Misunderstood Monsters Episode 3: Nine-Tails and Other Foxes

This episode explores one of the cleverest monsters on our list: the Nine-Tailed Fox of East Asian mythology! But how do you tell a kitsune from a huli jing from a gumiho? We'll try to sort it all out! The fox's reputation as a trickster is world-wide, though, so we'll also look at foxes in Aesop's Fables, medieval stories from France, and the folklore of Eastern Europe.

Visit the World of Mythik website to learn more and to contribute your theories to our board!

All stories told on Myths & Muses are original family-friendly adaptations of ancient myths and legends. Stories from ancient mythology can also sometimes deal with complicated topics for young listeners — to the mortal parents and caretakers reading this, we encourage listening along with your young demigods to help them navigate those topics as they explore these epic tales.

Transcript for S3E3

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Stuff to Read: 

• More on Kitsune: 
  
  • The Enigmatic Fox of Japanese Folklore
  • From Yokai.com
  • Legend of the Fox
  • The Tale of the Nine-Tailed Fox
• More on Huli Jing: 
  
  • The Supernatural Fox Sisters
  • Tale of the Huli Jing: A Feminist Story from Chinese Myth
• More on Gumiho:
  • From Gods and Monsters
  • From MythLok
• Other Asian Fox-Spirits
• Aesop's Fables about Foxes
• Reynard: 
  • The Fox, the Trickster, the Peasant Hero
  • Reynard the Fox, Or Why the Best Robin Hood is a Fox

 

Stuff To Watch: Check out our curated YouTube playlist for this episode!