shamandalie

In Japanese folklore, « kitsune » is the fox’s spirit, believed to possess superior intelligence, long life, and magical powers. A kitsune can have up to nine tails, depending on its age, wisdom and power. They are shapeshifters, and usually when they reach the age of 100 years, they learn the ability to take on a human form. They can be either male or female, but they mostly take the form of young girls and beautiful women. In some stories, foxes have difficulty hiding their tails when they take human form; looking for the tail, perhaps when the fox gets drunk or careless, is a common method of discerning the creature's true nature. Kitsune are often presented as tricksters, with motives that vary from mischief to malevolence. Their victims are usually men. A fox might pose as a distressed woman and, after a kindly villager is convinced to take it in, the next morning the villager finds that all his food and valuables have been stolen. To add insult to injury, the kitsune may shave his head bald. The fox does not always appear in the guise of a woman for evil purposes. There are several stories, and one really pretty play, about a fox who took the shape of a beautiful woman, and married a man, and bore his children, all out of gratitude for some favour received. It's not a bad idea to be nice to kitsune if you can, because they can be grateful… And given everything they are capable of, you probably would rather have them on your side."