Weasel (badger) - Weasel

Japanese: ムジナ(狢∥貉) - ムジナ

Another name for the raccoon dog of the Canidae family or the badger of the Mustelidae family. According to Shozaburo Watase, in Tokyo and west, the zoological raccoon dog is correctly called "tanuki", but this is a relatively new word, and in the past, raccoon dogs were called "muji" or "mujina", and badgers were called "mami" or "sasaguma". However, this is not entirely certain, and there are some regions where both raccoon dogs and badgers are called "mujina". [Imaizumi Tadaaki]
[Folklore]
Like tanuki, mujina are said to trick humans and also to intimidate people by taking the form of a Ōnyūdō or other monster.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

イヌ科のタヌキあるいはイタチ科のアナグマの異名。渡瀬庄三郎によれば，東京以西では動物学上のタヌキを正しく〈タヌキ〉と呼ぶが，これは比較的新しいことばであり，古くはタヌキを指してムジあるいはムジナと呼び，アナグマをマミあるいはササグマと呼んだという。しかし，これは必ずしも確かではなく，タヌキとアナグマの双方をムジナと呼ぶ地方もある。【今泉忠明】
［民俗］
　ムジナはタヌキと同じく人間を化かす，また大入道その他の怪物の姿で人をおどすともいう。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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