Dokkaebi are legendary creatures from Korean mythology and folklore.
Overview[]
Dokkaebi, also known as "Korean goblins", are nature deities or spirits possessing extraordinary powers and abilities that are used to interact with humans, at times playing tricks on them and at times helping them. Legends describe different dokkaebi in many forms, and dokkaebi often wear hanbok.
One of the most persistent stories is how they enjoy ssireum, a type of wrestling and that certain weaknesses must be exploited to beat them at it. Supposedly they can bring good harvests or hunts but are also thought to bring diseases, depending on the region.
Different versions of the 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 travelers to a ssireum (Korean wrestling) match for the right to pass. Dokkaebi are extremely skilled at wrestling and cannot be beaten unless their right side is exploited. In other tales, dokkaebi only have one leg, so one should hook their leg and push them to win.
Description[]
Dokkaebi are different from ghosts, called gwisin in Korean, in that they are not formed by the death of a human being, but rather by the spiritual possession of an inanimate object such as old discarded household tools like brooms, or objects stained with human blood.
The physical appearance of the dokkaebi is presented in many different ways and has varied by different time periods, but they have always been depicted as fearsome and awe-inspiring. The most common depiction of them is based on ancient roof tiles with dokkaebi patterns. Dokkaebi fire is a glimmering light or tall blue flames that herald the appearance of dokkaebi.
Dokkaebi possess magical items, such as the dokkaebi hat called the dokkaebi gamtu, which grants the wearer the ability of invisibility, and the dokkaebi magic club called the dokkaebi bangmangi, which can summon things and act functionally as a magic wand. Dokkaebi likes Buckwheat jelly, Sorghum and red bean rice cake, mashed Sorghum and the drinks. So in dokkaebi gosa, there are food which Dokkaebi likes.