Cironnup (Also called Chironnup or Chironnupu in Japan) in the Ainu tongue translates to "those whom we kill many of." It can be used to describe foxes in general, but also refers to a type of Kamuy. It was revered and present in the culture of the Ainu people, the native people of the island of Hokkaido in the Japanese archipelago.
The Kamuy are divine spirits, supernatural entities or gods of the Ainu culture. This title can be attributed to many creatures and objects, and come from the idea that everyone and everything can have a soul. There are Kamuy for diseases, earthquakes, fauna, flora, and more. They can be good, bad, are many in numbers, they have families and lives, their own personalities and interests, just like humans. There are not only naturally-occurring Kamuy, but also the ones that arise from man-made objects, like spears or boats.[1]
Cironnup-Kamuy is a fox deity in this context. Foxes by themselves were called upon many names in the Ainu culture including Cironnup, but it could also be Kemakosnekur which means ''light footed god'' according to the Foundation for Ainu Culture.[2] Cironnup was applied both as the sacred name and as the regular name for foxes among the Ainu.
Cironnup appear in many tales and are generally known to be a Kamuy that listens to people's requests, brings food, and can protect against illness and foreign enemies. They can appear in premonitory dreams to warn about calamities. However, there are some instances of Cironnup doing mischief and evil deeds, such as possessing people or transforming into others as disguises.[2][3]
The premonitory nature of the Cironnup can also be seen at some regions, where people frequently used fox skulls as divination tools. They could also be used as guardians in boats that sailed for fishing.[2]
Design
Cironnup's design in the Shin Megami Tensei series is of a creature with a small, pale humanoid body with no visible features. It holds a bow in its left hand and an arrow in its right. Its head is a fox-like mask, with a wooden texture and unmoving, expressionless face. It has large, pupilless brown eyes. Its tongue permanently hangs out the front of its maw. In recent games, Cironnup will dance and do little tricks when attacking or idle, demonstrating its cheerful personality.[4]
Cironnup has a released beta design which went unused in the final game. This design depicts the demon as a regular fox wearing traditional Ainu clothing.
According to Masayuki Doi, the designer for Cironnup, the idea of the design for this demon came as he believed Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse needed a mascot-like character. Doi wanted something having the 'Megaten Cuteness', and so he compiled key words of the Cironnup myth, concluding with a youthful spirit wearing a wooden fox mask.[5]
Japanese