A collection of information on mythological beings from around the world, gathered from various sources. Contains more types of creatures than individuals, and focuses more on animals than humans.
The nine-tailed fox is a creature in East Asian folklore, originating from China.
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山海经, Shanhai jing, Classic of Mountains and Seas;
"又東三百里，曰青丘之山，其陽多玉，其陰多青䨼。有獸焉，其狀如狐而九尾，其音如嬰兒，能食人，食者不蠱。"
—山海經 Shanhaijing, Chinese Text Project
"Three hundred leagues east is a mountain called Mount Greenmound. There is plenty of jade on its south face, and a great deal of the finest dark cinnabar on its north face. There is an animal on this mountain that looks like a fox, but it has nine tails. It makes a noise like a baby. It can devour humans. Whoever eats it will not be affected by malign forces."
—Birrell, Anne. The Classic of Mountains and Seas. Penguin Books, 1999.
"NINE-TAIL FOX (JIUWEIHU) 九尾狐 Three hundred li farther east is Green-Hills Mountain, where much jade can be found on its south slope and green cinnabar on its north. There is a beast here whose form resembles a fox with nine tails. It makes a sound like a baby and is a man-eater. Whoever eats it will be protected against insect-poison (gu)."
—Strassberg, Richard E. A Chinese Bestiary: Strange Creatures from the Guideways Through Mountains and Seas. University of California Press, 2002.