next »

[Kira]

 
On Reading "Kitsuné ~ Japan's Fox of Mystery, Romance, and Humor" I've encountered a curious passege speaking of a creature named "To-O" or "Ascending Hwang". It reads like this:

To-O
One of the most interesting and fanciful figures find-
ing expression in the shape of a fox is, perhaps, To-
0, or Ascending Hwang, the account of which appears in
Unkin-Zuihitsu, a rare book of strange things, pub-
lished in 1861.

This is an animal which looks like a fox, a very
strange fox with devouring flames on both sides of its
body, and you will also see a pair of sharp horns pro-
truding from its back. The animal has a long tail-
a preposterously long one.

This has candled the flame of my curiosity, and I wanted to learn more about it, however...
I wasn't able to find anything...
 
Has any of you ever heared about it, or knows something?

[Shiori]

Would it be a "fox demon"? other then that i have no idea whatoever.

[Ghost Rider]

Ahem.


Interesting little beastie, isn't it?  I've never seen one...


Interesting name though, eh?  I can give you a few details on it and what it may be.  To-O, or Ascending Hwang, means 'Ascending Yellow', which I thought was interesting.  This means the To-O is an 'ascending' Earth spirit of some sort; that is, 'Earth going Up'.  Earth usually goes down - so it's a feisty fellow.  Also interesting, the article states that the creature 'finds expression in the shape of a fox'.  And it's obviously fiery.  Now, what that tends to mean is that it is some sort of non-corporeal spirit (as I stated, a Rising Earth Spirit, most probably) that likes being a fox, or appears as a fox, but is not a fox per-se.  Its favorite direction is East.  Cute name.


And I don't think it is a Fox Demon, Shiori, but an Earth Sprit that looks like a fox, and is not very good at it   .  But I can't vouch for the spirit's character, or its disposition towards humans, so I can't tell you anything about that.  If you summon it and it eats you, then perhaps it was a demon.  


I Twiddles Me Thumbs
-Big C. in the Sky

[Kira]

 
There's more said in that passage.
That it went to China during the reign of emperor Hwang, and the emperor made a tour all over the land, riding on this fox, thus teaching the people how to ride a horse.
They also say, that the Emperor Hwang madee a tour of the world rifing an eight-winged dragon.

[Ghost Rider]

How interesting...


That explains why it is 'ascending', it seems.  And why it's favorite direction is East - if you know about these Emperors.  However, it seems that this Emperor Descended along with the fox that he rode... depending on the Emperor.  Kira, do you know if this Emperor Hwang you mention is the same Qin Shi Huang, First Emperor of Unified China?  If they are the same, it explains a lot about this spirit, and why it is said that this Emperor rode it.

Or, was Emperor Hwang, the legendary Yellow Emperor, who predated Qin Shi Huang by 2000 years?  Perhaps it is associated with both.  Or perhaps this fellow is associated with more than plain history dictates.  It seems this 'Ascending Hwang' is a Spirit concerned with the rise of Earthly kingdoms...and may have been in part responsible for the Rise of Imperial China.  How about that?


I do wonder what else this creature is responsible for...


-Over and Out.

[Kira]

 
hmm, all I know beyond that is that it's picture is still used in imperial ceremonies, like coronations.
 
A shame we don't know more about it. I get the feeling that this is the missing link between dragons and foxes.

[Ghost Rider]

Funny that you say that  - because I have a strong feeling that this creature is not exactly a fox.  I still say that it is an Earth Spirit of some sort - one obviously concerned with Imperial Kingdoms and the like...

If you ask me, from what you say, I would say that while the Dragon is responsible for the Emperor on the Heavenly side, the To-O is concerned with the throne on the Earthly side; rather like how, in Egypt, Isis Represented the Throne itself, which crowned her head.  Also, my bet is that it is still used in ceremonies because the First Emperor, whoever he may have been, rode this creature.  And I suppose that answers my question - clearly, it is associated with any imperial ruler.

A shame we don't know more about it.

I will see what I can find in some books I have on Taoist Magic.  They have a very particular classification system when it comes to unearthly spirits - thus my etymological analysis.  But since this fellow is specifically Imperial, I think I will only be able to find parallels, rather than anything specific.  Only members of the Court at the time would deal with Imperial spirits.  In China, it is unusual for a Fox to be associated with anything Imperial... I see what you are getting at in terms of the 'missing link' between the two.


And speaking of Dragons and Foxes; I have heard that Dragons are associated with / live in / cause Thunderstorms, and such.  Do you know if there are instances of Kitsune being associated with them as well?

-Wfr and Wt

[Kira]

 
Well, lightning is one element I don't see foxes being directly associated with. I can see them being associated with fire, wind, earth, shadow, fauna, and chaos, but not lightning.
 
Still, I hope you find something. Any piece of information might be relevant here.

[Okori Tenko]

 *paws over his head.*

 Oni-Kitsu. Demon Fox. ... They are things I don't like to speak on, but feel I must.

 The Oni-Kitsu are indeed evil, more evil than the Yakunan Reiko. They are...

 They make deals with the 'slumbering demons 'down below'', the ones buried beneath the earth. When any such creature makes deals with demons, they gain 'horns' as a symbol of such a deal. And you would be right in assuming that this was from Emperor Hwang, the legendary 'Yellow Emperor', who was an ancestor of 'Qin Shi Huang'. The Yellow Emperor somehow harnessed an 'Oni-Kitsu, who was of the Earth, and 'Ascending'.

 To the legend, the Emperor was trying to figure out how to view all of the land, and was approached by a demon fox. 'Learn to ride'. Since the Emperor did not understand this demon, but nor would he be intimidated, he questioned the fox's wisdom. "Show me.' They made a deal that if the fox showed the Emperor how to ride, that he would find a way to free the 'recovering demon' from his curse.

 In the end, the wisest of his wise men didn't have a clue. He went to an old, wise monk. The monk then prayed about it, going into a state of ecstasy and seeing the evils of the fox. In the end, the Monk told the emperor that he and this fox were one, and that for all of the dark deeds that were done, they would have to do one good deed to redeem themselves.

 When the oni-kitsu and the Emperor met in the west, it was decided that they would search together, and travel east, as the Sun was always at it's most creative at dawn. And so they rode, and their spirits started to get lighter, as others learned to ride as the Yellow Emperor rode a demon fox. They were doing good things by teaching the people how to harness wild life, specifically horses, to do what was needed, and so, the Yellow Emperor and the Oni-Kitsu who was thereafter named To-O, taught the nation to ride.

 In the end, the Oni-Kitsu was cured of being evil, though he'd remain an Oni-Kitsu, forever marked with horns. Still, they learned this great wisdom they found when they met a dragon, that not all demons have to be evil, and he was one of the first to prove it.

 The Yellow Emperor was carried back to his place by the dragon, while the Oni-Kitsu stayed behind in the Dragon's lands, as reward for good behavior.

 At least, this is what story I remember being told. This could be wrong, though. I can't say I was actually there, but it was indeed a good story of passion for nation and redemption for the damned.

 Still... be warned that the Oni-Kitsu are truly terrible. Imagine how long it took for the Emperor to live up to the Oni-Kitsu's need to be helped? Think carefully on how many people it took to get that forgiveness: He taught the nation to ride. A Nation. How many are within China's ancient provinces? Tens of Thousands? Hundreds of Thousands? How great was that Oni-Kitsu's sins, that from low to the earth, he became one of the very few 'Celestial Demons'?...

 What did this Demon Fox do to deserve being sent on such an amazing quest with the Emperor?...

 The real question is... Do we want to know?... Or just accept it as is. Maybe To-O was alot more evil than could be first imagined...

 I'll not ponder. Somethings just need ... acceptance.

 Oni-Kitsu are evil. Only a few get lucky.

[Kira]

 
That's quite an interesting piece of data.
Where did you find it, if I may aks?

[Okori Tenko]

 Alot of the old tales have been ripped apart, shredded, and otherwise destroyed. However, some things are still passed on orally, and are the same now as they were then. Some of this was found in Southeast China. Some in Western China, some in Central, and of all places, some in Korea, mostly in oral stories that are passed on about 'An Emporer who Challenges the Rising Sun'. Of course, this is part of the Lore about how he got considered to be the 'Yellow Emporer', as 'he was turned as golden as the sun' and 'born on the back of a Dragon'.

 Fortunately, I was lucky in seeming to 'know where to look'. This doesn't mean I'm always so lucky. I'm just fortunate to know of this tale.

Powered by SMF 1.1.15 | SMF © 2006-2009, Simple Machines
Blueace design by Crip | XHTML | CSS

Page created in 0.058 seconds with 20 queries.