Nine-tailed fox
The nine-tailed fox (Chinese: 九尾狐; pinyin: jiǔwěihú) is a mythical fox entity originating from Chinese mythology.
| Nine-tailed fox | |||||||||||
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The nine-tailed fox in the Shanhaijing, depicted in an edition from the Qing dynasty | |||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Chinese | 九尾狐 | ||||||||||
| Literal meaning | nine-tailed fox | ||||||||||
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| Vietnamese name | |||||||||||
| Vietnamese alphabet |
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| Chữ Hán | 狐狸精 | ||||||||||
| Chữ Nôm | 𤞺𠃩𡳪 | ||||||||||
| Korean name | |||||||||||
| Hangul | 구미호 | ||||||||||
| Hanja | 九尾狐 | ||||||||||
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| Japanese name | |||||||||||
| Kanji | 九尾の狐 | ||||||||||
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In Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Japanese folklore, foxes are depicted as spirits possessed of magic powers. These foxes are often depicted as mischievous, usually tricking other people, with the ability to disguise themselves as a beautiful man or woman.
The fox spirit is an especially prolific shapeshifter, known variously as the húli jīng (fox spirit) in China, the kitsune (fox) in Japan, the kumiho (nine-tailed fox) in Korea. Although the specifics of the tales vary, these fox spirits can usually shapeshift, often taking the form of beautiful young women who attempt to seduce men, whether for mere mischief or to consume their bodies or spirits.