in Huizong ordering the destruction of all fox temples in Kaifeng. The city was invaded the next day, and the dynasty fell after five months.
, 19th century.
In one ancient myth, Yu the Great encountered a white nine-tailed fox, which he interpreted as an auspicious sign that he would marry Nüjiao. In Han iconography, the nine-tailed fox is sometimes depicted at Mount Kunlun and along with Xi Wangmu in her role as the goddess of immortality. According to the first-century Baihutong, the fox's nine tails symbolize abundant progeny.
Describing the transformation and other features of the fox, Guo Pu made the following comment:
The Youyang Zazu made a connection between nine-tailed foxes and the divine:

Traditions

Popular fox worship during the Tang dynasty has been mentioned in a text entitled Hu Shen :

Literature