Foxes in popular culture, films and literature
Cultural connotations
In many cultures, the fox appears in folklore as a symbol of cunning and trickery, or as a familiar animal possessed of magic powers.
In Chinese mythology , huli jing (狐狸精 húlijīng, fox spirits) lure men away from their wives. The Chinese word for fox spirit is synonymous with the mistress in an extramarital affair.
In Japanese folklore, the fox-like kitsune is a powerful animal spirit (Yōkai) known for its highly mischievous and cunning nature.
The words "fox" or "foxy" have become slang in Western societies for an individual (most often female) with sex appeal. The word "vixen", which is normally the common name for a female fox, is also used to describe an attractive woman, although, in the case of humans, it tends to imply that the woman in question has a few nasty qualities.
The fox theme is often associated with transformation not only in Chinnese, but European literature too. There are three main types of fox's stories: description of life of more or less realistic animals, stories about antropomorphic foxes and tales of fox transformations into humans and vice versa.
Foxes are among the most popular animals in furry-based communities, and there are many people who use an anthropomorphic fox as their alter egos on the Internet or other communities. This popularity is due to many factors, including the popularity of such characters as Miles "Tails" Prower and Fox McCloud, the previously mentioned legends of the Japanese kitsune and fox spirits, and the also previously mentioned connotations to sexual appeal. Humanoid foxes have a tendency to be sex symbols, and this is especially true for vixens.
Literature (in chronological order)
- IV BC, Aesop's fables from classical times date ; a fox features in, for example, the parable of the sour grapes.
- X AD, The medieval story of Reynard, classic antropomorphic epic.
- 1679, Pu Songling, Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, about human and fox spirits encounters.
- 1880-1905, Joel Chandler Harris Uncle Remus, Oral stories later written down include Brer Fox from the American South.
- 1905?, Ernest Thompson Seton, Domino, realistic biography of the silver fox, there are feature film based on.
- 1909, L. Frank Baum, in The Road to Oz - fox King Dox of Foxville changes boy's head into fox's.
- 1920, Rudolf Těsnohlídek's Liška Bystrouška (Vixen Sharpears),
- 1922, David Garnett's Lady into fox is about transformation into animal, first physical then mental.
- 1943, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince, a fox indicates the true value of values such as friendship.
- 1960, Verkors Sylva, inspired by Garnett where a fox changes into the lady.
- 1965, Robert Crumb Fritz the Cat coimcs, Winston Schwartz, two animated films
- 1965, István Fekete Vuk, about life of abandoned fox and his revenge to the hunter, animated.
- 1967, Daniel Pratt Mannix IV novel The Fox and the Hound stars a fox named Tod as one of the two protagonists.
- 1986-, Brian Jacques Redwall series, foxes: Fortunata, Sela, Chickenhound, Urgan Nagru, Silvamord and Rasconza; also animated
- 1989, Garry Kilworth in the Hunter's moon life and tragedies fo fox family, describes fox's own myphology.
- 1989, William Wharton (author) Franky Furbo, magical fox rescues Americal soldier and then he journeys in search for proof of that unusual story.
- 1994, Gillian Rubinstein Foxspell, where fox's god propose young boy to become fox in favor to proper burial of dead fox's body.
- 1998, Elizabeth Hand Last summer at Mars hills, Indian boy has magical amulet which allows him change into fox.
- 2001,2003 - Mordicai Gerstein Fox eyes and Old Country, where anyone can swithc body with fox if he looks into their eyes long enough.
- 2002, Browne, N. M. Hunted, girl in coma wakes up in a fox's body in fantasy world.
- 2005, Pelevin, The Sacred Book of Werewolf, kitsune A-huli searches a path to nirvana for were-creatures.
Young Children books
- 1908,1912, Beatrix Potter included foxes in her anthropomorphic children's tales -- pursuer in The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck and the title character in The Tale of Mr. Tod.
- 1913, Thornton W. Burgess's The Green Forest - Reddy Fox
- 1970x, Richard Scarry, series of books, Fixit Fox, a mechanic; also animated
- 1970, Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox - Mr. and Mrs. Fox
- 1982, William Steig's children's book Dr. Desoto about a mouse dentist. - Unnamed patient
- 1990, Judith Mellecker, The Fox and the Kingfisher - picture tale about brother and sister who tried to run away from stepmother and changed themself into fox and bird.
- 1998 Michel_Gagné's, A search for meaning - The story of Rex; continues in comics magazine Flight_(comic)
- 2006, Ali Sparkes Finding the Fox About X-man' world boy whos ability is to change into a fox.
- 19??, Irina Korshunow, The foundling fox - picture book about fox wich lost his parents and adopted by another mother.
- 1963?, Miyoko Matsutani, ? The bread with color of the fox's tail - story about friendship between a girl and a boy-werefox.
Books with loose fox motives
- 1919, Johnston McCulley, Zorro, stories about avenger-in-mask, which alias is a "fox" in Espanol.
- 1992-1998, Roger Zelazny's Amber series of novels include a tricky red-haired character named Rinaldo (alias Luke Reynard) who is suggestive of the fox archetype. A recent addition is the character of Phillipe Rohan in the series of the same name.
Movies
Animated Movies and series
- 1937, Ladislas Starevich's puppet-animated feature film, Le Roman de Renard (The Tale of the Fox)
- 1940, Disney's Pinocchio, J. Worthington Foulfellow (also known as Honest John)
- 1946, Disney's Song of the South, Brer Fox
- 1972, Ralph Bakshi's 1972 film - Winston Schwartz, the on-and-off again girlfriend of Fritz
- 1973, Disney's Robin Hood, Robin Hood and Maid Marian
- 1973, Zuiyo Eizo episodes Fables of the Green Forest based on a book The Green Forest.
- 1981, Disney's The Fox and the Hound, Tod; there are 2006 midquel The Fox and the Hound 2
- 1982, Attila Dargay's Vuk, a young fox is one of the most famous Hungarian cartoon characters.
- 1983, 1997 - Encore Enterprises animated series Chucklewood Critters, fox Rusty
- 1985, a French animated series, Moi Renart [1]
- 1987, Sunbow Productions series and comics Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light, Ectar of the Spectral Knights possessed the totem of the Fox.
- 1989, Nelvana Redwall_(TV_series) series, based on book.
- 1991, Don Bluth's Rock-a-doodle based on Chanticleer by Edmond Rostand, a tale about a rooster; one of antagonists of the story is a fat fox Pinky
- 1993-1996, The Animals of Farthing Wood; TV series and movie, Fox and his mate Vixen
- 1993,1996,2007 - Flemming Quist Møller's Dutch animated movies and series Jack from the Jungle - Rita, urban fox
- 1993, Tezuka's Akuemon, anime based on Japanese folk tale about fox-wife
- 1997, Tezuka's In the Beginning: The Bible Stories - Vixy, narrator (except her, all other Bible stories are exact right)
- 1999-2003, Nickelodeon's Dora the Explorer - Swiper the Fox, mischievous fox
- 2005 a Thierry Schiel CGI film Le Roman de Renart (Renard the fox)
- 2006, Lee Seong-gang Korean animated movie Yobi the Five-Tailed Fox - Yobi, young kitsune-girl
Cult Anime
Most of anime series are based on manga and made into video games and collectable card games too.
- Sonic the Hedgehog series - Miles "Tails" Prower, two-tailed fox
- Naruto - Kyuubi no Youko, the nine-tailed demon fox, the most powerful Bijuu which possesses Naruto
- Digimon - Kyubimon and Renamon
- Yu Yu Hakusho - Kurama
- InuYasha - Shippo, a small fox demon
- Pokémon - Vulpix and Ninetales; Eevee and i't evolutions.
- Hyper Police - Sakura, eight and half-tailed kitsune.
- Slayers - Zilas, henchmen of Valgave
Feature Movies
- 1960, Akira Kurosawa's Dreams – a boy goes to the forest to see where the foxes have their weddings
- Basil Brush, British television personality
- Fuse the Fusion Radio fox
- D.C. Bones, D.C. Fusky and Gemma and Damien Mildury, from The Space Gypsy Adventures Hospital Radio series.
- Captain Mimi LaFloo from the TV Series Bucky O'Hare
- Vik and family in the movie The Little Fox (1987), based on a best selling book.
- In the film Rush Hour 2, Zhang Ziyi played the character Huli, which means Fox in Chinese.
- Mr. Fox, voiced by Rupert Everett, in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. A fox also appears during a Christmas feast in the novel, and is turned to stone by the White Witch.
- 1973, Tag, in the 1973 Film "The Belstone Fox" (AKA "Free Spirit")
Video Games, Card Games, Comics
- Fox McCloud, James McCloud, and Krystal from the Star Fox series of Nintendo video games.
- Keaton of the Legend of Zelda video games.
- Inspector Carmelita Fox, a police officer in the Sly Cooper series of video games.
- Riff and his girlfriend in the computer game "Inherit the Earth"
- The James Bond parody Spy Fox, star of a computer game series.
- Crazy Redd, the Black Market salesman from the Animal Crossing games.
- In Trickster Online, Fox is the female sense type character.
- In the trading card game Magic: The Gathering, Eight-and-a-Half-Tails is a legendary fox monk of great power and purity. {The name of this creature may be an attempt to avoid a copyright violation against Nintendo and Game Freak, as there is already a Pokémon named Ninetales.)
- In the video game series, Metal Gear Solid, the special forces group is known as "Fox-Hound". It has a logo of either a fox carrying a knife in its mouth, or a cartoon fox with a grenade in one hand, and a machine pistol in the other. Fox is also the highest level codename an operative can receive, designating the highest level of skill.
- Ninetails, a major boss character from the game Okami. Its source of power is the Fox Rods, which contain nine Tube Foxes, one for each tail. During battle with Ninetails, the tails turn into women and must be defeated individually.
Other
- The fox in ballet performances of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
- 1916, ballet by the Igor Stravinsky Renard
- Ozy and Millie, foxes starring in a webcomic of the same name
- Black Tapestries, webcomics about assassin who changed into were-gray fox.