#youkai

Kotobuki, a yokai I saw someone else drawing on twitter, thought it would be a fun subject to mess with different textures/colors.

I applied colors with gradient maps, the grayscale image is the original drawing

Finally, an excuse to use a gif of Kurama.

Whether it’s because of a huge interest in yokai or anime, most who indulge in either topic know of the Japanese fox spirit known as the kitsune. To be more specific, you’ve probably specifically heard of the nine-tailed foxes. So if you are a practitioner of witchcraft, more specifically, spirit work, there’s a chance you are interested in working with kitsune but aren’t entirely sure where to start.

So my hopes with this post is to give those interested in kitsune a place to start their research. This post includes the folklore of kitsune first and then my own UPG. 

This is my personal experience, not the End All Be All Guide to kitsune. This is merely just a push in the right direction to get started with doing your own research, if you wish to work with them. A tumblr post shouldn’t be your only point of research.

what is a kitsune?

By definition, a kitsune “are intelligent foxes that possess paranormal abilities that increase as they get older and wiser.” In other words, kitsune are magical fox spirits from Japanese folklore.

While all kitsune start with one tail from birth, kitsune grow an additional tail for every century they are alive. Once they’ve achieved their ninth tail, however, regardless of much older they get, they stop gaining tails.

kitsune in folklore: the ranking system + types of kitsune

With the basics of what a kitsune is out of the way, this leads to the various kinds of kitsune in folklore. Beyond the simplicity of being fox spirits, in folklore kitsune society is actually quite elaborate with two main categories of kitsune and the subcategories within those categories.

These two main categories in folklore are the zenko (good foxes) and yako (field/wild foxes).

Zenko ( 善狐 ・ぜんこ), written with the kanji 善 for virtuous/good/goodness and the kanji 狐 for fox, are considered the good foxes in Japanese folklore. Sometimes called inari foxes in regards to the kami Inari-sama.

Zenko society is extremely complex in folkore with various clans, rankings, and awards. Zenko also tend to have different colors associated with them.

• Kinko:gold-furred kitsune who serve Dakiniten-sama. These kitsune symbolize the sun.
• Ginko: silver kitsune who serve Dakiniten-sama. These kitsune symbolize the moon.
• Kokuko: black kitsune. They are rare kitsune who only show themselves during the reign of a peaceful leader. Usually found in cooler climates in areas of Hokkaido. They are associated with the kami Inari.
• Byakko/Myoubu:white celestial foxes typically found at shrines dedicated to the kami Inari-sama. They are seen as their messengers who devote their lives to this kami.

Zenko are also characterized to always be trying to advance themselves in kitsune society in contrast to the other category of kitsune. 

Yako ( 野狐・やこ) or also known as Nogitsune or Yakan, are considered to be the bad foxes in folklore. Written with the character 野 for plains/field and 狐 for fox, yako are characterized to not have divine souls nor do they follow any particular deity and their pranks on humans range from generally harmless to malicious.

In stories concerning kitsunetsuki, or kitsune possession, they are usually done by yako. (Side note: when a kitsune possesses an entire family, it’s called kitsunemochi, and this brings the family prosperity and could even bring ruin to rival families.) Unlike zenko, yako aren’t concerned with advancing in the ranks of kitsune society and seem comfortable with where they place.

Now regardless of whether a kitsune is zenko or yako, kitsune across the board are still considered tricksters and zenko themselves will play tricks on humans. But, in folklore, pranks from zenko are considered more playful and aren’t done with the intent to hurt or kill a human.

• Ashireiko:is the lowest kitsune ranking and considered the rank a kitsune is in from infancy to the age of one hundred. This rank also includes non-magical foxes. At age 50, a kitsune begins practicing magic and shapeshifting.
• Chiko: this is when kitsune begin sprouting extra tails. For zenko wishing to advance in society, this is where they spend centuries of practicing magic. Yako, on the otherhand, can never go beyond the chiko rank, regardless of their age or number of tails they may gain over the centuries this is the highest rank they can achieve. Do not sleep on them because of this though, one of the strongest nine-tailed foxes, Tamamo no Mae, was only a chiko.
• Kiko: kiko are between five hundred and one thousand years of age, generally speaking. This is when a kitsune in folklore sheds their physical bodies and no longer need food as sustenance. Where the colored kitsune spectrum lie.
• Tenko: heavenly foxes that possess divine powers and can even be considered gods themselves, ceasing all wicked actions. They possess humans at times, but that’s usually to grant that person the ability to see future events. The pinnacle of kitsune society.
• Kuuko: despite being last on the list, kuuko are a rank below tenko. BUT, kuuko is basically kitsune retirement that a tenko can go into around three thousand years of age and don a more human appearance.

Beyond kitsune hierarchy, kitsune have been used to explain some natural phenomena. For example, sunshowers. An alternative term that varies from region to region is kitsune no yomeiri. This is due to the belief that kitsune get married in sunshowers they summon in order to keep humans from running into the wedding procession. 

a brief interlude on the húlijīng and kumiho

Not all Asian fox spirits are of Japanese folklore. There are Chinese and Korean equivalents to kitsune, and those equivalents are the húlijīng and kumiho. They all have their own stories but all have overlapping themes in their folklore. But as this is a kitsune guide and not a general fox spirit guide, this won’t be as extensive as everything else.

In Chinese mythology, the húlijīng (fox spirit) written as 狐狸精 with the characters for a species of fox (狐), fox (狸) and the character for character for spirit (精). And among these spirits are nine-tailed foxes, the jiǔwěihú九尾狐 ー written with the characters for nine (九), tail (尾), and species of fox (狐). To aid in their transformations, they’d place human skulls on their heads.

• At age 50, they transform into beautiful women
• At age 100, they turn into women or shamans, or men to seduce human women. They also obtain clairvoyance and adept magical abilities
• At age 1000, they can become celestial foxes and commune with the heavens

During the time of the Han Dynasty, the idea of species being able to transform from non-human to human forms had taken place and stories these sorts of creatures were all over the place. Depending on the story, húlijīng could be depicted as good or evil. Celestial foxes were described as having nine tails, golden fur, and transcending yin and yang with its own fu talisman and jiao ritual. They also were said to serve in the Palace of the Sun and Moon.

But compared to their Chinese and Japanese counterparts where the fox spirits in questions have a range of morality from good to bad to somewhere in between, the Korean kumiho (also spelled as gumiho, 구미호) are almost always depicted as malevolent, man-eating entities. Usually, as a woman who seduces men to eat their hearts or livers.

Ironically enough, in ancient texts there were stories of benevolent kumiho and even good kumiho getting tricked by asshole humans. But it isn’t really clear as to when or why they are presently viewed so differently. Still, in some stories, if a kumiho abstains from eating humans for a thousand days they can become a human themselves.

Another distinction from their counterparts is the inclusion of the fox bead, also known as a yeowoo guseul, 여우구슬 (literally, fox marble/bead) which provides the kumiho intelligence and power. It can also be used to absorb the lifeforce of a human.

kitsune in media

Being one of the more popular yokai, there’s plenty of shows or games where you can find kitsune being portrayed to varying amounts of accuracy to the lore you find in folklore. But because I’d be here all day if I talked about that, I’ll just give a small handful of media.

• Yu Yu Hakusho: The character Kurama. This was the first anime I ever watched as a kid so I am heavily biased when I say ‘you should watch this’. The guy who made it also created Hunter x Hunter and is married to the creator of Sailor Moon if that sweetens the pot.
• Naruto: Behold, the other Kurama. A nine-tailed demon fox sealed within the titular character of Naruto Uzumaki.
• Teen Wolf: There are a small handful of kitsune characters in this show. Now if you are trying to watch a show with accurate depictions of the folklore… I just want you to remember this is Teen Wolf and shouldn’t be considered the holy grail of accurate folklore for anything. But there are tenko and nogitsune shown in the show.
• Genshin Impact: In the recently released Inazuma region, there are several yokai characters and among them is the popular Yae Miko. However, there is an inaccuracy in her character. Despite having only five tails, Miko is described as being a Sky Kitsune or Tenko. In reality, Miko would only be a Kiko.

UPG

That was a lot to but we’ve finally made it to the portion of this post dedicated to my own UPG and experience working with kitsune. When it comes to the craft and spiritwork, I’ll always be honest about my own shortcomings or areas I’m not as knowledgeable in. So I’m giving the disclaimer now that I haven’t really worked with kitsune that worship and act as messengers for Inari-sama or Dakiniten-sama. So I don’t really have any input or UPG surrounding those types of kitsune, how they live, the way they operate things concerning their deities, etc.

So the only input I can offer with my UPG is just zenko and yako in general.

With that disclaimer out of the way, onto my UPG proper.

Like the folklore describes, zenko kitsune society is pretty similar to humans. I’ve come across zenko villages with festivals, health clinics, and even markets with all sorts of types of individuals on the morality spectrum. And while they might not dedicate themselves to a kami like Inari-sama, I have even encountered zenko who worship other deities. In my experience, they’re also quite friendly although mischievous they can be. Between the two, they also seem to prefer being in their human forms more.

Yako, on the other hand, tend to be more solitary and keep their own territories. Of course, these territories can be shared between spouses and couples with children. But yako youth eventually leave to find their own territories to settle down at once they’re old enough. And opposite to the zenko, I’ve noticed yako prefer their fox form more considering the lifestyles they have. Territories can be vast as well, so admittedly I find it harder organically running into kitsune. The yako I’ve met have all previously been the family of a friend.

As for opinions of each other, they can range from indifference to dislike. I’ve met zenko who don’t care either way for their yako counterparts and others who dislike them greatly. The same goes for yako kitsune who tend to stereotype zenko as uptight. But it isn’t as if getting along is impossible between the groups. A good kitsune friend of mine is half-zenko and half-yako. I’ve asked in the past what determines whether a kitsune is zenko or yako, and the kitsune I queried were just as stumped as me. So there might not be a clear answer as to what determines the type of kitsune one is.

So as to which sort of kitsune I would recommend working with over the other, I’m always an advocate in saying it is up to your own personal preferences and alignments. But if I were asked which sort of kitsune would serve as a better ‘foot in the door’ for kitsune interactions, zenko might be the better choice to start.

Not to perpetuate the stereotype of good vs bad kitsune because that it isn’t black and white good vs bad. You can meet zenko who don’t like humans at all and intend to do you harm, and then on the flip side, meet a very friendly yako. I’ve certainly been stiffed by some zenko but in the same breath, I’ve met a cranky yako elder whose bark was louder than her bite (and she was pretty hilarious). But I feel like in comparison to yako, zenko can be easier to encounter. You can find entire villages in the astral full of zenko but you could spend hours in a field and not find a yako, and technically at that point you’re potentially just trespassing.

Just keep in mind, regardless of the kind, kitsune are tricksters and you should be on your toes to avoid being at the mercy of their pranks. 

do you need to to worship inari-sama or dakiniten-sama to work with kokuko, byakko, kinko, or ginko kitsune?

I’m going to say a tentative ‘no’, here, and that it’s moreso up to the kitsune themself. I won’t name them by person as to not put them on the spot, but I do know of another witch on this site who works with myoubu kitsune but they themselves aren’t a worshipper of the kami they serve.

So my inference from that is, as long as the individual kitsune is okay with different religious practices or beliefs or if you’re a follower of Shinto but worship a different kami, it should be a non-issue. And if you do worship the kami these sorts of kitsune follow, that’s an added bonus.

But that’s my own personal inference based on another witch’s relationship with kitsune, like I said before, I’ve never personally worked with these sorts of kitsune.

how do if i know if a fox spirit i come across is a kitsune, húlijīng, or kumiho?

You can always just ask. But húlijīng tend to favor their fox form, kitsune tend to favor their human form, and remember that kumiho have a bead. But of course, for húlijīng and kitsune, that’s a generalization. You can definitely come across kitsune who prefer their fox form, as I covered with yako kitsune, or húlijīng that prefer their human form.

Not to mention, there are stories from plenty of other cultures with fox spirits, so a fox spirit you come across might not even be from either of the three types of fox spirits mentioned in this post. So when in doubt, you can always just ask and preface that you don’t want to be rude and refer to them as something they’re not/don’t consider themselves.

suitable offerings

The disclaimer here is that these are general offerings that most kitsune should like. Should you ever find yourself work frequently with a kitsune or find yourself the companion of one, there could be other things that they specifically like or dislike. But you usually can’t go wrong with:

• Fried tofu
• Sake
• Fox-related items

how to gain the attention of a kitsune

1) old fashioned offerings

2) astral travel

3) spirit attraction spell

I’m not a promoter of conjuring or otherwise, forcefully bringing a spirit to your vicinity. Think about it like this: you’re at a wedding. You’re best friend in the entire world is getting hitched to the love of their life, and you’re among the audience. You’re welling up with emotion and pride for your friend to have made such an important milestone in their life when… Suddenly, you’re not at their wedding anymore.

No, instead you’re looking at some random stranger who summoned you to their home who say it’s because they’re interested in working with those of your kind. You wouldn’t be too happy about this, would you? 

Not only is conjuring or summoning bad for the entity, it can be bad for you if this entity isn’t easily forgiving of being torn away from their personal life to your home and you can end up paying the consequences for it. Instead, I recommend a spell that attracts entities to your home or if you’re sufficiently prepared, astral travel it up.

haha, all of this started because of an idea I had that Kurama’s youkai self teeth would grow back as his body slowly changes into a fox spirit, so I did a sketch and ended up doing a whole thing (how convenient)

the fangs were supposed to make him scary but ended up being adorable anyway, so-

give this boi some scritches, then he won’t have to worry about his brand new giant teeth’s

although i think the sketch i did looks a lot more lively compared to the final thing, but I guess that’s normal

also, i don’t hate the final product as much as i thought i would, so is an improvement right?

ok so a few months ago (i think it was around march) i did an outfit for kurama, i decided to give a look at my old art and once my eyes made contact with it i physically cringed at it XD
sooooo i tried to do something new with what i already had
i changed a few things and created completely new colour pallets for him based on the fall and winter seasons
during the first few arcs of the anime kurama always felt like spring, but during the tournament, he passed me the feeling of fall, everything is slowly dying while waiting for a change and once yoko finally came back winter was already there to kill what was left

i also added a bit of will-o’-the-wisp to symbolize the foxfire we never saw him using