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Sneaky little tricksters
Foxes are sly, cunning, greedy, manipulative little tricksters, or so the stories tell us.
For centuries, fairy-tales and legends all over the world have painted the fox as a master of deception. And with great success: plenty of people still believe foxes are dangerous, mean, or downright evil creatures.
Sly as a Fox
In the Netherlands, we grow up with Reynard the Fox, the conniving red villain of European folklore.
In Slavic tales we meet Kuma Lisa, another trickster goddess in fur.
Indian fables introduce the Blue Fox, who falls into a vat of dye and pretends to be divine.
Japan gives us the magical kitsune, an enchantress who can shape-shift and beguile.
And Chinese literature brings the huli jing, a seductive fox spirit who sows discord and drains men of their strength.
Worldwide, the fox rarely gets a favorable role. It has become the archetype of seduction, deceit, and slyness.
So is it any wonder that many people still view foxes negatively?
“But who still believes in fairy tales?” you might ask.
More than you’d think. These stories have seeped so deep into our collective memory that the fox’s bad reputation is used – even today – as a convenient excuse to hunt them. If a creature is “evil”, then harming it suddenly feels justified.
The Quest for the True Nature of Foxes
Ever since I can remember, foxes have fascinated me, ironically, because of these same stories. That beautiful creature with the orange coat and those big, wise eyes… I didn’t see malice in that gaze. I saw softness. Curiosity. Maybe even kindness.
Could it really be as bad as the stories claimed?
There was only one way to find out: I had to meet them myself.
Wild foxes used to be elusive, and it took years before I encountered my first one. When it finally happened – once I recovered from pure awe – I noticed how small foxes actually are. Barely bigger than a sturdy cat!
And the second thing? No aggression. None at all. Foxes are gentle, affectionate, social beings. Sure, they squabble sometimes, but most of the time they’re busy cuddling. Mothers, siblings, uncles, aunts, grandmothers; any excuse for shared affection will do.
Towards humans, they are not hostile but cautiously curious.
Foxes might be the friendliest wild animals I know.
Nothing like the villains from the old tales.
High time to rewrite that fairy-tale!
Tabula Rasa
As many people know, I have a weakness for foxes in snow.
There’s something magical about a world wrapped entirely in white, only to be interrupted by a tiny orange spark. A fox glowing like a flame on ice.
That is my fairy-tale.
But for me, it’s more than a clean, minimalist picture.
Snow removes noise.
Snow purifies.
Snow erases nonsense.
Winter becomes my ally, wiping away the prejudice, clearing the page.
On this white canvas, I can show the fox as I know it: gentle, warm, intelligent, extraordinary.
Nature hands me a blank page, and all I need to do is place a single stroke of orange upon it. Not painting foxes as villains, but as the beautiful beings they truly are.
With my camera as a spotlight, I lift them out of their dark, grim folklore and let them rise, like a phoenix from the snow, into a new light.
Foxes are the heroes of my story. And on this fresh white page, I rewrite their tale, showing them as they really are: magical creatures coloring our world and making it just a little more magical.
