“Kuma Lisa is a fox character from Bulgarian and Russian folklore, who usually plays the role of the trickster archetype. Many Bulgarian folktales as well as authored works use the character of Kuma Lisa. In many tales, Kuma Lisa is encountered with another character known as Kumcho Vulcho – a wolf who is opposite to her and very often suffers from her tricks.”
(Source: Trickster Folklore. (n.d.). Trickster Folklore. [online] Available at: https://tricksterfolklore.tumblr.com/post/91392034769/kumaliza-kuma-lisa-is-a-fox-character-from [Accessed 9 Nov. 2020]. )
Brief English Summary of “Лисана-преструвана” (eng: the Faker-Fox) by Joardan Stubel:
Kuma Lisa (sometimes translated as Godmother Fox) tricks a Hedgehog into helping her by pretending to be sick and weak. The Hedgehog, taking pity on her, leads her to the Rabbit, claiming that he can help her feel better with his friendship. Kuma Lisa then proceeds to attack and eat the Rabbit, as she was actually faking her illness to find him.
(Source: Стубел, Йордан, 1879-1952. Ĭordan Stubel and Ilii︠a︡ Beshkov (1975). Листило клонче : стихотворения, поемки, весели истории / Listilo klonche : stikhotvorenii︠a︡, poemki, veseli istorii. Изд-Во “Български Писател”, Sofii︠a︡: Izd-Vo “Bŭlgarski Pisatel.)
How Will This Help Me?
As Kuma Lisa is known as a trickster character, as well as being a fox, she further enables me to explore the idea of foxes being related to envy, as I have established a clear theme of envy being two-faced and mischievous.
Moreover, the fact that she is a lady fox nicely links to the Japanese Kitsunes, who were mostly said to be women, as well. This is an interesting discovery, as it seems to create an image of Envy where the Sin is, undoubtedly, a woman.