Kitsune: The Trickiest Kind of Fox

 Name: Lucy Hill

Kitsune may just be the coolest kind of fox you will ever learn about. Kitsune are mythological foxes or foxlike creatures, some people just call them foxes and others believe they aren’t enough like a real fox to be called one. Kitsune originated in Japan and are very important in all aspects of their culture like religion, entertainment, art, fashion, and more. (Encyclopedia Brittanica).

“Kitsune.” Mythical Creatures Information. 

There are thought to be two types of kitsune, good and bad. All possess many interesting characteristics. Kitsune are believed to live for hundreds or thousands of years and get wiser and more powerful as they age. The most prominent power kitsune are known for is metamorphosis or shapeshifting. It is believed by many that when kitsune reach one hundred years old, they gain the ability to shapeshift. The good or holy kitsune use their powers for good and are seen to be god’s messengers. They use their powers to protect people, give good luck, and get rid of evil spirits. Bad or wild foxes are kitsune that use their powers for evil or for pranking and tricks. They take the shape of certain people and trick the people close to them or just play around (Yokai). 

The myth of kitsune originated from a time when foxes were commonly seen in Japan in people’s everyday lives. These believed powers of foxes stemmed from people being near them and observing their behavior (Japan Primavera). Joshua Furr, an avid lover and researcher of all things Japan and Japanese culture, wrote an article about Kitsune on Edge of Niigata. In his article, he goes into three different parts of life in Japan that kitsune are involved in. These are the divine (religion), the delicious (food), and the legend (art and mythology). The divine refers to kitsune being associated with the goddess Inari of prosperity, because of this connection, kitsune are often found on shrines of Inari. The delicious refers to kitsune’s connections with food. Since the goddess Inari is associated with  agricultural bounty, so are kitsune. Farmers have a special relationship with kitsune, believing they kept pests away and as a peace offering would leave them dead mice to eat. The legend refers to the mythology around kitsune. In Japanese folklore, kitsune are the only foxes that can get married, this is often shown in art and myths written about them (Edge of Niigata). 

Overall, kitsune are very wise and interesting creatures. Whether they are working for good or evil, they are a large part of all aspects of Japanese culture.

Works Cited:

Ancient Origins. “Beware the Kitsune, The Shapeshifting Fox of Japanese Folklore.” Ancient Origins: Unravelling the Mysteries of the Past. 10 Oct. 2024. https://www.ancientorigins.net/myths-legends-asia/kitsune-0012027.

Furr, Joshua. “Tails of Kitsune: The Many Faces of Niigata’s Mysterious Fox.” Edge of Niigata, 28 June 2023. Tails Of Kitsune: The Many Faces of Niigata's Mysterious Fox | Edge of Niigata.

Martin, Roland. “Kitsune Japanese Folklore.” Encyclopedia Brittanica, 28 Mar. 2024. https://www.britannica.com/topic/kitsune.

Yokai Database. “Kitsune.” Yokai Database for Japanese Folklore, 17 September 2021. https://yokai.com/kitsune/.

Zaicek, Vladimir. “Kitsune- The Fox of a Thousand Appearances.” Japan Primavera, 10 Oct. 2024. https://www.japanprimavera.com/gb/blog/articoli-del-blog/kitsune-the-fox-of-athousand-appearances.

Links to further research:

Mythological Creatures Information: Kitsune - Japanese fox spirits | mythicalcreatures.info This source dives deeply into the origin of the mythological creature and the stories created around the creature.

Japanese Oni Masks: What is Kitsune? Types - Tales & Everything You Need to Know – Japanese Oni Masks  This sources dives deeply into all sorts of types of kitsune depicted in Japanese mythology and culture.

Bokksu: Kitsune: The Enigmatic Fox of Japanese Folklore – Bokksu This source dives deeply into how kitsune are involved in religion and spirituality in Japan.

Spontaneous Human Combustion

 Huda Raeisi

Spontaneous Human Combustion (SHC) is a Phenomenon that occurs when a person is supposed to burst into flames and burn frequently with no or little external source of ignition. It is commonly used to describe incidents in which a person's body is found with ashes and burned remains. It's a controversial and rare incident, and there's a lot of discussion concerning its reliability and its root causes.

Rolli developed the term in Philosophical Transactions, which was published in 1744 by the London Royal Society, the world's oldest scientific academy. Rolli described it as "a process in which a human body allegedly catches "fire”as a result of heat generated by internal chemical activity, but without evidence of an external source of ignition.” During the Victorian era, spontaneous human combustion became associated with alcoholism. Since the late 1400s, spontaneous combustion has been reported numerous times in Milan. 

Although this is the case, it is important to keep in mind that SHC is a complicated and unclear concept and that many scientists and professionals have doubts about its existence. In spite of the fact that there are only a few documented cases of spontaneous human combustion worldwide, there have been numerous recorded instances over the course of history. In the 19th and 20th centuries, reports of suspected cases of SHC continued to surface, mainly in Western countries. It was common for medical journals and newspapers to report these cases. 

The cases mainly involve elderly individuals, and the majority of documented cases date from the 17th to 19th centuries. The earliest reported cases of spontaneous human combustion date back to the 18th century, and most reported cases can be explained by known mechanisms of fire. However, there may have been earlier undocumented cases. Cases apparently have highly individual features. Typically, victims are elderly, overweight Caucasian women who are isolated from society and have consumed excessive amounts of alcohol.

Additionally, on the website, “Is Spontaneous Combustion Real?” It details everything about the SHC and anything else that was necessary to know. It discusses what happened during the fire and whether it was based on spontaneous human combustion (SHC) or not. Nowadays, spontaneous combustion incidents are rare, and scientific tests have not been able to provide conclusive evidence of their occurrence. Due to these circumstances, SHC has become more of a historical curiosity, a subject of debate and skepticism, than a well-established scientific fact.

Therefore, spontaneous human combustion (SHC) is an unclear phenomenon that occurs when people appear to burst into flames without any apparent external source of ignition. Several recorded incidents can most likely be attributed to traditional sources of ignition as a result of the lack of consistent evidence and confusion within the scientific and medical communities. There is currently less acknowledgement of SHC as a scientific phenomenon and more of a historical curiosity. In addition, it is necessary to conduct thorough research in order to determine the exact nature of these events.

Works Cited:

Halperin, Jonathan. Image from Spontaneous Human Combustion. 2005, IMDB, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1624624/mediaviewer/rm2642788352/?ref_=tt_ov_i.

Harris, Tom. “How Fire Works” HowStuffWorks, Updated, 2023, https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geophysics/fire.htm.

STAFF, HISTORY. “Is spontaneous human combustion real?” History, February 6, 2013. https://www.history.com/news/is-spontaneous-human-combustion-real.

Links for Further Research:

STAFF, HISTORY. “Is spontaneous human combustion real?” History, February 6, 2013. https://www.history.com/news/is-spontaneous-human-combustion-real. This website was published by HISTORY STUFF and provides background information on spontaneous human combustion. It determines whether it is real or not, and it shows every aspect about it, as well as the aim of it, which may be read from it. Furthermore, the website's most recent change was on August 9, 2023. It contains up-to-date information on how spontaneous human combustion has evolved over time.

Watson, Stephanie & Mancini, Mark. “How spontaneous human combustion works” HowStuffWorks, September 21, 2023. https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geophysics/fire.htm. This website was created by Stephanie Watson and Mark Mancini to provide information about spontaneous human combustion. It explains how and why spontaneous human combustion began. It is detailed in every aspect and aids knowledge. Furthermore, the website's most recent update was on September 21, 2023.

Byard, Roger W. "The mythology of 'spontaneous' human combustion." Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology, vol. 12, no. 3, Sept. 2016, pp. 350+. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A713962305/AONE?u=uscaiken&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=1650d8ec. Accessed 29 Oct. 2023. Roger W. Byard wrote this article, which discusses the methology scientists of spontaneous human combustion. It reveals how scientists understand spontaneous human combustion and how they uncover it over time when human bodies are burned and destroyed. It is thorough with every detail and aids in understanding.

Ijiraq

 By J. Richardson

The legend of Ijiraq is one of the many stories that came from Inuit culture and mythology. In Noel K. McDermott’s dissertation, titled Unikkaaqtuat: Traditional Inuit Stories, Inuit elders tell stories told to them as children about monsters like Ijiraq, Amajurjuit, and Ulikappaalit. These stories were to teach children morals and how to behave.

Ijiraq is a shape-shifting monster. It can take the shape of any beast. Most of the time it appears as a caribou from the waist up with human legs. Whatever shape it takes, it always has red, vertical eyes and a vertical mouth. Ijiraq is said to kidnap children and wipe the memories of those who encounter the monster.

 

Ijiraqu Sculpture by Rachel Young, 2019

According to Morgan Bentham, there are different interpretations of the story of Ijiraq but one thing remains the same: when people encounter him, they either go missing or forget their interactions with it. If someone does encounter the monster, they should quickly tell someone else of their interactions because their memory will soon fade away. It’s believed that Ijiraq came about when Inuit people went hunting too far north and got trapped between two worlds: the world of the living and of the dead. When in our world, it lives in a cursed forest in Freeman’s Cove, Canada. Ijiraq is believed to have been sighted here. Bentham tells the story of a hunter named Buott. Boutt was hunting in Freeman’s Cove, an area he was very familiar with. While hunting, he became very disoriented and lost his way back to his camp site. Boutt believed he encountered Ijiraq because Ijiraq is known to disorient and wipe the memory of people who come close to him.

There is not a true explanation of Ijiraq’s existence and origin. Bentham says that Ijiraq are lost Inuit hunters. Inuit people have different variations of the legend of Ijiraq. The most scientific explanation has to deal with the landscape of where Ijiraq is traditionally associated with. According to Megan Roberts of Atlas Obscura, deposits of toxic sour gas, sulphur smoke, and geothermal activity in the area might create a rising vapor that is capable of causing disorientation and hallucinations. 

Works Cited:

Bentham, Morgan. "Ijiraq." Leap into the Void with Me,  9 Apr. 2016, https://leapintothevoidwithme.wordpress.com.

McDermott, Noel K. Unikkaaqtuat: Traditional Inuit Stories. Dissertation, Queen’s University, 2015.

Roberts, Megan. Bastards of the Bestiary: Eight Mythological Creatures Too Gross, Sad, or Monstrous to Be Loved. Atlas Obscura, 4 Mar. 2014.

Young, Rachel [@blackrabbitscuplture]. Ijiraq Sculpture. 27 Sep. 2019, Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/blackrabbitsculpture/?hl=en


Links for further research:

“Unikkaaqtuat: Traditional Inuit Stories.”

https://qspace.library.queensu.ca/bitstream/handle/1974/12806/McDermot?sequence=3

Author Noel K. McDermott gives information of the Inuit people and their traditions. He also interviews Inuit people as they tell stories of their childhood and the stories they were told about Ijiraat and other beings

Ijiraq

https://warriorsofmyth.fandom.com/wiki/Ijiraq

This wiki page gives detailed information of Ijiraq including its appearance, origin, behavior, and abilities.

“Who are the Ijiraq? Shapeshifters in Inuit Mythology”

https://mythologyplanet.com/ijiraq-inuit-mythology/

This article gives details of ijiraq such appearance and abilities. Inuit culture and mythology is also discussed.