Dokkaebi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Dokkaebi | |
|---|---|
 A dokkaebi caused by abandoned broom |
|
| Korean name | |
| Hangul: |
도깨비
|
| Hanja: |
n/a
|
| Revised Romanization: | dokkaebi |
| McCune-Reischauer: | tokaebi |
Dokkaebi(도깨비) is a common word to call a type of spirits in korean forklores or fairy tales.
The Dokkaebi is a mythical being that appears in many old Korean forktales. Although usually frightening, it could also represent a humorous sprite or goblin with grotesque looks. Although these creatures loved mischief and playing mean tricks on bad people, they also rewarded good people with wealth and blessings. The most common objects that are said to become a Dokkaebi are usually useful every-day implements that have been abandoned by their owners or left in perpetual disuse and include such wide-ranging objects like brooms, fire-pokers, pestles, flails, and sometimes even trees smeared with maiden's blood. Different versions of the Korean Dokkaebi mythology assign different attributes to them. In some cases they are considered harmless but nevertheless mischievous, usually playing pranks on people or challenging wayward travellers for a Si-rum (Korean wrestling) match for the right of passage.
They are different from ghosts (귀신) in that they are not formed by death of a human being, but rather by the transformation of an inanimate object.
[edit] Characteristics
Most dokkaebis are told to carry a kind of club, or mallet called dokkaebi bangmang'i(도깨비 방망이). They are like magic wands, and you can summon anything you want - but the truth is when you get something by using it, you get things by "stealing" from someone else, because this bangmang'i only can summon things, and it doesn't create a thing from nothing.
Dokkaebis love to play games, especially Ssireum as mentioned above. They are extremely good at it and you will never be able to win them by trying to push them down to the left. but they are very weak to the right. In other stories you should hook their leg and push them to win, as they have only one leg.
Dokkaebi can have an artifact,a cap which is called Dokkaebi Gamtu(도깨비 감투). Its most well known ability is that they give the wearer invisibility.
They are roughly an alogous to the oni of Japanese folklore, but Korean Dokkaebi is neither harmful nor formidable.
