Mythology!

Witch as Fox

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Tradition / Region: Swiss Mythology
Alternate Names: Fox-Witch, Witch in Fox Form
Category: Fox, witch

The Myth

Hunters in the mountains often warned that not every fox in the snow was truly an animal.

Once, several hunters from Reutte went together to the Fuchspasse on the heights between Reutte and Heiterwang. They had neglected to bless their weapons before setting out. After a long search they finally saw a fox and fired at it. The shot struck true, and the fox fell, but it soon leapt up again and fled.

The hunters followed its trail in the snow. At first the prints were clearly those of a fox, but as they continued, the tracks grew larger. Soon they began to resemble human footprints, and at last they looked like the marks of slippers.

Realizing something was wrong, the hunters followed the trail until it led to a house in the upper part of Reutte. Inside lay an old woman in bed, wounded by a gunshot.

Another tale tells of a hunter from Betzigau who chased a fox for a long time through the fields. Each time he fired, the fox ignored the shots and even seemed to mock him. The hunter then suspected the creature was no ordinary animal. He took his rosary, cut the cord, and used one of its beads in place of a bullet.

When he fired again, the fox was struck at once. It fled, bleeding heavily, and the hunter followed the trail. The tracks led him to a house, where he learned that the woman of the house lay in bed with a badly injured foot.

From such stories people said that witches sometimes took the form of foxes to wander the night. And if a hunter wounded such a fox, the mark would be found later on the body of the witch who had worn its shape.

Sources

SAGEN.at. (n.d.). Die Garmina-Hexen. Retrieved March 1, 2026, from https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/st_gallen/garmina_hexen.html.

Onchú

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Tradition / Region: Irish Mythology
Alternate Names: Enfield, Alphyn
Category: Fox

The Myth

In old Irish tradition there is a strange creature called the Onchú, known in later times by the names Enfield or Alphyn. It is said to be a beast of mixed form, combining the traits of several animals into one powerful body.

Many describe it with the head of a fox, the chest of a hound, the talons or forelimbs of a bird of prey, and the hindquarters of a wolf or lion. It moves with the speed of a hunter and the strength of a great beast, carrying the cunning of the fox, the bravery of the hound, and the ferocity of the wolf.

Stories say the Onchú dwells near water or in lonely places where land meets lake or sea. In ancient times, one such creature lived between Loch Con and Loch Cuilinn and killed many men who crossed its path. A warrior named Muiredach pursued it into the water and slew it, earning a title for his bravery afterward.

Another tale links the creature to the battlefield. When the warrior Tadhg Mór Ua Ceallaigh fell at the battle of Clontarf, it is said that a strange beast rose from the sea and guarded his body, keeping it safe until his kin recovered it. Because of this, the creature later appeared on the family’s crest, remembered as a protector as well as a monster.

Thus the Onchú was remembered both as a fearsome beast of land and water and as a guardian spirit of warriors — a fox-headed creature whose form blended many animals, and whose presence could mean either danger or protection depending on the tale.

Sources

A Book of Creatures. (n.d.). Onchú. Retrieved March 1, 2026, from https://abookofcreatures.com/2017/04/03/onchu/.

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Onchú. In Wikipedia. Retrieved March 1, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onch%C3%BA.

Skoffín

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Tradition / Region: Icelandic Mythology
Alternate Names: none firmly fixed; related beings include Skuggabaldur, Urdarköttur, and Modyrmi
Category: Fox

The Myth

In Icelandic lore there is a dreadful creature called the Skoffín, born from the unnatural union of an Arctic fox and a house cat. It carries the cunning of the fox and the cruelty of the cat, and its very existence is considered a sign of evil.

The Skoffín resembles both parents at once. Its fur may change with the seasons like a fox’s coat, and some say its body bears bare patches of skin. Yet its most feared power lies in its eyes. The creature’s gaze is said to bring instant death to anything it looks upon, whether human or animal.

It is said that Skoffín kittens are born with their eyes already open. If they are not destroyed at once, they sink into the ground and vanish, only to emerge again after three years, fully grown and dangerous. Because of this, people once took great care to destroy such kittens before they could escape into the earth.

When grown, the Skoffín roams farms and wilderness alike, killing livestock and sometimes people simply by fixing its eyes upon them. The safest way to deal with one is from afar, with a bullet blessed by prayer or made of silver. Some stories say that even hardened sheep dung can serve as a missile against it.

Yet the creature is not invincible. If a Skoffín sees another of its kind, both die instantly from the meeting of their deadly gazes. Mirrors also defeat it, for if it sees its own reflection, it perishes at once. One tale tells of a Skoffín that perched upon a church roof, causing people to die as they stepped outside. A clever man raised a mirror toward it on a long pole, and the monster died the moment it saw itself.

The Skoffín belongs to a family of similar hybrid beasts — foxes, cats, and other creatures twisted into monstrous forms. But among them all, the Skoffín is remembered as one of the most feared: a creature whose eyes alone could end a life, and whose birth was taken as an omen of darkness in the land.

Sources

A Book of Creatures. (n.d.). Skoffín. Retrieved March 1, 2026, from https://abookofcreatures.com/2015/11/06/skoffin/.

Aguara

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Tradition / Region: Guarani Mythology, Bolivian Mythology
Alternate Names: Aguara-tunpa
Category: Fox

The Myth

Among the Ava Guaraní and Chané peoples there is a fox spirit known as Aguara, often called Aguara-tunpa, the Sacred Fox.

Aguara moves freely between the worlds of animals, spirits, and humans. Clever and restless, he is known for his tricks, sometimes helpful and sometimes harmful. He deceives people, steals what he wants, and often appears in human form, fathering children with women before slipping away again.

Yet his cunning is not always selfish. In some stories, Aguara brings useful things into the world. He is said to have stolen algarroba seeds from the viscacha and given them to humanity so they could grow and eat them. In another tale he captured Vulture and demanded rubber as ransom, and from this act rubber came into human hands.

Aguara’s rival is Tatu-tunpa, the sacred armadillo. The two clash repeatedly in story after story, their contests filled with tricks, ambushes, and revenge. In the end, Aguara is said to overcome his rival, killing him and proving once again that cunning can defeat strength.

People also say Aguara left his mark in the sky. The constellation of Scorpius is linked to him, and the bend of the scorpion’s tail is remembered as the curve of his farming enclosure, set among the stars.

Thus Aguara is remembered as a fox of many faces — trickster, bringer of gifts, rival of spirits, and wanderer between earth and sky.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Aguara. In Wikipedia. Retrieved March 1, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aguara.

Garmina Witches

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Tradition / Region: Swiss Mythology
Alternate Names: Witches of Oute Garmina
Category: Sheep

The Myth

On the mountain path that runs from Vättis to Untervatz, across the Owaggis and Salatz Alps, there was once said to be a lonely place called Oute Garmina. There, long ago, three witches lived together.

A young hunter from Vättis often roamed the Calanda mountains and passed that way on his hunts. Several times he encountered the sisters, yet they could not harm him. He was said to wear “clean shoes,” and because of this, their magic failed against him.

Unable to touch him directly, the witches tried another trick. They transformed themselves into chamois and appeared on the slopes, hoping to lure him into danger. One day, as he crossed the Alp Gwaggis, he saw three chamois grazing peacefully on a grassy ledge. Thinking them ordinary game, he raised his gun and fired. Yet every shot missed.

Suddenly the animals sprang toward him. Sensing danger, he threw himself flat to the ground, and the attack failed. Later, an old man from Vatz told him the truth: the chamois were not beasts, but the witches of Garmina. He instructed the hunter how to defeat them.

The hunter followed his advice. He mixed Trinity-blessed salt into his powder and loaded a consecrated silver bullet. The next time he saw the chamois, he fired again. This time his aim did not fail. One of the animals was struck and fell from the rocks, tumbling down the cliff.

The hunter went at once to Garmina. There he found that he had indeed slain one of the witches, killed by a shot through the head.

And so the story remained among the mountain people, who remembered that on the high paths of Garmina, even grazing animals might hide something far more dangerous.

Sources

SAGEN.at. (n.d.). Die Garmina-Hexen. Retrieved March 1, 2026, from https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/st_gallen/garmina_hexen.html.

Hafukohotsu Fox

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternate Names: Hafukohotsu Fox of Hirofuchi Mikura
Category: Fox

The Myth

In Hirofuchi Village, where the Date clan once kept its rice storehouses, many old foxes and raccoon dogs were said to live nearby, often frightening the villagers.

One night, a man assigned to guard the storehouse sat alone by the hearth, smoking. Suddenly his father appeared at the door, visiting at an unusual hour with no clear reason. The guard watched him closely and noticed something strange. His father was blind in one eye — the left — yet now that eye was shut while the other was open. Realizing this could not be right, he understood that the visitor must be a fox in disguise.

Hiding his suspicion, he spoke cheerfully.
“I have some rice cakes the villagers gave me. Would you like some?”

The false father smiled and accepted. The guard continued, pretending to think aloud about how his father preferred to eat them. The disguised fox hesitated, unsure of the answer, then finally replied,
“I… like hafukohotsu…”

The guard knew at once the creature had failed to say the name of the kinako rice cakes his real father loved. Still pretending nothing was wrong, he served the fox the bean-flour mochi and let him eat.

Later, as the guard prepared to sleep, he told the visitor there was no spare bedding and asked whether he could sleep wrapped in an empty rice sack. A real father would have taken offense, but the fox eagerly agreed. Seeing his chance, the guard wrapped the sack around him and tied it tightly with rope.

The fox complained mildly but soon fell asleep.

When dawn came and sunlight reached the storehouse, the creature realized it had been trapped. It struggled desperately, but the ropes held fast, and at last its tail slipped from the sack, revealing its true form — a large, old fox.

The story spread quickly through Hirofuchi and beyond. People laughed at the foolish fox who could not pronounce the name of rice cakes and had allowed himself to be tied up so easily. From then on, it was remembered as the Hafukohotsu Fox of Hirofuchi, a tale passed down to remind people that even clever fox spirits can sometimes be outwitted by careful eyes and quick thinking.

Sources

Tyz-Yokai Blog. (n.d.). Hafukohotsu Fox. Retrieved March 1, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1077543077.html.

Harugitsune

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternate Names: Oharu-gitsune, Oharu the Fox
Category: Fox, shapeshifter, Household dweller

The Myth

In the port town of Akasaki, there once lived a fox spirit called Harugitsune, known affectionately as Oharu. She made her home in the forest behind Lord Ikeda’s rice storehouse, where a great pine tree stood on a steep cliff. At its roots was a hollow, and there Oharu lived with her children.

To care for them, she often slipped into town disguised as a human maid. She covered her ears with a handkerchief and folded the hem of her kimono to hide her tail. In this form she entered busy homes, helping with chores and quietly taking food back to the forest.

Oharu was mischievous but gentle. While serving tea, she would sometimes scoop ashes from the brazier and drop them into a teacup, smiling to herself. Before long, the townspeople realized she was a fox, yet they did not drive her away. Instead they welcomed her kindly.

Whenever someone teased her by saying, “I saw it, Oharu-san,” she would only laugh softly, “Huff, huff,” even when her tail slipped into view. The people would continue to invite her in, pour tea for her, and watch her playful tricks with fond amusement.

After her work was done, they gave her food to carry home, and she would return to her den in high spirits, smiling as she went back to her waiting children.

It was also said that Oharu kept a lamp burning in her den. She bought oil for it from a local shop at night, paying with coins that turned into camellia leaves by morning. The shopkeeper knew he had been fooled, yet he sold to her willingly, charmed by her gentle nature.

In time, people tied a pole and basket to the great pine tree above her den to use it as a marker for sailors watching the weather. As more people came and went, a path formed through the forest, and eventually the foxes vanished from the hollow at the tree’s base.

Afterward, a shrine to Inari was built on the spot. And though the forest changed, people remembered that once a kindly fox named Oharu had lived there, moving between town and wilderness, laughing softly as she cared for her young.

Sources

Tyz-Yokai Blog. (n.d.). Harugitsune. Retrieved March 1, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1075303216.html.

Hakumō Hachibi Kitsune

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternate Names: White-Haired Eight-Tailed Fox
Category: Fox

The Myth

In a village east of Incheon, strange events troubled the people for several years. Young men returning from nearby villages often spoke of meeting a beautiful woman on the mountain path at dusk. She appeared suddenly, graceful and calm, yet before anyone could question her, she vanished just as mysteriously. Each time she was seen, chickens from the village also disappeared.

One evening, a man working in a field encountered such a woman. She appeared beside him without warning and spoke gently, saying that traveling alone at night was lonely and asking him to accompany her to a distant village. Glad for company, he agreed and walked beside her.

But before long he collapsed and lost consciousness.

When he awoke, others told him what they had seen. He had wandered toward a hole by the roadside, thrusting his head inside while struggling as though something unseen held him. When the villagers examined the hole, they found it filled with countless bones of chickens and other birds. The tunnel stretched deep into the earth, so far that no one could see its end.

People came to believe that the mysterious woman and the vanishing livestock were connected. The hole was said to be the dwelling of a fox spirit, and the woman herself its human form.

Soon afterward, a witness claimed to have seen the creature directly — a fox with a reddish body and eight tails, each tail shining white as snow. Word spread quickly, and the tale of the White-Haired Eight-Tailed Fox traveled far beyond the village. Some even spoke of organizing a hunt to capture the strange fox alive.

Thus the spirit of the mountain path was remembered as a fox of great age and power, appearing as a beautiful woman by twilight and returning to the earth by night, leaving only bones and rumors behind.

Sources

Tyz-Yokai Blog. (n.d.). Hakumō Hachibi Kitsune. Retrieved March 1, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1040562430.html.

Akaeri

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternate Names: Aka-eri
Category: Fox

The Myth

Near Sendasuka Nishi on Chiejima Island there once lay a deep and gloomy body of water known as Dongan Pond. Willow trees leaned over its banks, bamboo thickets surrounded it, and the surface of the water shone a murky blue-black. People already whispered that kappa and raccoon dogs haunted the place.

Around the Taishō period, another rumor spread.

A strange being called Akaeri was said to live in the bushes near the pond. Those who claimed to see it described a creature about the size of a ten-year-old child, with a red body and the features of a fox. Yet what made it most unsettling was not its shape, but its posture.

Akaeri did not skulk or creep like an animal. It sat at the edge of the thicket facing the pond, legs crossed and back straight, like a person quietly resting. From a distance it looked almost human, but the red body and fox-like face betrayed its true nature.

The sight of it was so eerie that schoolchildren walking from Nishichiejima to the elementary school avoided the pond entirely, choosing longer routes rather than pass near the bushes. Workers traveling nearby also spoke of it. One plasterer returning each day would say that a strange red creature sat there again, unmoving, watching the water.

Whether it was spirit, fox, or something else, the figure remained part of the pond’s reputation. And long after the stories faded, people still remembered Dongan Pond as a place where something red once sat silently at the water’s edge, waiting in the reeds.

Sources

Tyz-Yokai Blog. (n.d.). Akaeri. Retrieved March 1, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1013136220.html.

Zhu Nuo

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Tradition / Region: Chinese mythology
Alternate Names: Guan Guan, Crested Beast
Category: Fox

The Myth

In the mountains described in ancient records, there was said to live a strange creature known as the Crested Ibis Beast.

It was shaped like a fox, but its body was not entirely of the land. From its sides grew wings like those of a fish, strange and otherworldly, as though it belonged partly to the waters as well as the mountains. The creature dwelled in barren places where few trees grew, among blue waters and rocky slopes where great snakes also lived.

When it cried out, it spoke its own name. The sound carried far across the mountains, and people believed that when this call was heard, unrest and fear would soon spread through the land. Its appearance was taken as an omen, a sign that something troubling was about to happen.

Thus the fox-winged beast of the mountains was remembered as a herald of disturbance — a creature neither wholly of sky nor earth, whose voice alone could unsettle a country.

Gallery

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). 朱獳. In Wikipedia. Retrieved March 1, 2026, from https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9C%B1%E7%8D%B3.

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