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Korean folklore is well established, going back several thousand years. The folklore's basis derives from a variety of belief systems, including Shamanism, Confucianism, Buddhism and more recently Christianity.[1] Mythical creatures often abound in the tales, including the Korean conception of goblins.
Types of Folklore's
[edit]There are many types of folklore in Korean culture, including Imuldam (이물담), focused on supernatural beings such as monsters, goblins and ghosts. The most common of which are the Dokkaebi (도깨비), meaning goblin. However, this term differs from the European concept of 'goblin' in that they do not possess an evil or demonic characteristic. Instead, they are creatures with powers that seek to both bring delight to people and misery. These beings engage either in friendly or annoying behavior with humans. Their interactions with humans represent the belief in the supernatural and their interactions with humanity. The presence of these beings is meant to represent both difficulties and pleasures in life.[2]
Women in Korean Folklore
[edit]In Korean folklore, there are a few legends that touch of the idea of feminism and the role of women in these tales.
Legend of Arang (Chosen Era):
In the Legend of Arang, Arang is portrayed as very vulnerable. She is helpless, weak and innocent and needs to be rescued by a hero to avoid falling into the trap of her maid, who is tempting her. However, Arang's maid is seen as very beautiful but also a very evil temptress. From these two characters, it can be seen that women in the Chosen Era are seen secondary to men as they are always in need of rescue or too weak to fight for themselves. The Korean women were considered not marriageable if they were found of these traits. [3]
Legend of Dangun: In the legend of Dangun, the bear who followed the orders of Hwanung was transformed into a beautiful woman, who eventually became the mother of Dangun. Through this tale, the reader can see that women are perceived as very patient and motherly figures.[4]
Kumiho:
Kumiho is a nine-tailed fox that appears in various Korean folktales. When this fox transforms itself into a human, it becomes a woman. One prominent trait of this fox is its trickster personality which is often used to trick men. This reflects a perception of women as being deceptive.[5]
Contemporary Revival
[edit]A revival on internet sites occurred recently, providing inspiration for artists and illustrators.
Recent achievements in keeping Korean folklore alive include the 150-part animated TV series, "Animentary Korean Folklore", telling old tales with a traditional 2-D Korean styled animation.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Korean Folklore – Goblins and Other Beings". Sageuk: Korean Historical Dramas. 2016-12-16. Retrieved 2018-10-12.
- ^ bibimgirl (16 December 2016). "Korean Folklore – Goblins and Other Beings". Sageuk: Korean Historical Dramas.
- ^ "조선중기 유교윤리와 제도에서 본 여성의 지위". mahan.wonkwang.ac.kr.
- ^ "Tangun - Korean mythology". Encyclopedia Britannica.
- ^ 국립민속박물관. "Three-Legged Dog". Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Culture.
External links
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