【Dark Folklore】 Nine-Tailed Fox

Short Story

Tamamonomae, Toyohara Chikanobu (1838–1912), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Please stay on this page for over 30 seconds, highlight the parts you find interesting while reading the article, and if you like, please clap 50 times. Thank you🙏😊

In Nasu, Japan, there is a legend called “The Killing Stone and the Nine-Tailed Fox.” It tells the story of a fox endowed with mysterious powers and malevolence who appeared in the human world. After deceiving the kings of China and India, the fox landed in Japan and infiltrated the imperial court, disguising itself as a beautiful woman known as “Tamamo-no-Mae.” This beauty captivated Emperor Toba, who was enchanted by her and refused to leave her side, but during a banquet one night, a strange occurrence caused Emperor Toba to fall gravely ill.

Abe no Seimei, a renowned Onmyoji (diviner) from Kyoto, exposed the true identity of the nine-tailed fox, managing to expel it successfully. The fox fled to the plains of Nasu, where warriors dispatched by the imperial court hunted it down. After its death, the fox’s body transformed into a “Killing Stone” that continued to harm any living being that came near. However, it was ultimately neutralized through the efforts of the monk Genno Shinsho, who pacified its spirit. Today, the Killing Stone remains in Nasu…