Japanese Ghosts Week 7b Outline

I.Review of Discussion Section

A. Review: Four interrelated forms (in basic chronological order of development)

      1. Fox as messenger of Inari (Deity of Rice Harvest) or Fukutenjin (Heavenly Deity of Good Fortune)

      a. Why are foxes related to Inari harvest deity?

      b. What do they love to eat?

    2. Fox possession (illness and hysterical) (10th c. onwards)

      a. symptoms?

      b. one possible goal of fox possession?

      3. Foxes taking the shape of human beings and other things (12th c. onwards)

      4. Fox ownership (12 c. but prejudice kicks in 17-19th c.)

B. Analyze stories according to these four forms (above)

      1. What form does the fox take? What can the fox do?

      2. According to this story, how should you deal with a fox? Does this contradict other stories? Which ones and why?

      3. What seems to be the moral of the story?Again, does this contradict other stories? Which ones and why?

      4. What function do these foxes appear to have in medieval society? What cultural anxieties might they be addressing/embodying?

      Examples:

      "The White Fox: Four Dreams" [#209, p. 304]

      "The Rice Ball" [#124, p. 177]

      "The Foxes Ball" [#206, p. 299]

      "Yam Soup" [#83, p. 118]

      "The Eviction" [#84, p. 122]

      "Enough is Enough" [#80. p. 114]

      "Fox Arson" [#205, p. 298]

      "Not Really a Tree at All" [#208, p. 303]

II. Foxy Women

A. Women as foxes take two main forms:

1.
2.

B. Questions for analysis of medieval stories (#81, 82, 207, 125)

1. How do foxes affect men and women differently?
2. What happens to men?
3. What happens to women (in #125, the Empress)?

C. Analysis

1. "The Loving Fox" (#81)

2. "Touched in the Head" (#82)

3. "Singed Fur" (#207)

4. "A Memorable Empress" (#125)

D. Summary:

1. Gender difference

2. Comparison of female Serpents and female Foxes

E. The Legend of Tamamo no Mae

1.Set up of story: Kuzunoha (Kudzu Leaf), married to Abe no Yasuna; mother of Abe no Seimei, the onmyoji yin-yang master

a. Animal spouse theme, like "Loving Fox"


2. Tamamo no Mae, the nine-tailed fox, exorcised by Abe no Yasunari  (sometimes Abe no Seimei, but dates are wrong)


D. Gender politics of female foxes

        1. Retired Emperor Toba, Emperor Sutoku, 1156 Rebellion, Fujiwara no Tokuko

II. Tsurigitsune (The Fox and The Trapper)

A. Comparison with other Kyôgen plays: what is funny here?

B. How is this play similar to a Noh play?

C. What is the attitude toward Buddhism conveyed by story and characters?

    1. The fox

    2. The trapper

    3. Who are we supposed to empathize with?

D. How does this fox compare to other foxes we've seen?