| Pic: | NineTailsFox.JPG |
| Piccap: | The nine-tailed fox in the Shanhaijing, depicted in an edition from the Qing dynasty |
| L: | nine-tailed fox |
| P: | jiǔwěihú |
| J: | gau2 mei5 wu4 |
| Kanji: | 九尾の狐 |
| Romaji: | kyūbi no kitsune |
| Hangul: | 구미호 |
| Mr: | kumiho |
| Hanja: | 九尾狐 |
| Rr: | gumiho |
| Chuhan: | 狐狸精 |
The nine-tailed fox is a mythical fox entity originating from Chinese mythology.
In Chinese folklores, 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 earliest mention of the nine-tailed fox is the Shanhaijing (Classic of Mountains and Seas), compiled from the Warring States period (475 BC–221 BC) to the Western Han (202 BC – 9 AD; 25 AD –220 AD) period. The work states:
In chapter 14 of the Shanhaijing, Guo Pu had commented that the nine-tailed fox was an auspicious omen that appeared during times of peace. However, in chapter 1, another aspect of the nine-tailed fox is described:
In one ancient myth, Yu the Great encountered a white nine-tailed fox, which he interpreted as an auspicious sign that he would marry Nüjiao. In Han iconography, the nine-tailed fox is sometimes depicted at Mount Kunlun and along with Xi Wangmu in her role as the goddess of immortality. According to the first-century Baihutong (Debates in the White Tiger Hall), the fox's nine tails symbolize abundant progeny.
Describing the transformation and other features of the fox, Guo Pu (276–324) made the following comment:
In other articles, it is said that" “The fox demon from Heaven was incarnated as this woman to bring disaster to the Shang Dynasty.”[1] “Once in human form, fox spirits would take advantage of mortal humans…. However, there are several exceptions to this general rule. Some stories describe fox spirits as having a strong sense of honor.”[2]
The Youyang Zazu made a connection between nine-tailed foxes and the divine:
Each of the nine-tailed fox appearances are listed in each section in order by year: