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Inari's foxes, or kitsune, are pure white and act as their messengers but it is more likely that in ancient times the fox itself was revered as the kami of rice. [6] According to myth, Inari, as a megami (female Kami), was said to have come to Japan at the time of its creation amidst a harsh famine that struck the land.
Foxes and humans lived close together in ancient Japan; [2] [3] this companionship gave rise to legends about the creatures. Kitsune have become closely associated with Inari, a Shinto kami or spirit, and serve as its messengers. This role has reinforced the fox's supernatural significance.
For example, the foxes at Inari shrines was worshipped as a manifestation of Inari Ōkami. These creatures were thought to be extraordinary spiritual beings, and this perception, combined with their relationship with the specific kami , likely gave rise to this phenomenon.
Inari is a popular deity associated with foxes, rice, household wellbeing, business prosperity, and general prosperity. Inari shrines are typically constructed of white stucco walls with red-lacquered woodwork, and their entrances are marked by vermilion torii. Both Buddhist and Shinto Inari shrines are located throughout Japan.
9. Chimera. Origin: Greek The mythological Chimera is a terrifying creature that features a fire-breathing lion’s head attached to a goat’s body, ending in a serpent tail. There are varying ...
Atet, the solar barge of the sun god Ra. It was also known as the Mandjet (Egyptian for "The Boat of Millions of Years") and, during the night, as the Mesektet. Matet, (Growing Stronger), the first of two boats traveled in by Ra, the sun god as he traveled the sky daily with the sun on his head. During the period between dawn and noon, Ra ...
A pair of foxes at an Inari shrine. A variant of the komainu theme is the fox, acting as guardian of shrines dedicated to the Inari deity. [6] There are about 30 thousand Inari shrines in Japan, and the entrance of each is guarded by a pair of fox statues. [18]
Hachiman (八幡神) is the god of war and the divine protector of Japan and its people. Originally an agricultural deity, he later became the guardian of the Minamoto clan. His symbolic animal and messenger is the dove. Inari Ōkami (稲荷大神) The god or goddess of rice and fertility. Their messengers and symbolic animal are foxes.