Lady Tamamo by Yoshu Chikanobu (1838–1912)
Lady Tamamo, the Transformed Nine-Tailed Fox
Long ago, there was a courtesan named Tamamo no Mae, or Lady Tamamo, who was unrivaled in both beauty and intelligence. When asked about any topic, whether it be the arts, philosophy, or science, she had an answer both wise and convincing. Lady Tamamo smelled heavenly, and her robes were always pristine. She captivated the hearts of many, including Emperor Toba, who made her his lady-in-waiting. Shortly after, Emperor Toba manifested a mysterious illness. The court’s best priests could not diagnose the cause, and an onmyoji , or astrologer was brought in. After much praying, the astrologer found the shocking truth. The culprit was Lady Tamamo, who was actually a nine-tailed fox demon in disguise and had bewitched the emperor in order to take his seat in power. The astrologer devised a plan to cure the emperor by having Lady Tamamo initiate a holy ceremony to dispel evil spirits in front of the court. At first, Lady Tamamo resisted, but the emperor’s ministers demanded that her role was key to curing the emperor. The day of the ceremony arrived, and Lady Tamamo appeared in her most stunning robes yet. She recited the holy words and waved the ceremonial staff. Poof! Lady
Tamamo disappeared, and the court was in an uproar. The astrologer’s words were true. Soon after, women and children disappeared mysteriously near Nasuno in Shimonotsuke province. The astrologer determined that Lady Tamamo was the cause, and the emperor summoned the strongest warriors of the land to find and slay her once and for all. A total of 80,000 men stormed into Nasuno and chased the nine-tailed fox for days on end. Each time, Lady Tamamo used her magical abilities to outsmart the warriors and escape. Weary and frustrated, the warriors nearly gave up. That night, Lady Tamamo came to the chief warrior in a dream, begging him to spare her life, for he was to kill her the next day. He wavered at her helplessness and beauty but resisted. The next day, the nine-tailed fox revealed itself again, and the chief warrior shot her down with two arrows to the flank and neck. Another warrior delivered a final blow with his blade. Lady Tamamo was slain, but her spirit continued to haunt the lands, causing the deaths of subsequent emperors and a succession crisis leading to war and the fall of the Heian court.
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