Tamamo

Tamamo refers primarily to Tamamo-no-Mae, a figure in Japanese folklore. Described as a beautiful court lady at the imperial court, she is often revealed to be a shape-shifting nine-tailed fox demon rather than a human. In popular legend, her presence is associated with illness and misfortune within the royal household. An onmyoji, sometimes named Abe no Seimei in later retellings, is said to unveil her true form and kill her, ending the calamities and restoring the emperor's health.

In modern usage, Tamamo is a feminine given name in Japan and appears in various works of fiction. The mythic figure has been adapted widely in manga, anime, and video games, where characters may bear the name or display fox-like traits. A prominent contemporary example is the Fate/ series, where Tamamo-no-Mae appears as a servant character (Caster) inspired by the legendary fox spirit. The name is commonly transliterated as Tamamo or Tamamo-no-Mae.

Beyond individual characters, Tamamo has become a cultural shorthand for kitsune imagery and ethereal feminine beauty in Japanese fiction. The motif is used to evoke mystery, magic, and the folkloric legacy of fox spirits, rather than to recount a single historical biography.