Kumiho
Encyclopedia
The gumiho (literally "nine tailed fox
") is a creature that appears in the oral tales and legend
s of Korea
,, and are akin to European fairies. According to those tales, a fox that lives a thousand years turns into a gumiho, like its Japan
ese and Chinese
counterparts (the kitsune
and the huli jing). It can freely transform
, among other things, into a beautiful girl often set out to seduce men, and eat their liver
. There are numerous tales in which the gumiho appears. Several of those can be found in the encyclopedic Compendium of Korean Oral Literature (한국 구비문학 대계).
Legends tell that while the Kumihoo is capable of changing its appearance, there is still something persistently fox-like about it; its countenance changes, but its nature does not. In Transformation of the Kimono (구미호의 변신), a kumiho transforms into an identical likeness of a bride
at a wedding. Not even the bride's mother can tell the difference. The kumiho is only discovered when her clothes are removed. Bakh Mun-su and the kumiho (박문수와 구미호) records an encounter that Pak Munsu has with a girl, living alone in the woods, that has a fox-like appearance. In The Maiden who Discovered a Kimono through a Chinese Poem (한시로 구미호를 알아낸 처녀) the kumiho was ultimately revealed when a hunting dog
caught the scent of the fox and attacked.
Although it is typically depicted as a woman when it transforms into a human being, the kumiho in the tale of The Maiden who Discovered a Kimono through a Chinese Poem (한시로 구미호를 알아낸 처녀) turns into a young man that attempts to trick the maiden in marrying him. However, this is the only case in which it transforms into a man.
Although they are considered as having the ability to morph into other forms, the true identity
of a Kumiho was said to be zealously guarded by the Kumihos themselves. There are also legends in which these transformations are said to be involuntary.
As the mythology of the Gumiho evolved, it was later believed that a Gumiho had to consume human hearts in order to survive. In later literature they are often depicted as a blood-thirsty half-fox, half-human creature that wandered cemeteries at night, digging human hearts out from graves.
Like all other monsters, the Gumiho was thought to grow wise with age and with enough training, eventually learn to morph itself into various forms, including humans. Thus, they are often depicted as beautiful young maidens that trick unsuspecting men and later consume their hearts.
Another version was that the Gumiho must eat livers. This was because the liver contained the energy of a human, meaning that it processes the food and gives energy, therefore making it the container of the life force of a human. The fairy tale The Fox Sister
depicts a fox spirit preying on a family for livers.
Another version of the mythology, however, holds that with enough will a Gumiho could further ascend from its Yokwe state and become fully, permanently human and lose its evil character. Explanations of how this could be achieved vary, but they sometimes include aspects such as refraining from killing or tasting meat for a thousand days, or obtaining a cintamani
and making sure that the Yeoiju saw the full moon
at least every month during the ordeal. Unlike Yeoiju wielding dragon
s, Gumiho were not thought to be capable of omnipotence or creation at will since they were lesser creatures.
The idea of a beast becoming fully human is in fact quite heavily embedded in Korean mythology, such as the case in which a bear becomes a woman through a harsh ordeal in the Dangun
mythology.
. It is about a gumiho who escaped from the painting of Grandma Samshin (三神) after 500 years, it was made possible because of it asking a man to draw nine tails on the painting. It was revealed that 500 years before, she went down to the earth, she was said to be the prettiest woman bewitching all men around her. Wanting to be a human, she Grandma Samshin said that if she found a husband, she could stay as a human permanently. She failed at finding for a husband because of rumors saying she eats human liver. The rumor was spread by the women of the village, who didn't want to lose their sons and husbands to the Gumiho. When the man who freed her fell from a cliff, the gumiho saved him by giving her fox-bead (여우 구슬). Since her bead is with him, she is to stay with him so she won't lose her aura. Near around the series a hunter who is half human comes to find her and kill her to bring her back. He falls in love with her because he had once killed her and sent her into the painting (which she does not remember). In the end, he tries to help her become ordinary.
The drama shows that the gumiho is afraid of large bodies of water whenever her bead is not with her. A gumiho can run faster than cars, can jump high as the tallest trees, can fly, never feel pain (only if the fox-bead is with her), eats a LOT of meat (especially beef), white in color, its eyes turn blue making them scary and showcases its nine-tails whenever the moon is present.
In the same year KBS also created a series based on the gumiho entitled Grudge: The Revolt of Gumiho.
2006 The Fox Family
a musical comedy that takes place in a circus
2007 Yobi, the Five Tailed Fox
animated film
Nine Tailed Fox
Forbidden Love is a popular and innovative KBS drama series produced in 2004, starring Kim Tae Hee and Jun Jin from Shinhwa. The story is about a rare fox race whose appearance is that of humans...
") is a creature that appears in the oral tales and legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
s of Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
,, and are akin to European fairies. According to those tales, a fox that lives a thousand years turns into a gumiho, like its Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese and Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
counterparts (the kitsune
Kitsune
is the Japanese word for fox. Foxes are a common subject of Japanese folklore; in English, kitsune refers to them in this context. Stories depict them as intelligent beings and as possessing magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. Foremost among these is the ability to assume...
and the huli jing). It can freely transform
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
, among other things, into a beautiful girl often set out to seduce men, and eat their liver
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
. There are numerous tales in which the gumiho appears. Several of those can be found in the encyclopedic Compendium of Korean Oral Literature (한국 구비문학 대계).
Transformation
Bride
A bride is a woman about to be married or newlywed.The word may come from the Proto-Germanic verb root *brū-, meaning 'to cook, brew, or make a broth' which was the role of the daughter-in-law in primitive families...
at a wedding. Not even the bride's mother can tell the difference. The kumiho is only discovered when her clothes are removed. Bakh Mun-su and the kumiho (박문수와 구미호) records an encounter that Pak Munsu has with a girl, living alone in the woods, that has a fox-like appearance. In The Maiden who Discovered a Kimono through a Chinese Poem (한시로 구미호를 알아낸 처녀) the kumiho was ultimately revealed when a hunting dog
Hunting dog
A hunting dog refers to any dog who assists humans in hunting. There are several types of hunting dogs developed for various tasks. The major categories of hunting dogs include hounds, terriers, dachshunds, cur type dogs, and gun dogs...
caught the scent of the fox and attacked.
Although it is typically depicted as a woman when it transforms into a human being, the kumiho in the tale of The Maiden who Discovered a Kimono through a Chinese Poem (한시로 구미호를 알아낸 처녀) turns into a young man that attempts to trick the maiden in marrying him. However, this is the only case in which it transforms into a man.
Although they are considered as having the ability to morph into other forms, the true identity
Secret identity
A secret identity is an element of fiction wherein a character develops a separate persona , while keeping their true identity hidden. The character also may wear a disguise...
of a Kumiho was said to be zealously guarded by the Kumihos themselves. There are also legends in which these transformations are said to be involuntary.
History
It is unclear at which point in time Koreans began viewing the Kumiho as a purely evil creature, since many of the ancient texts mention benevolent Gumihos assisting humans. In fact, many older texts make more frequent mentions of wicked humans tricking kind but naïve Gumihos.As the mythology of the Gumiho evolved, it was later believed that a Gumiho had to consume human hearts in order to survive. In later literature they are often depicted as a blood-thirsty half-fox, half-human creature that wandered cemeteries at night, digging human hearts out from graves.
Like all other monsters, the Gumiho was thought to grow wise with age and with enough training, eventually learn to morph itself into various forms, including humans. Thus, they are often depicted as beautiful young maidens that trick unsuspecting men and later consume their hearts.
Another version was that the Gumiho must eat livers. This was because the liver contained the energy of a human, meaning that it processes the food and gives energy, therefore making it the container of the life force of a human. The fairy tale The Fox Sister
The Fox Sister
-Synopsis:A man had three sons and no daughter. He prayed for a daughter, even if she was a fox. His wife gave birth to a daughter, but when the girl was six, one of their cows died every night. He set his oldest son to watch. The boy watched, and told him that his sister did it, by pulling the...
depicts a fox spirit preying on a family for livers.
Another version of the mythology, however, holds that with enough will a Gumiho could further ascend from its Yokwe state and become fully, permanently human and lose its evil character. Explanations of how this could be achieved vary, but they sometimes include aspects such as refraining from killing or tasting meat for a thousand days, or obtaining a cintamani
Cintamani
Cintamani also spelled as Chintamani is a wish-fulfilling jewel within both Hindu and Buddhist traditions, equivalent to the philosopher's stone in Western alchemy....
and making sure that the Yeoiju saw the full moon
Full moon
Full moon lunar phase that occurs when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. More precisely, a full moon occurs when the geocentric apparent longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180 degrees; the Moon is then in opposition with the Sun.Lunar eclipses can only occur at...
at least every month during the ordeal. Unlike Yeoiju wielding dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
s, Gumiho were not thought to be capable of omnipotence or creation at will since they were lesser creatures.
The idea of a beast becoming fully human is in fact quite heavily embedded in Korean mythology, such as the case in which a bear becomes a woman through a harsh ordeal in the Dangun
Dangun
Dangun Wanggeom was the legendary founder of Gojoseon, the first Korean kingdom, around present-day Liaoning, Manchuria, and the Korean Peninsula. He is said to be the "grandson of heaven", and to have founded the kingdom in 2333 BC...
mythology.
Trivia
A Gumiho (구미호) is one of the creatures in the category of Monster(요괴) and therefore usually not included among the seven Ghost(귀신) or God (신) categories.TV adaptation
In 2010, SBS broadcast a romantic comedy drama, My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed FoxMy Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox
My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox is a South Korean romantic comedy series. Broadcast by SBS from 2010-Aug-11 to 2010-Sep-30. It stars Lee Seung Gi and Shin Min Ah....
. It is about a gumiho who escaped from the painting of Grandma Samshin (三神) after 500 years, it was made possible because of it asking a man to draw nine tails on the painting. It was revealed that 500 years before, she went down to the earth, she was said to be the prettiest woman bewitching all men around her. Wanting to be a human, she Grandma Samshin said that if she found a husband, she could stay as a human permanently. She failed at finding for a husband because of rumors saying she eats human liver. The rumor was spread by the women of the village, who didn't want to lose their sons and husbands to the Gumiho. When the man who freed her fell from a cliff, the gumiho saved him by giving her fox-bead (여우 구슬). Since her bead is with him, she is to stay with him so she won't lose her aura. Near around the series a hunter who is half human comes to find her and kill her to bring her back. He falls in love with her because he had once killed her and sent her into the painting (which she does not remember). In the end, he tries to help her become ordinary.
The drama shows that the gumiho is afraid of large bodies of water whenever her bead is not with her. A gumiho can run faster than cars, can jump high as the tallest trees, can fly, never feel pain (only if the fox-bead is with her), eats a LOT of meat (especially beef), white in color, its eyes turn blue making them scary and showcases its nine-tails whenever the moon is present.
In the same year KBS also created a series based on the gumiho entitled Grudge: The Revolt of Gumiho.
Movie Adaptations
1994 The Fox with Nine TailsThe Fox with Nine Tails
The Fox with Nine Tails is a 1994 South Korean film, and was the feature debut of director Park Heon-su. It was also the film debut of lead actors Ko So-young and Jung Woo-sung, who would later star together in Beat and Love ....
2006 The Fox Family
The Fox Family
The Fox Family is a 2006 South Korean film. Made on a budget of ₩3.5 billion , the film is a musical comedy about the kumiho of Korean mythology.- Plot :...
a musical comedy that takes place in a circus
2007 Yobi, the Five Tailed Fox
Yobi, the Five Tailed Fox
Yobi, the Five Tailed Fox is a 2007 animated Korean film by Lee Seong-gang, the director of My Beautiful Girl, Mari. The film loosely draws upon the Korean folk tales of the kumiho.- Plot :...
animated film
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- History of KoreaHistory of KoreaThe Korean Peninsula was inhabited from the Lower Paleolithic about 400,000-500,000 years ago. Archeological evidence indicates that the presence of modern humans in northeast Asia dates to 39,000 years ago. The earliest known Korean pottery dates to around 8000 BC, and the Neolithic period began...
- Culture of KoreaCulture of KoreaThe current political separation of North and South Korea has resulted in divergence in modern Korean cultures; nevertheless, the traditional culture of Korea is historically shared by both states.-Dance:...
- KitsuneKitsuneis the Japanese word for fox. Foxes are a common subject of Japanese folklore; in English, kitsune refers to them in this context. Stories depict them as intelligent beings and as possessing magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. Foremost among these is the ability to assume...
, a Japanese fox spirit - Huli jing a Chinese fox spirit