The fox played a fundamental role in most cultures, including the Chinese. Emanating from the legend of the nine-tailed fox, sometimes the fox stood for good, and sometimes bad. Read on to learn Chinese fox mythology and the role foxes play in Chinese culture.
Do Foxes Live In China?
Yes, China is home to a vast species of fox family. Some of the species found here include the sand and corsac foxes. The largest of the species, the red fox, inhabits most of China. This is why foxes are a huge part of Chinese culture.
What Does the Fox Mean In Chinese Culture?
Chinese legends say the fox symbolizes auspiciousness, love, seduction, and craft. Sometimes, foxes symbolize evil and trickery.
Women often wore jewelry adorned with the nine-tailed fox. They believed this would bring good fortune to their love lives.
Foxes in Chinese Mythology
The Chinese culture is centered on mythical creatures. One of these is the Jiuwei Hu, which is the nine-tailed fox. The creature is portrayed as a beautiful white fox with nine tails. It is a magical being with different abilities, including shape-shifting and seduction.
According to the myth, it only appeared in places where peace and prosperity were abundant. The nine-tailed fox could transform into a beautiful woman and seduce a man into marrying them. Also, some said that the fox could interact with people and help them when in need.
Fox in Chinese Folklore
The Chinese continue to create and share numerous folklore based on the nine-tailed mythology. Some folklore mentions the presence of the fox spirit, fox God and fox demon. The fox spirit is believed to obtain power by possessing human beings to steal their life force. The fox God is righteous and obtains power through nature.
Fox demon is evil and seeks to obtain power by all means, even if it involves hurting other people. It is evil and thrives in killing, hurting, and stealing.
Many creative works, including books and movies, are created based on the fox legend. One such creation is the novel Dragon Springs Road. In this book, the main character is half Chinese, portrayed as not quite human and not quite animal. This book is a clear illustration of a combination of both Chinese culture and folklore.
Is There a Fox In The Chinese Zodiac?
No, there is no fox in the Chinese zodiac. The Chinese zodiac consists of 12 mythical creatures: the rat, tiger, dragon, rabbit, monkey, ox, rooster, sheep, snake, dog, horse, and pig. These zodiac signs represent different months of the year in reference to the Chinese calendar.
Conclusion
The Chinese have one of the richest cultures in the world. Among the interesting things in this culture is the big role that mythical creatures play. In this article, we discuss one of these creatures- the fox. It was a symbol of prosperity and love, as well as deceit and seduction. Some Chinese even worshipped the fox.