Hello lovelies!
Foxes can be found all over popular folklore, maybe more so than any other animal. It's pretty much guaranteed at this point. Anywhere where foxes can be found, there is folklore about the,
They are either just a regular fox (who happens to talk, but these are fables, so just roll with it), or a creature who takes the shape of a fox, while also being able to take human form. In either interpretation, they are considered sneaky, little tricksters with an affinity for trouble and magic.
Don't be fooled though! Not all of them are out to hurt others, sometimes they just want some fun!
So, let's see in what ways this creature can be used in your writing.
General Description:
Fox spirits look like, well, foxes, at least, most of the time. One of their primary traits in a lot of cultures is that they can shapeshift into humans, during which they appear as strikingly beautiful, particularily in female forms.
In terms of colours, black foxes don't appear often in stories, but when they do, they are usually messengers or familiars for some sort of dark entity. Similarily to that, white foxes are characterised as messengers of the gods in East-Asia, or, at least, the type of fox most likely to possess magical abilities. Red foxes are more commonly seen in fables and other stories that deal with the more traditional, animalistic fox, but are sometimes also seen as taking human form and playing tricks on humans.
-Magician:
While less so in the West, foxes are often associated with magic in East-Asia and the Americas. Apart from the more well-known shapeshifting, they are thought to be particularily skilled at spells, mind-altering influences, and the flow of nature. So, if you need a character able to use magic, writing a fox spirit could fit that requirement very well
While in other sotries this often results in them pulling their usual trickery, they are also described as faithful companions to humans they take a liking to, sometimes even marrying them. The children born from this union then inherit great magical abilities. An example of this is the legendary inmyoji Abe no Seimei, born in the Heian period of Japan, and said to be the son of a fox spirit and a human man, which was the explanaition for his talent.
If you choose for the fox to take a different, more human-like form, you could potentially treat them as an independent magician, with more human-like qualities as well, albeit more mischievous than others. However, should you choose to keep the animal form of the fox, they could be used as a familiar as well, using their magical abilities to aid the human they are bound to.
-Trickster:
This is the most common depiction you'll find of a fox spirit, whether funny or outright malevolent. There isn't a set of folklore that doesn't characterise the fox as a mischievous, not always trustworthy, creature. So, if you need a trickster character, a fox spirit is probably one of the most tried and tested examples you can borrow from.
If you choose to have the fox be a more benevolent presence in your story, its tricks and schemes could either be minor, like small pranks or cheeky ehaviour, or be used against antagonists. The fox may show great care, affection, and loyalty to the humans it likes, but feel little to no remorse for damage it causes to humans it has no relation to.
If instead you choose to make the fox a more neutral character, it's handy to think of the fox as having a fae-like mentality, where morality is, at best, optional. Whatever tricks or schemes it wants to act out may have nothing to do with the relationships it has to the individual, but rather just because they feel like doing it. They may have some form of benevolent or malevolent connection to the characters, however, but it's most likely not a stable one.
Something to consider is that many legends concerning fox spirits, specifically in East-Asia, also characterise them to be capable of transforming into beautiful women and take the form of a seductress. So, if you want the classic 'tricks human by being hot' trope, a fox spirit can be absolutely perfect.
-Antagonist:
Most fables and fairy tales will have the fox as a cunning, sly antagonists, who either wants to run from the consequences of its actions, or eat one of the other characters. These qualities of a smart creature with little to no code of honour are therefore very compatible with an antagonistic character.
Just how malevolent the creature is will depend on the role it plays in your story. If it's just an obstacle to overcome, the intentios of the creature may range from simple boredom, to outright wanting to harm the characters. However, they won't be as much of a threat as other antagonists could be.
However, like, let's be honest, a lot of other creatures, fox spirits can be extremely dangerous and harmful as well, easily fitting the role of final villain. For example, the famously cruel consort of a Chinese emperor was in fact thought to be a fox spirit set out to destroy the nation. Considering that these creatures are sometimes characterised as seductresses, it's not that surprising how this story was inspired.
Since it has magic, trickery, and shapeshifting at its desposal, you could probably construct a very compelling villain, one with not only a great amount of power, but also no connection to human morality. So, the fox spirit could easily be made a terrifying presence in your story.
I hope this has been both fun and helpful to you all, and that the next time we see this lovely, little trickster, it will be as entertaining as ever.
Goodbye, lovelies!
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