What Is A Gumiho and Why Are Koreans Afraid of It?
Did You Know That A Gumiho (Nine-Tailed Fox) Is Considered As A Scary Monster That Eats A Person’s Body Parts?
In the ongoing fantasy drama of tvN titled 'Tale of the Nine Tailed,' it features a mythical creature known as a Gumiho. This drama stars actor Lee Dong Wook alongside Jo Bo Ah and Kim Bum. The urban fantasy series centers its story on a gumiho who settles into the city and a producer who is trying to hunt him down.
If you're currently hooked into this series, then you might find this article interesting, and since we're celebrating Halloween, we will feature in this article the real story of the nine-tailed fox known as a Gumiho. Let's find out where it came from and how people, particularly Koreans, perceive this creature.
Did You Know That A Gumiho (Nine-Tailed Fox) Is Considered As A Scary Monster That Eats A Person’s Body Parts?
A gumiho or "nine-tailed fox" is a famous creature that usually appears in the tales and legends of Korea. It's a common folktale originating from Korea, China, and Japan. According to legends, this creature is a fox that lives a thousand years that can convert their appearance into another form. They would most of the time transform into a beautiful woman who goes out and seduce men than feast on their liver or heart (depending on the legend).
There are actually numerous tales in which the gumiho appears, for example the Korean fairy-tale "The Fox Sister," it tells the story of a couple who have two sons and really wanted a daughter. The couple kept on praying hard for a daughter and wished to be blessed with one even if she were a fox. Until one day they were indeed blessed with one. However, as the saying goes, 'be careful what you wish for' since the only daughter in this family turns out to be murderous fox spirit who had devoured the rest of the family so as to become a human for real.
Did You Know That A Gumiho (Nine-Tailed Fox) Is Considered As A Scary Monster That Eats A Person’s Body Parts?
However, in the modern era, you are more likely to find nine-tailed fox characters as more of a tamed representation of them circulating in K-dramas such as "My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho," "Grudge: The Revolt of Gumiho," "Gu Family Book" and also the most current one "Tale of The Nine Tailed." The original folklore lends a touch of their mystical powers to these drama using the concepts like shape-shifting and the fox's desire for mortality.
Did You Know That A Gumiho (Nine-Tailed Fox) Is Considered As A Scary Monster That Eats A Person’s Body Parts?
And not to mention, while most nine-tailed foxes are portrayed as women, some series added a twist to their story and interprets their fox spirits as males like in the 2013 series "Gu Family Book" which was starred by Lee Seung-gi and Bae Suzy and now the current drama "Tale Of The Nine Tailed" where the Gumiho character is portrayed by actor Lee Dong Wook and Kim Bum.
Did You Know That A Gumiho (Nine-Tailed Fox) Is Considered As A Scary Monster That Eats A Person’s Body Parts?
This creature was also used as a theme in the 149th episode of SBS's Running Man where the female guests and the female member Song Ji-hyo were asked to collect nine tails on their back to become human.
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Written by: Rowee Yap
