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Kitsunebi (狐火) is a kaika told about in legends all across Japan outside Okinawa Prefecture.〔村上健司編著 『妖怪事典』 毎日新聞社、2000年、134頁。ISBN 978-4-620-31428-0。〕 They are also called "hitobosu," "hitomoshi (火点し),"〔(とやま民俗 通巻10号 礪波地方怪怪譚（一） ) （(怪異・妖怪伝承データベース ) 内） 2008年2月10日閲覧〕 and "rinka (燐火)."〔(伝承文学研究 通巻52号 歌、遊び、秘伝 ) （同上） 2008年2月10日閲覧〕〔(Yahoo!辞書 )〕 ==Overview== In the middle of night when people have fallen asleep,〔多田克己 『幻想世界の住人たち IV 日本編』〈Truth in fantasy〉 新紀元社、1990年、233頁。ISBN 978-4-915146-44-2。〕 a fire like in a paper lantern would flicker〔(民族 4巻3号 爐辺見聞 ) （(怪異・妖怪伝承データベース ) 内） 2008年2月10日閲覧〕 and appear from between ten to several hundred in a line.〔草野巧 『幻想動物事典』 新紀元社、1997年、102頁。ISBN 978-4-88317-283-2。〕 The line's length spans across up to one ri (about 500-600m), and depending on their number, when one thinks that they have increased, they would suddenly disappear then multiply once again.〔 Generally the color of the fire is red or orange,〔 but there have been several examples of witnesses that have seen blue flames.〔(あしなか 通巻49号 伯耆大山を眺めつつ歩く ) （同上） 2008年2月10日閲覧〕 As its name implies, it has a close relation to kitsune (foxes). There are many theories stating that the glow is caused by the sighs or long breaths of a fox,〔〔水木しげる 『妖鬼化 5 東北・九州編』 Softgarage、2004年、100頁。ISBN 978-4-86133-027-8。〕 that it is caused by a fox knocking together its tails and causing a fire,〔 or that it is the glow from a ball that the fox possesses called the kitsunebi-dama (kitsunebi ball).〔〔(日本随筆大成第2期 24巻 諸国里人談 ) （同上） 2008年2月10日閲覧〕 According to the assorted books ''Shokoku Rijindan'' from the Kanpō era, in the beginning of the Genroku era when a fisherman catches a kitsunebi with a net, the kitsunebi-dama would also be caught by the net. Since it would not shine at all at noon but shine brightly at night, it was highly valued for its illumination.〔 It is said to appear in the hillsides where there are no roads and other places where there is no presence of humans. When it senses the presence of a human, it disappears.〔 On the other hand, there are also legends where it is said to follow a human anywhere.〔(常民 27号 石川県鳳至郡門前町 調査報告書 ) （同上） 2008年2月10日閲覧〕 It is often said that foxes trick humans; the kitsunebi would light up places where there are no roads and make the humans lose their way.〔(伝承文学研究 通巻52号 狐火 ) （同上） 2008年2月10日閲覧〕 In those times, it was said to be possible to disperse it by kicking it up with one's feet.〔(伊那 51巻1号通巻896号 火の玉と狐火 ) （同上） 2008年2月10日閲覧〕 Although, there was a story in Nagano, where a certain lord and vassal was looking for a place to build a castle. A white fox lit up the path at night and guided the way for them to reach a suitable place for a castle.〔(伊那 32巻1号/通巻668号 飯田の伝説 飯田の烏 ) （同上） 2008年2月10日閲覧〕 Just as how Masaoka Shiki composed haiku about winter and kitsunebi, they usually appear during the winter, but there have also been examples where they appear in the hot season of summer or in autumn.〔(日本民俗 2巻12号 狐火 ) （同上） 2008年2月10日閲覧〕 In the Dewa Province in Yamagata Prefecture and in Akita Prefecture, kitsunebi are called "kitsune taimatsu (狐松明, lit. "fox torch")." As its name implies, it is said to be a torchlight to prove lighting for a fox's marriage,〔 and is said to be a good omen.〔『妖怪事典』 133頁。〕 In Bizen, Okayama Prefecture, and the Tottori Prefecture, these kaika are called "chūko (宙狐)."〔『妖怪事典』 219頁。〕 Different from the average kitsunebi, they float at relatively low altitudes, and thus in Toyohara village, Oku District of Okayama, it is said that an old fox shapeshifted into a chūko.〔 Similarly, on Ryūgūjima, Tamatsu village, Oku District, the kaika that appear at night with signs of coming rain that are about as big as paper lanterns are called chūko. Sometimes they would fall to the earth and illuminate the surroundings, and then finally disappear without a trace.〔 Enryō Inoue, a yōkai researcher from the Meiji period, applied the characters 中狐 to it, indicating the ones that fly high as "tenko" (天狐), and the ones that fly low as chūko.〔水木しげる 『妖鬼化 4 中国・四国編』 Softgarage、2004年、41頁。ISBN 978-4-86133-016-2。〕 There is a theory that kitsunebi is another name for onibi,〔 but usually they are treated separately from onibi. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「kitsunebi」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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