izuna; pipe fox; fox spirit kept in a bamboo tube
A fox-like spirit used in folk magic, often associated with divination and curses. Also known as 管狐 (くだぎつね).
See also: 管狐
The izuna is said to be a fox spirit kept inside a bamboo tube.
keeper of an izuna
Abbreviation of 飯綱使い (いづなつかい), a person who controls or keeps an izuna spirit. Rare standalone use.
See also: 飯綱使い
昔の修験者は飯綱を使って占いをしたという。
It is said that ancient mountain ascetics used izuna for divination.
飯綱 is sometimes used as an abbreviation for 飯綱使い, a keeper of an izuna.
keeper of an izuna (fox-like spirit)
The name is associated with 飯縄山, a center of the cult of 飯縄権現 and of traditions involving supernatural fox familiars. The forms いづな and いずな developed as names for the pipe fox and its keeper.