Kitsunebi and the nightly procession of fox lights
By Ralf Ittermann · last reviewed on
Kitsunebi is a spirit of the Japanese tradition.
Strings of lights belonging to foxes, said to lure travelers off their path. In Japanese folklore, these fox lights are considered a sign of the presence of the Kitsune. Kitsunebi is thus a firmly established part of Japanese folk belief.
Kitsunebi, the fox fire, are mysterious lights in Japanese folk belief said to be produced by foxes, the kitsune. They appear as rows of hovering flames in the darkness, lead travellers astray, and in some places herald the nightly wedding procession of the foxes.
The belief belongs to the rich fox lore of Japan, in which the fox is regarded as a supernatural, shape-shifting being. In the Edo period, fox fire was frequently depicted; famous are the images of foxes gathering under a tree near Oji in Edo. In some places, the appearance of the lights was also taken as an omen of the coming harvest.
Type: Fox fire, deceptive light phenomenon of fox belief
Origin: Japanese folk belief surrounding foxes and will-o’-the-wisps
Texts: rich folk and pictorial tradition, especially from the Edo period
Period: classical to modern
Appearance: rows of hovering reddish, orange or bluish lights
Traditional context
Period of the Texts
Classical to modern, with a broad Edo-period folk belief at the core of the tradition.
Area of Diffusion
All of Japan. The Edo-period depictions of foxes gathering under a tree near Oji in Edo became famous.
Sources
Good: a rich folk and pictorial tradition, along with the studies by Foster and Nozaki.
Name and variants
Japanese: kitsune means fox, bi or hi fire: Kitsunebi is the fox fire. Unlike other night lights, the name thus names a cause, the supernatural animal to which folk belief attributed the lights.
Being and effect
Appearance
Kitsunebi appears as a row or chain of reddish, orange or bluish lights that flare up in the dark, move and then fade again.
Effect
It is regarded as a sign of the presence of foxes and their deceptive power over human perception. At night it leads travellers astray, causing them to lose their way. In some traditions, long rows of fox fires herald the wedding procession of the foxes, the kitsune no yomeiri.
Profile: Kitsunebi
The key aspects of the fox fire at a glance.
Part of the rich fox lore of Japan, in which the fox is regarded as a supernatural shape-shifter.
Nocturnal travellers who lose their way; also whole regions to which long rows of lights signal the fox wedding.
Chain of hovering lights in the dark; the Edo-period images of foxes gathering near Oji are famous.
Deception and deceit; the appearance of the lights was in some places also taken as an omen of the coming harvest.
Vigilance, avoiding solitary night paths and protective formulas; the Inari shrines maintained a reverent relationship with the foxes.
Fox belief, Inari and the lights of Oji
Kitsunebi cannot be understood without the fox belief of Japan: the fox, the Kitsune, is regarded as a supernatural, shape-shifting being, and since foxes were seen as messengers of the rice god Inari, reverence combined with caution. The mysterious lights of the night were attributed to this animal.
The motif reached its greatest popularity in the Edo period: fox fire was frequently depicted, for instance in the famous images of foxes gathering under a tree near Oji in Edo. There, it was believed, the foxes gathered with their lights before moving through the night.
From the fox wedding to a festival
Kitsunebi is firmly established in Japanese art, folk belief and modern pop culture; the fox wedding and fox fire are popular motifs in film, anime and festivals. In some places, fox wedding processions are re-enacted as festivals.
From a religious-studies perspective, kitsunebi is an example of how nocturnal light phenomena are attributed to a supernatural animal. It links the worldwide belief in will-o’-the-wisps with the specifically Japanese fox lore and the notion of the fox as a deceptive shape-shifter.
Caution on nighttime paths
Kitsunebi is a phenomenon of appearance, not a cult being. Its handling belongs to fox belief: since foxes were regarded as messengers of the rice god Inari, reverence combined with caution. Against being misled by fox fire and fox magic, folk belief relied on vigilance, avoiding lonely night roads and protective formulas; the Inari shrines cultivated respectful conduct towards the foxes.
Fox fire, soul flame, demon fire
Kitsunebi corresponds to the European will-o’-the-wisp and the deceptive night lights of other cultures. Within Japan it stands alongside Onibi, the demon fire, and Hitodama, the soul flame; its distinguishing feature is the named originator. The fox behind it is the Kitsune, the shapeshifting fox spirit.
Frequently asked questions about Kitsunebi
What is Kitsunebi?
The fox fire: mysterious lights that, in Japanese folk belief, are produced by foxes and appear as rows of hovering flames.
What is the fox wedding?
Kitsune no yomeiri, a nocturnal procession of foxes, heralded by long rows of fox fires. In some places it is re-enacted as a festival.
Is Kitsunebi dangerous?
Usually only misleading: it can lead travellers astray, but is rarely considered immediately dangerous.
Further links
Further reading:
- Japan – all beings of the Japanese tradition
- Kitsune – the shapeshifting fox spirit behind the lights
- Onibi, Hitodama – the other fire lights of Japan
- Salt, Amulet, Protective candle – traditional protective means
- Protection Compass – protective means at a glance
Literature (selection)
Further standard works in the bibliography.
As a Japanese fox fire, Kitsunebi remains the will-o’-the-wisp of the foxes: a light that does not announce the dead, but the deceptive presence of an animal to which folk belief attributed almost anything.
