I recently returned from a trip to Japan where I had visited the Fushimi Inari Shrine where I had discovered the messenger of Inari, Kitsune. Kitsune can possess a human, normally a woman, through under the nails or breasts. This got my attention and I've been looking into it more in order to tie it into a new piece that I've already been working on. So, here is some information on Kitsunetsuki (a.k.a. the possession by a fox spirit).
This illustration is by Laura Laine and is called "Kitsune Noir"
“Strange is the madness of those into whom demon foxes enter. Sometimes they run naked shouting through the streets. Sometimes they lie down and froth at the mouth, and yelp as a fox yelps. And on some part of the body of the possessed a moving lump appears under the skin, which seems to have a life of its own. Prick it with a needle, and it glides instantly to another place. By no grasp can it be so tightly compressed by a strong hand that it will not slip from under the fingers.” - Lafcadio Hearn
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