3) Introduction: What kitsune?
The best way to start this is by using an excerpt from Kitsune, the book mentioned earlier. It is simple, and right to the point.
'Kitsune is an animal supposed to be mysterious, fascinating, and mischevious. And he is believed to be very grateful for the kindness done to him, as seen in many tales, and is also affectionate as revealed in some dramas. He is enshrined as a god because of his supernatural power. He is endowed with the subtle art of metamorphosis, and he is able to bewitch men in the guise of a charming girl. An exceedingly interesting and entertaining beast Kitsune is.' (preface, page vii)
It is interesting to note that in this introduction, he mentioned 'he is able to bewitch men in the guise of a charming girl.' This is not a mistake at all. The kitsune are an effeminate race. Almost all kitsune, in the first place, are female, and those who are male are not shown to be overly so. The occupations that the kitsune take, and their mannerisms, are traditionally those of women in the orient.
The author also states that kitsune, in their current manifestation, were introduced to Japan from China and Korea. The Japanese liked the kitsune so much, that it was adapted to the Japanese culture, and went through an amazing metamorphosis.
The kitsune were first found, though, in India. The spiritual ties the kitsune have, and their role as tricksters are a part of Indian spirituality, very similar to the Ruksasha. In fact, the 'White Ghost Tiger' of China, an enemy of the Chinese kitsune, is most likely a translation of the enmity the Indian fox and the Ruksasha most likely had. The kitsune's powers of illusion are also in common with the powers the Ruksasha had. As a last point of reference, the Ruksasha were known to devour mortals. The kitsune, according to some legends, also has vampiric tendencies, though instead of for mortal flesh, it is for mortal spirit. More on this later.
The word kitsune comes from two sounds in the Japanese language, kitsu, which is the sound of a fox yelp, and ne, a word signifying affectionate feeling. In ancient times, kitsu meant 'fox'.
Depending on where you look, the kitsune have many forms, or appearances. This includes being foxes with magical powers, spirits who possess humans, the spirits of the dead, choosing the form of a fox instead of resting eternally, or simply spirits in their own right.
Trying to place a common thread on this, I decided to look at the kitsune from the spiritual point of view, and follow the thread as to why there are so many differences in the stories. This required a look at possession, at first, and then at some other myths and legends dealing with the spirits of nature, and of the dead.
An exerpt from a recent email I recieved:
The new religion known in Japan as the Dancing Religion recently published an article which accuses Asahara Shoko, founder of the religion Aum Shinrikyo (the religion which gassed the Tokyo subway in March 1995, resulting in twelve deaths and thousands of serious injuries) of forcing his followers to become possessed by fox-spirits independent of Inari. The writer of the article remarks that Aum Shinrikyo followers exhibit "obvious signs of fox possession" and lists a few, including moving like a fox and "having the look of one's soul being drawn out of one's eyes."