This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 66.168.106.43 (talk) at 05:35, 5 March 2007 (just added a note on the manga series reference of xxxHolic appearence of the Kuda-gitsun aka pipe-fox). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 05:35, 5 March 2007 by 66.168.106.43 (talk) (just added a note on the manga series reference of xxxHolic appearence of the Kuda-gitsun aka pipe-fox)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Kuda-gitsune or Kanko (管狐, "pipe fox") is a creature supposedly employed by Japanese kitsune-tsukai, those who use foxes as spirit familiars. Its use is described in various books, as follows:.
In the Sōzan Chomon Kishū (想山著聞奇集) the kuda-gitsune is described as a rat-sized fox which can be kept in a pipe.
According to the Zen'an Zuihitsu (善庵随筆) the kanko is a fox the size of a weasel or rat, with vertical eyes and thin hair. The magic-user summons the kanko to appear inside a bamboo pipe which he is holding, whereupon the fox will answer all the questions it is asked. The origin of this practice is traced back to a yamabushi who obtained this art while undergoing strict asceticism on Mount Kinpu. These Kanko are said to be numerous in the northern mountains of Suruga, Tōtōmi, and Mikawa Provinces.
Researcher Inoue Enryō in his Yōkaigaku Kōgi (妖怪學講義), quotes a newspaper article regarding the kanko, in which it is a tiny, mouse-sized creature which hails from Shinano Province. It is named for its tail, which is like a pipe cut in half. It can be tamed and kept in a pocket or sleeve, and uses its supernatural power to seek out assorted information which it then whispers to its master. A person who keeps it is thus able to see into both the past and future.
Popular culture
- In the handheld game Digimon Acclerator Ultimate Genome and season 5 of Digimon Savers there is a kuda-gitsune Digimon called Kudamon.
- In Digimon season 3, the fox-like Sakuyamon summons multiple kuda-gitsune to attack her enemies
- In the manga/Anime series xxxHolic, Yuuko Ichihara receives a kuda-gitsune as payment for a favor. (Really makes you want one after seeing it in xxxHolic)
Reference
de Visser, M. W. (1908). "The Fox and the Badger in Japanese Folklore". Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan. 36 (3). Z. P. Maruya & Co.: pp. 122-124. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
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| Japanese mythology | ||
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| Mythic texts |   | |
| Japanese creation myth | ||
| Takamagahara mythology | ||
| Izumo mythology | ||
| Hyūga mythology | ||
| Human age | ||
| Mythological locations | ||
| Mythological weapons | ||
| Major Buddhist figures | ||
| Seven Lucky Gods | ||
| Legendary creatures | ||
| Other | ||