Kitsunebi – [Yokai|Kitsune]

Description

• Kitsune-bi – (狐火) – [Yokai|Kitsune] – “Fox Fire”

• About this yokai: Illusions of fire or glowing multicoloured spectral orbs said to be breathed by magical kitsune. Known to distract or lead people off the beaten path, often causing the pursuer to become completely and utterly lost! Not dangerous on their own but it’s never a good idea to follow these flames…

• Early appearances: An early example of Kitsune-bi was illustrated by Toriyama Sekien in his “Gazu Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro” (1784) – Toriyama illustrated 3 foxes holding torches in their mouths hiding in a bush by a river, with human bones at their feet. (Traditionally, Kitsune are said to transform using unearthed bones & the moon I digress, its an explanation for another time.) – No description was included along with Toriyamas illustration, however: if you look carefully, you can see multiple shadows of Kitsune holding torches on the mountain side in the background as well! – As it likely did hundreds of years ago, this still brings to mind a Kitsune wedding/procession. – (See also: Kitsune no Yomeri.

Later in 1857, the famous ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Hiroshige would include a kitsune procession in his woodblock print series ‘100 veiws of Edo’ titled “Kitsunebi on New Year’s Eve at the Garment Nettle Tree at Oji” – Legend has it that foxes from all over the Kanto region would assemble at a large tree near Oji inari shrine in Tokyo to pay respects and celebrate the new years, locals took this as a harbinger for a good rice harvest in the coming year! The more lights seen, the better the harvest! – This bit of folklore is still celebrated in the modern day at their annual fox parade & kitsunebi matsuri when people dress up wearing kitsune masks!

[“Kitsunebi on New Year’s Night under the Enoki Tree near Ōji” – “One hundred veiws of edo” by Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858)]

Also, in the context of the divine foxes of Inari (Inari being the kami of rice and prosperity.) these flames are sometimes connected to an auspicious jewel known as a “hoju” often seen balanced on a Kitsune statues tail or held in their mouths, this jewel is known as the “Hoshi-no-tama.” (ほしのたま, 星の玉) – The balls are said to contain a bit of the kitsunes soul itself! – [see also: Tenko/Myōbu.]

[An inari kitsune, (myobu) with a Hoshi no tama on its tail. @ The Fushimi Inari Shrine near Kyoto – image source by james blake weiner]

[A wall mounted giant Kitsune masks (and people dressed as kitsune) at Oji inari jinja matsuri, holding the hoju in its mouth much like myobu statues do. (The other one holds a spiral key known as a Hoyaku (see also: Takaramono.) image source.]

[art sticker by samkalensky part of my yokai & kitsune series of stickers, follow for many more! its october so hopefully i’ll continue posting daily!]