The kitsune are, for lack of a better word, were-foxes, though the term is a bit of a misnomer. They are a shape-shifting animal, sometimes considered to be bad luck -- and in at least half of all cases, generally mischievous and devious, known for their pranks. However, they can also be very spiritual people, helping others whenever they can.
There are many types of kitsune. The main two are the Myobu and the Nogitsune. The others are simply called "wild kitsune," or "low kitsune."
The Myobu kitsune are those who are tied to the goddess Inari, the goddess of prosperity. They were considered good omens, and guardians, and were known for helping others. The term "Guardian kitsune" comes from these kitsune. They are considered of the "High" elements of nature, and are known as the Heaven kitsune, also known as Celestial, or Prime, kitsune. Myobu would be restricted from getting involved in mortal affairs, and it is actually considered distasteful of them to do so, unless they are specifically requested to do so.
When a kitsune who doesn't serve Inari, a Nogitsune (see below), starts harassing the people near an Inari shrine, they can come to the kitsune of Inari for aid. The Myobu then track down the offending Nogitsune, and deal with it.
The Nogitsune kitsune are those who have no ties to Inari, and are the tricksters and malicious spirits of myth and lore. Even the Nogitsune considered it rude and improper for someone to get involved in another's matters. It insinuated that the offended party could not handle their own affairs. Dark kitsune, or Void kitsune, are the second of the "High" kitsune, and are the opposite of their Heaven counterparts. And, they are always Nogitsune.
The rest of the kitsune fall under the category of "wild kitsune," or "Low" kitsune. I won't single out each and everyone, but since these foxes fall into the 13 basic elements found in oriental legends, it is safe to assume that you can figure it out yourself. However, I will tell you that out of all kitsune, only 2 types are actually labeled as bad.
Wind: Also known as Air kitsune, or Kuko. Kuko are considered
"bad." These kitsune have been known to appear as wind, or create mists or
fog that hide traps set aside for someone.
"The fox then created a thick fog that blanketed the ground and hid the cliff's edge from the priest. He unknowingly stepped off the ledge and fell to his death."
Spirit: Kiko or Koryo, another of the "bad" kitsune, also called "ghost foxes" or demon foxes. It's not hard to see why they have been labeled as bad.
The appearance of the kitsune is threefold. First, they take the form of a fox, either red or white, and is completely normal in all appearances, except the tail (which is explained below). Secondly, there is the Youko form, which is humanoid, but retains some of the features of a fox i.e., the tail, the ears, and claws. Finally, there is a human form, which they can take only by using their kitsune magic.
As stated above, there are often differences in the tails of a kitsune. They often have more than one tail. To the kitsune, the numbers of tails they have are a show of prestige, skill, age, and rank. A kitsune may gain a tail for bringing honor to their family and clan, or could lose one for breaking kitsune law, or a kitsune simply gains a tail every hundred years. kitsune don't ask for extra tails. Instead, they are simply rewarded for their actions, or punished. Some kitsune train under others, hoping to gain wisdom and favor with their teachers. Some kitsune even take quests or go on journeys, to gain wisdom or power, hoping to find ways to gain in prestige and rank among the other kitsune, or with Inari or The Lady, the only ten-tailed kitsune, and is the mother of the kitsune race, and all serve her in one manner or another.
The dress of a kitsune, when in Human or Youko form, is strictly dependant upon what the kitsune does, in relation to its life. A Myobu who serves at the temple, for instance, will usually dress in the garb of the Shinto priests or priestesses, while those who are nobles (and yes, it is possible), will dress in the garb of the nobility. It is all relative.
The kitsune can be found anywhere, quite literally.
A kitsune is usually born by the mating of two kitsune. A mixed mating of a kitsune and a mortal, however, will always yield a kitsune child, which is born in foxform, and immediately taken to be raised by other kitsune. Their parents raise them in the manner they were raised, Myobu, Nogitsune, or Wild, until the age of 75, which, as they age so slowly, is when they reach maturity. After that, they are free to live as they choose, according to how they are raised.
The life's work of the kitsune is truly an enigma, in general. They all have their own desires, their own drives, and their own means. However, for the Myobu, their life's work is to help all those in need.
The kitsune were given special favor, including a caste within the courts, for those who served Inari. This has a lot of significance, because it means that kitsune are capable of being part of the royal lines of Japan.
The kitsune are incredibly hard to kill. Especially those of multiple tails, where they can actually trade a tail in order to keep themselves from dying. However, when they reach Nine Tails, they can die without losing a tail. Also, the kitsune are victims of their own feelings. A kitsune's emotions can cause them harm, or distract them. The Sin of Regret can even kill a kitsune outright.
Kitsune do not use their real names when among mortals. The true name of a kitsune can be used to bind the kitsune, banish it, or work spirit magic on it. For the most part, the kitsune will take a name appropriate to the task at hand, or as a joke.
The organization of the kitsune is mostly based upon their affiliation (Myobu, Nogitsune, etc), and upon the hierarchy of their tails, as mentioned earlier. The more tails a kitsune has, the higher they are upon the social ladder.
kitsune tend to live in families, and work together as much as possible. Lone kitsune tend to try and make families. Even Myobu prefer to drive away Nogitsune, instead of killing them.
The Individual: (This part deals with generalizations. The individual characters do not have to follow this verbatim… instead, it is a manner of helping someone to get ideas)
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. Kitsune have to keep their promises, and especially follow their word of honor. They become self-destructive if they break a promise, and when someone else breaks a promise, they become deadly enemies. They will not help anyone unless they are specifically asked to, and even then, if they are Nogitsune, it is not always assured that they WILL help. However, the Myobu, if asked, will always help those in need.
The Demeanor of a kitsune varies from individual to individual. They can be flighty, harsh, caring, or even completely neutral… it all depends upon what type of kitsune they are, and how they are raised. However, kitsune are emotional and very vengeful. kitsune will lose their temper at the slightest provocation. Once someone has earned a kitsune's enmity, the kitsune will begin enacting revenge that can become quite extreme. On the other hand, those who have earned a kitsune's trust and loyalty will see a friendship that can last through many trials. Freedom is very important to the kitsune. They do not accept being forced into something they do not wish, and do not like being bound or trapped. Doing so weakens the kitsune, and is frowned upon by other kitsune.
The sensations the physical world has to offer often drives a kitsune to become very demanding. The kitsune may be enraptured, and want to experience more, of any sensation that life can bring them.
Kitsune are notorious for seeing a weakness in someone, and aggravating the weakness, until others see it. However, this does not make them evil. kitsune are not truly good or evil. Quite literally, they embody the concept of the amoral, those who do not accept, or understand, the idea of Good or Evil, instead, paving the way of balance between the two.
Kitsune follow their own code of ethics, though they adapt the morals of those around them, more for the sake of being accepted than for any other reason. Unless they are Myobu, they can be both allies and enemies to the mortals around them. If someone offends what a kitsune considers "correct," they can become evil, malicious, and disruptive. If someone behaves according to their ethics, they will become polite, kind, and helpful.
Kitsune gained the title, according to a legend, when a woman named Shin-no-myobu proclaimed that her luck in finding a husband was granted by the messenger kitsune of Inari. Since then, they have been named Myobu (the white-haired fox messengers of Inari).
The temple of Inari became first associated with kitsune, when a kitsune couple sought shelter in the temple. They, and their five children, were given sanctuary and protection by Inari, in exchange for their servitude. Each swore ten oaths to Inari, and were given positions in the temple. Since then, descendants have served Inari faithfully. The temple of Inari has two levels, the upper level, and the lower level. The male kitsune served the Upper Temple, and the female kitsune served the Lower Temple. The male kitsune's name was Osusuki, and the female's name was Akomachi. In some art depicting kitsune, the male is black, while the female is white. These oaths allow the kitsune to gain power through the shrine itself, and to be able to live there, and find shelter. The kitsune, in turn, protects those who work and live near the shrine, and aid those who come to them for help. This especially applies to other kitsune.
There are many famous kitsune throughout history. These are but a few.
Kuzu-no-ha (Arrowroot-leaf) was a kitsune in a 5-part play of the same name. She fled her family when her son learned of her true nature. Her son, once he had tracker her down, was rewarded with the ability to speak with all creatures.
Tamamo-no-mae, who also went by the name Hua-yang. She was a nine-tailed kitsune, and was responsible for the destruction of the king Pan-Tsu, in India, and has over a thousand innocent people killed by him. Later, Hua-yang fled to China, calling herself Pau-ssu. She joins the harem of Yu, king of the Chou dynasty. She eventually becomes his queen, and just to see her smile, Yu goes through unspeakable acts of cruelty. Under her guidance, the Chou dynasty falls. Pau-ssu eventually fades/dies, only to be reborn in Japan, calling herself Tamamo-no-Mae. She joins the emperor's court, and the deaths continue. When she is discovered, she takes her true form, a golden kitsune with nine tails. Tamamo-no-mae was killed more than once, but always came back. As an amazing coincidence, she is discovered by Abe-Yasuchika, a descendant of Abe-Seimei, who was the son of Kuzu-no-ha, the kitsune listed earlier. Kuzu-no-ha was more than likely Myobu, and her child, of course, would be protecting of the emperor, as would his descendants. She flees after she is discovered, and transforms into a large rock in the moor of Nasuno. In this form, she kills anything that approaches. Birds, people, and plants wither and die around her. It takes a priest with a magic hammer to kill her.
Genkuro is a kitsune, who's parents were 1000 years old, and were hunted to form a magical drum called a tsuzumi. The drum was used to seduce the Fortune of rain into producing storms at the sound of it. It is through a play about Genkuro that it is learned that kitsune are feminine in nature.
Koan (Buddhist priest) was a kitsune, who would wander around, telling others he was a Buddhist Priest. He would be invited into homes, were he would tell sermons, and be treated as a proper guest. When he wrote his name for others, he would write his name, age, signature, and seal, along with the character of LONGEVITY.
Jingoro (enshrined) was recorded as possessing someone when he thought the man was going to try to kill him. The man, to escape possession and not come to harm, had a shrine built to Jingoro, calling it Jingoro-Inari.
Gengoro (express messenger) was a kitsune known for having the strength, speed, and vitality of three people, and was known to do farmwork, and send messengers for the people he protected. He was later killed by a wild dog.
Genkuro (hair-cutter) was a kitsune who made a habit of tracking down women in Tokyo (then called Edo), and cutting off their hair and breaking pans.
Hakuzo (learned) took the form of a Buddhist scholar, and would talk and answer religious dialogues in the temples. He was seen as very wise, and very scholarly. When he was discovered to be kitsune, he vanished, but would later be seen hanging around outside the temple, preaching the doctrine of Buddha in the dark. Later, the temple was renamed Hakuzo Inari.
Kojoro (little maid) was the mate of Gengoro, and appeared to be a young maid of around 12 to 14. She would do duties for the temple she lived in, and seemed to be quite popular among the children of the region. She vanished after four years.
The kitsune are really not the most ferocious of fighters. However, when cornered, they can be quite the fighters, attacking with such voracity that it is hard to believe they are not violent natured. They can attack with their needle-like claws and teeth, as well as their fists and feet, though they are not always even trained in the art of fighting. The best kitsune defense is the oldest one. "RUN AWAY!"
Though they are not fighters, per-se, they are quite endowed with magical abilities. Though, they cannot perform this magic until they have gained at least two tails, and, even then, they have to be taught it. Here is a list of the powers they possess.
Thanks to Foxtrot who has the best site on the kitsune and their ways. All the information printed here was from personal research on the topic. If you feel the need to get more info on the kitsune, I suggest you visit Foxtrot's site and expect to spend some time there.
