
watercolor 1/2020
Kitsune in the literal sense is the Japanese word for fox. Imortal foxes….kitsune are revered as part of Japanese folklore. Ancient stories depict legendary kitsune as intelligent beings and as possessing paranormal abilities.
Within the folklore, kitsune are born either from one or two kitsune parents or a drifting kitsune soul possessing an unborn child’s body. Mortals may also be turned into kitsune through ‘sharing’ spirit with another kitsune, or by divine figures.
Regardless the stories of immortal Kitsune….most foxes are the mortal furry creatures that are familiar to every culture. In Japan all the foxes are given loving care.
Inari, in Japanese mythology, is the god primarily known as the protector of rice cultivation. … The fox, symbolizing both benevolence and malevolence, is sometimes identified with the messenger of Inari, and statues of foxes are found in great numbers both inside and outside shrines dedicated to the rice god.