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by John Cawley "Even more elaborate in detail and richness of lore than the lion-, tiger-, and hyaena transformations, are those of the werefox..." - Human Animals (1915) by Frank Hamel W hereas the werewolf is known throughout the world, the werefox is basically an Eastern belief. However, unlike the common were-tale which tells of some cursed person or witch turning into a creature, a werefox (in legend) is exactly the opposite: the fox turns into a human!

A Chinese were-fox, a creature said to inhabit the borderline between the earth and the underworld, and noted for its great sexuality and amorousness. A nineteenth-century painting. [Illustration and caption from 'The Werewolf Delusion' (1979) by Ian Woodward]

[Original headline: 'Vietnam's "Fox-Women" Lure GIs to Death] Several 'true' accounts of werefoxes were reported in 'Beyond' from the late 1960s.

The most popular human shape is the female variety: the fox will take the form of a beautiful woman to entice a human male. It is said that no human female is as seductive as the werefox. It's believed that foxes live to be 800 years old. Once they hit 500 they can begin taking human form. (50 years and 1000 years are also popular ages for the fox to begin transformations.) Stories abound of men who find a woman on the side of the road, or near a cemetery, or in a small shack in the country. These men will often marry the woman onto to discover later that she is a werefox. In a few stories even when the truth is discovered, the husband will remain faithful and offer to let the fox wife return as she pleases. There are several tests for werefoxes. The most recognized is the test of dogs. A dog cannot be fooled by the shape of the fox. Another sign is the odor of the fox. Even in the form of a human, the musky fox scent is present. Some stories also talk of enticing werefoxes with their favorite food (certain types of fruit and/or leaves). The fox will be unable to resist the treat and will eat ravenously, sometimes converting back to fox form in the process.

The actual transformation of a fox into a woman is somewhat charming. The fox will roam a grassy field, pick up a skull (usually human) and then race toward the North Star. It begins to worship and recite various passages. As it worships the fox becomes agitated and jumps higher and higher into the air. If it is successful in 100 jumps, it may transform into a human. Though the majority of werefox stories come from the Orient before 1700 A.D., their craft and stories have slowly come to light around the world in both fact and fiction. In most cases, they retained their oriental background. A very small sampling of key werefox tales includes "Lady Into Fox" by David Garnett, A. Merrit's "The Fox Woman", Steven Bauer's "Satyrday", and Andre Norton's "The White Jade Fox". The legendary werefox is a definite creature of grace of mystery. Though many of the non-Oriental and modern versions lack the feel and texture of the original fables, these stories keep the creature in the eye (and mind) of the public. Which may or may not please the werefox. Originally published in the ConFurence 6 book, January 1995. HTML by Adam Moss.

Excerpt from an original comic by Brett Koth for Rowr-Brazzle. Illustration from the 1940 edition of 'Lady Into Fox' showing the (formerly) human wife in her fox form. Illustration from 'Sidney' (1975), a book that tells of a chick that disguises itself as a fox, only to become a real fox.