The Fantastic Fox, and Why I Love It.

Hello again, audience! Time for a less depressing, less obligated post, and a more fun, witty, topical post about something I happen to love. The fox. :D

For those of you who have been lurking around my blog for more than the last few weeks, you know that it used to be called "Shells From The Peanut Gallery". I chose that title because it described what I figured my blog posts would be, just a place for me to toss around the ideas and opinions floating around in my head. I decided to change it a few weeks ago because I like to revolve around the idea of the fox and what it has come to stand for in several cultures around the world. So! This blog will be dedicated to talking about foxes and what many cultures think of them.

That's right. A blog all about these guys.

The fox, or 'vulpes vulpes', is an omnivore who both hunts and eats plants. They are adapted toward making quick kills, both physiologically and instinctively. They aren't usually pack animals, but live in small family groups that hunt as individuals. Foxes have developed in various species and many locations all around the world.

Now, the general consensus about foxes is that they represent trickery and cunning. Some cultures portray them as evil, others as just mischievous, and a few that are reverent of them with an almost worshipful attitude. Through the Middle Ages and Renaissance, foxes were burned in effigy, as they were tied to Satan due to their tendency to be wily and generally untruthful. Chinese, Japanese, and Korean tales turn the fox into a spirit who becomes a woman in order to seduce men. They lean toward the mischievous angle over the morally higher cunning angle, giving a slightly dubious temperament to the fox.

Finnish mythology places the fox as cunning and tricky, seen as superior to the brutish bear and vicious wolf due to its use of intelligence rather than force or sheer malevolence. The ancient Moche people of Peru were known to worship animals, and featured foxes in their art alongside many others. Greatly in contrast to the Asian take, they viewed the fox as a mental warrior, who would use its mind to fight rather than a weapon. Western culture has come up with 'foxy', which is used to describe an attractive woman who may or may not be mischievous. We have much less history and deep-rooted culture, so the best we could come up with is a highly shallow term related to the animal

Though, if there was any animal that could make a flattering term for a woman...

 My very favorite of the cultural references to the fox is the possible origin of the word 'shenanigan'. It is believed to have come from the Irish phrase "sionnachiughim," meaning "I play the fox," which may or may not be loosely pronounced as shenanigan. I personally like the word shenanigan a lot, so its relation to the fox is quite amusing and it makes me happy.

Now that you have had a full helping of knowledge, let me explain why I love foxes and how that pertains to their reputation as an animal and a cultural symbol. First off, have you ever looked at a fox? They are freaking gorgeous animals to say the very least, although some species look kind of odd.

We're all looking at you, Tibetan Fox.

 Foxes stand as the symbol of wit and cunning in most cultures around the world, and I admire that. Society today undervalues intelligence in popular culture, as some of the most idiotic and absurd people become popular and famous. Jersey Shore is evidence of that. Did you know that 'Snooki' has 'authored' *coughghostwritercough* more than one book? It hurts me too, audience. Actual intelligence is on the downslope, and it looks like Idiocracy might be more than just a fun look at a possible future.

Next to that is the warrior who uses intelligence rather than force, which goes along with a lot of Eastern philosophy, as in Sun Tzu's Art of War. He emphasizes that the greatest warrior is the one who never has to engage the enemy, or, barring that, the one who dispatches his enemy through cunning and skill. Foxes excel at using their smarts and making the quick kill, making them a great model of that perfect warrior. It's actually a bit strange that the Chinese weren't the ones to call the fox a mental warrior.

I'm always a fan of wit and good humor, and foxes tend to have a good helping of both anywhere they show up in pop culture. Honest John from Disney's Pinocchio is one of my favorites, though the ultimate fox in my mind is the one and only Mr. Fox. Roald Dahl's interpretation of the wild and cunning fox has always and will always be my favorite, and this love affair is made even better by the film rendition of the child's book. If you haven't read the book or seen the movie, I highly recommend both.

Seriously. Stop reading this blog right now and go watch it.

So, after all is said and done, the fox is a beautiful creature, and a symbol of the power of intelligence, cunning, and wit over force or strength, not to forget the mischief and shenanigans often attributed to them. As such, I like to think of my blog as a place to house, encourage, and cultivate intelligence and wit, a figurative fox den for the modern mind. Not to mention, I just love the freaking things, and I'd be one if I could. Three year expected lifespan thrown to the side, life as a fox would certainly be an interesting experience.

That will be all for now, audience. Go with the example of the fox in mind. And, do me a favor. Give me some feedback on the blog. You have been suspiciously silent since my first real post, and I'd like to hear from you. Tell me what you like, what you don't like, what you want to see more of, and maybe some tips on how I could keep you awake through a whole post. I'd even like to hear some ideas of things you'd like to hear my take on in future blogs. So throw me an email at cm.ludeman@gmail.com. Thanks a bunch, audience.

Seriously. I'm all ears, audience.