Hito-gitsune or ninko (人狐) is a type of spirit possession told about in legends of the Chūgoku region of western Japan.

Concept

They are said to be the spirit of a Japanese marten-like animal, and it is said that those possessed by one would be afflicted with stomach aches and mental abnormalities.[1] In some areas, it is said that a mizu-itachi (水鼬, water weasel) within ponds are hito-gitsune. Though it has itachi (weasel) in its name, they are said to be much smaller than real weasels and stay in a large willow of the pond, and several of them would all make a bustle at once.[2]

In Shimane Prefecture, hito-gitsune are considered to be smaller than a normal fox. Hito-gitsune would enter people's bodies and make them ill, and when that person dies, they would bite a hole in that person's belly or back to emerge. It is said that the corpse would have a black hole in it somewhere.[3]

Families possessed by a hito-gitsune are called hito-gitsune-mochi (人狐持ち, lit. "those that have hito-gitsune"), and it is said that those that are hated by this family would get possessed by one of their hito-gitsune. It is said that those possessed by a hito-gitsune would become the hito-gitsune itself, and through the hito-gitsune, they would talk about various things with families that have hito-gitsune, walk on all fours like a fox, and like to eat food that foxes like to eat.[4]

When someone from a family that has hito-gitsune marries, 75 hito-gitsune would attack the other family,[5] so families that had hito-gitsune tended to be treated coldly and marriages with them tended to be avoided.[6] Also, families that have hito-gitsune would grow wealthy as a result of the hito-gitsune carrying back riches, but if someone of the family mistreats the hito-gitsune, the fortunes of the family, no matter how rich they were, would immediately decline.[5] Furthermore, it is said that anyone who buys the assets of a family that falls to ruin like this would also be attacked by hito-gitsune.[5] No matter how prestigious the family, if they ever even get rumored to have hito-gitsune, other people would distance themselves from them, leading them to hardship.[7]

Kuda-gitsune from the Shōzan Chomon Kishū by Miyoshi Shōzan

In Tottori Prefecture, families possessed by a fox are called kitsune-zoru,[8] and the foxes that possess such families are called hito-gitsune.[9] It is said that around such a family, 75 kin of the fox would be playing around, and that its true identity was a male weasel.[9] Also, in Miyagi Prefecture, kuda-gitsune are also called hito-gitsune.[10]

Notes

  1. ^ 北原保雄他編, ed. (2001). "人狐". 日本国語大辞典. Vol. 第11巻 (第2版 ed.). 小学館. pp. 372頁. ISBN 978-4-09-521011-7.
  2. ^ 朝山晧. "憑いた話". 怪異・妖怪伝承データベース. 国際日本文化研究センター. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  3. ^ 千代延春楊 (July 1922). "山陰西部地方の憑物雑話". 民族と歴史. 第8巻 (第1号): 263頁.
  4. ^ 著者不詳. "山陰西部地方の狐持に関する報告". 民族と歴史. 第8巻 (第1号): 248頁.
  5. ^ a b c 清水兵三 (May 1914). "出雲より". 郷土研究. 第2巻 (第3号): 44–45頁.
  6. ^ 禀二生 (Sep 1914). "雲州人狐状". 郷土研究. 第2巻 (第7号): 38–42頁.
  7. ^ 桜田勝徳 (May 1934). "仲間はづし". ドルメン. 第3巻 (第5号（5月号）): 58頁.
  8. ^ 日野巌・日野綏彦 (2006). "日本妖怪変化語彙". In 村上健司校訂 (ed.). 動物妖怪譚. 中公文庫. Vol. 下. 中央公論新社. pp. 256頁. ISBN 978-4-12-204792-1.
  9. ^ a b 喜田貞吉編 (248–249頁). 山田野理夫補編 (ed.). 憑物. 宝文館出版. pp. 248–249頁. ISBN 978-4-8320-1332-2.
  10. ^ 茂木徳郎 (1978). "妖怪変化・幽霊：事例篇". In 渡辺波光・岩間初郎編 (ed.). 宮城県史. Vol. 21. 宮城県史刊行会. pp. 543頁.
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