Realms of Fantasy and Myth: Week 7 - Tanuki

Realms of Fantasy and Myth: Week 7 - Tanuki

Welcome to the seventh issue of a new weekly news article!  I hope you enjoy it, and please, show the featured artists some love and recognition through pageviews, 's and 's!
If you like this article, please show support by clicking the heart icon on the left to add it to your favorites.  Thanks!


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This week's creature feature is:  Tanuki.


From Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanuki :

Tanuki is the Japanese word for the Japanese raccoon dog. They have been part of Japanese folklore since ancient times. The legendary tanuki is reputed to be mischievous and jolly, a master of disguise and shapeshifting, but somewhat gullible and absent-minded.
Statues of tanuki can be found outside many Japanese temples and restaurants, especially noodle shops. These statues often wear big, cone-shaped hats and carry bottles of sake in one hand, and a promissory note or empty purse in the other hand. Tanuki statues always have large bellies.


Some "facts" about Tanuki:

• Though often mistaken for a raccoon or badger, a tanuki is actually a type of dog.
• Tanuki are found in several video games, most notably in Super Mario Bros. 3 (the "tanooki" suit) and Animal Crossing, where Tom Nook and his family are tanuki.
• Sadly, real tanuki - raccoon dogs - are often killed for their fur, sometimes in cruel and inhumane ways. For more info on the sales of tanuki fur, click here www.hsus.org/furfree/news/pres…
• Nov. 8th is the Tanuki holiday because (also from Wikipedia) "the tanuki has eight special traits that bring good fortune. The eight traits are: (1) a bamboo hat that protects against trouble, (2) big eyes to perceive the environment and help make good decisions, (3) a sake bottle that represents virtue, (4) a big tail that provides steadiness and strength until success is achieved, (5) over-sized testicles that symbolize financial luck, (6) a promissory note that represents trust, (7) a big belly that symbolizes bold decisiveness, and (8) a friendly smile."
• Tanuki love sake, a rice wine, and will stoop to mischief to get it. They will trade I.O.U. notes for it (which are never honored), or will sometimes use their shape-shifting powers to temporarily change leaves into paper money to buy it.

Now, for the features!  Works are featured from various categories, in no particular order:




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Thank you so much for viewing, and come back next week for a different inhabitant of the Realms of Fantasy and Myth!


~Arah


Previous Issues:
Week 1 - news.deviantart.com/article/78…
Week 2 - news.deviantart.com/article/79…
Week 3 - news.deviantart.com/article/79…
Week 4 - news.deviantart.com/article/80…
Week 5 - news.deviantart.com/article/81…
Week 6 - news.deviantart.com/article/82…