Fox spirit

Fox spirit
Chinese name
Chinese狐狸精
Literal meaningfox spirit
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinhúlijīng
IPA[xǔ li tɕíŋ]
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpingwu⁴lei⁴zing¹
Southern Min
Hokkien POJhô͘-lî-chiaⁿ
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese alphabethồ ly tinh
Chữ Hán狐狸精
Japanese name
Kanji妖狐
Hiraganaようこ
Transcriptions
Romanizationyōko

Huli jing (Chinese: 狐狸精) are Chinese mythological creatures usually capable of shapeshifting, who may either be benevolent or malevolent spirits. In Chinese mythology and folklore, the fox spirit takes variant forms with different meanings, powers, characteristics, and shapes, including huxian (Chinese: 狐仙; lit. 'fox immortal'), hushen (狐神; 'fox god'), husheng (狐聖; 'fox saint'), huwang (狐王; 'fox king'), huyao (狐妖; 'fox demon'), huzu (狐族; 'fox clan'), and jiuweihu (九尾狐; 'nine-tailed fox').[1][page needed]

Fox spirits and nine-tailed foxes appear frequently in Chinese folklore, literature, and mythology. Depending on the story, the fox spirit's presence may be a good or a bad omen.[2] The motif of nine-tailed foxes from Chinese culture was eventually transmitted and introduced to Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese cultures.[3]

  1. ^ Kang (2006).
  2. ^ Kang (2006), pp. 15–21
  3. ^ Wallen, Martin (2006). Fox. London: Reaktion Books. pp. 69–70. ISBN 978-1-86189-297-3.