foxfire; will-o'-the-wisp
In Japanese folklore, a mysterious pale light seen at night in fields and mountains, traditionally attributed to foxes. Equivalent to Western will-o'-the-wisp or ignis fatuus.
I heard a story about someone seeing foxfire on a mountain path at night.
Foxfire was thought by people long ago to be the work of foxes.
Standard kanji spelling for the folkloric phenomenon.
Search-only kanji form; not a standard written variant.
Compound of 狐 (kitsune, 'fox') and 火 (hi, 'fire'), with rendaku voicing. The exact historical origin of the folk belief is uncertain.