小泉八雲 落合貞三郎訳 「知られぬ日本の面影」 第十五章 狐 （八）

　　　　　　　八

　是等並に幾多他の理由によつて、狐持ちと信ぜらるゝ人々は忌避される。世人は狐持ちの家族との婚嫁を勿論行はない。で、出雲に於て幾多の美しく、且つ技藝の嗜みある娘も、一般から彼女の家庭が狐を宿してゐると信ぜられるために、夫を得ることが出來ない。概して出雲の娘は自國以外へ嫁に行くことを好まぬ。しかし狐持ちの娘は、他の狐持ちの家へ嫁に行くか遠い國に夫を見出さねばならぬ。資産のある狐持ちは、このいづれかの方法によつて娘を片付けるのに甚だしい困難を感じないが、貧乏な狐持ちの立派な娘は、迷信のために止むを得ず未婚でゐなくてはならぬこととなる。それは彼女を愛し、彼女と結婚を欲するものが、皆無だといふのではない――學校を出でてゐるから、狐などを信じない靑年もある。が、それは富豪でない以上、田舍ではまだ一般的迷信を無視しても、大丈夫安全といふ譯に行かないからである。かゝる反抗の結果は、啻に夫ばかりでなく、一家一族によつて負擔されねぱならぬこととなる。それはなかなか考へねばならぬ結果なのだ。

　狐持ちと信ぜられる人の中には、その迷信を利用することを知つてゐる人もある。概して田舍の人は狐持ちの感情を害することを恐れてゐる。狐持ちがその人目に見えぬ家來を遣はして、彼に憑かせる惧れがあるのだ。それで或る狐持ちは、その地方に對して非常な勢力を有つ。例へば米子の町に繁昌してゐる一人の町人がある。彼の意志は法律であり、彼の意見は決しで逆はれない。彼は實際土地の支配者であり、して、またまさに富豪とならんとしてゐる。これは全く彼が狐持ちと思はれてゐるからだ。

　力士の階級は、狐に憑かれないと誇つてゐて、狐持ちも、狐をも恐れない。非常に力の強い人々は、すべてかゝる妖怪の力に對して安全だと信ぜられ、狐が彼等を恐れると云はれてゐる。人に憑いた狐が『私は貴下の兄に入らうと思つたが、あまりに力が強くて叶はなかつたから貴下の一族の中の人に復讐しようと思つて、貴下に入つたのです』と云ふ例が、幾つもある。

［やぶちゃん注：「啻に」「ただに」と読む。限定の副詞。］

Sec. 8

For all these reasons, and, doubtless many more, people believed to have foxes are shunned. Intermarriage with a fox-possessing family is out of the question; and many a beautiful and accomplished girl in Izumo cannot secure a husband because of the popular belief that her family harbours foxes. As a rule, Izumo girls do not like to marry out of their own province; but the daughters of a kitsune-mochi must either marry into the family of another kitsune-mochi, or find a husband far away from the Province of the Gods. Rich fox-possessing families have not overmuch difficulty in disposing of their daughters by one of the means above indicated; but many a fine sweet girl of the poorer kitsune-mochi is condemned by superstition to remain unwedded. It is not because there are none to love her and desirous of marrying her—young men who have passed through public schools and who do not believe in foxes. It is because popular superstition cannot be yet safely defied in country districts except by the wealthy. The consequences of such defiance would have to be borne, not merely by the husband, but by his whole family, and by all other families related thereunto. Which are consequences to be thought about!

Among men believed to have foxes there are some who know how to turn the superstition to good account. The country-folk, as a general rule, are afraid of giving offence to a kitsune-mochi, lest he should send some of his invisible servants to take possession of them. Accordingly, certain kitsune-mochi have obtained great ascendancy over the communities in which they live. In the town of Yonago, for example, there is a certain prosperous chonin whose will is almost law, and whose opinions are never opposed. He is practically the ruler of the place, and in a fair way of becoming a very wealthy man. All because he is thought to have foxes.

Wrestlers, as a class, boast of their immunity from fox-possession, and care neither for kitsune-mochi nor for their spectral friends. Very strong men are believed to be proof against all such goblinry. Foxes are said to be afraid of them, and instances are cited of a possessing fox declaring: 'I wished to enter into your brother, but he was too strong for me; so I have entered into you, as I am resolved to be revenged upon some one of your family.'