Inara/Inari and the Kitsune

One of the most interesting aspects of Japanese mythology (at least to me) is the way some gods are portrayed as both male and female. It isn’t a concept I’ve encountered all that often in other mythologies I’ve studied. However, in the Shinto myths it is not uncommon to find male and female aspects of the same Kami. In my post about Amaterasu, I mentioned that her sibling Tsukiyomi, deity of the moon, was portrayed as both male and female.

Such is also the case with Inari/Inara, deity of rice and fertility. (For any Firefly fans, this is likely who Inara was named for - though one would think that fertility in a companion might be a bad thing...) Inari, the male, is depicted as an old man. Inara is portrayed as a beautiful woman with loose hair.

Both Inara and Inari use foxes as their messengers, and Inara is able to turn herself into a fox. Here is where we encounter the interesting folktale of the Kitsune.

“Kitsune” is the Japanese word for fox, but when non-Japanese speaking people use the word it normally refers to a magical fox.  Even normal foxes in the Shinto myths are generally seen as helpful animals or symbols of good luck, though they were often portrayed as tricksters after Buddhism entered Japan.

The magical foxes which I mentioned are able to change their shape, much like Inara. These foxes shapeshift into beautiful human women. Tales of the Kitsune sometimes have them fall in love with a human. They then live with the human until something goes wrong, forcing the Kitsune to return to its natural fox form. Other stories show more mischievous Kitsune seducing men, luring them away from their wives.

One such story can be found in the Konjaku, a collection of myths and folktales compiled by a 12th-century Buddhist monk. The story ends with the man escaping the clutches of the Kitsune and undergoing purification rituals at the temple. Slight difference in stories, right?

Regardless of the fact that “kitsune” simply means fox, most modern portrayals of the word feature beautiful women with loose hair, multiple fox tails behind them, and occasionally fox ears. Modern depictions of Inara (outside of Firefly) are much the same, though the original temples to Inara/Inari featured simple, regular foxes.

I love how closely interwoven the folktale of the Kitsune is with the Shinto characters of Inara/Inari. I hope you found it interesting! I have to wonder...are the Kitsune where the phrase “a foxy lady” originated? (Sorry, couldn’t help it!)

If you have questions, comments, or puns you want to share, please post below or email me. I’ll be back next post with the story of Issunboshi, the inch-tall hero. Until then, I wanted to remind you guys that I’ll have a booth at Pima Community College’s East campus tomorrow and Wednesday if you want to swing through and say hello. I’ll also be selling copies of Hammerfall - which, incidentally, should be available as a Kindle e-book within the week. I’ll see you guys next post!