Inside the Korean culture foxes with existed to possess a lot of years, accumulating many opportunity, come to be Kumiho. The fresh new Kumiho is much like other fox creatures, including the Japanese kitsune and you can Chinese huli jing. Whether or not they have similar phenomenal overall performance and you will longevity, Kumiho be a little more malevolent than many other fox comfort. Of those much time-resided epic creatures, new Kumiho is the only fox you to eliminates and you may eats individuals.
Abilities
Brand new Kumiho provides the supernatural ability off changing towards the a person-constantly an attractive girl. Even when in a position to figure-move, there was still anything quintessentially fox-such on an effective Kumiho, even in human form. An excellent Kumiho in the individual form could have foxy have, pointed ears hidden beneath streaming hair, or nine tails one only getting evident whenever wedding gowns is completely removed. In the event able to changes anywhere between human and you can fox versions, a great Kumiho cautiously guards its genuine title.
Characteristics
Though old reports of one’s Kumiho mean they might really be helpful to human beings, in our contemporary world Kumiho are known to end up being worst, bloodthirsty creatures that eat people livers or minds. The newest Kumiho strategies unsuspecting members of acquisition for eating their hearts by firmly taking the type of a person. They are able to sometimes be found in graveyards, in which it feast towards the minds of one’s recently deceased. In other membership, Kumiho need certainly to consume people livers so you’re able to attain the existence force otherwise times of your own individual. Brand new mythic The fresh Fox Fremont escort Sibling illustrates an effective fox spirit preying on the a household having livers.
Ascension to help you humankind
This new Kumiho is restricted because of the supernatural forces, way of life a lives connected to humanity yet beyond your person realm. Instance werewolves or other profile-shifters, new Kumiho’s existence is the envy of some, but a great curse into creature. Individuals and you may foxes exactly the same accept that humankind try a better county. During the Buddhism, a portion of the karmic ladder that souls migrate predicated on spiritual merit, individuals has reached the new meeting. It’s believed that with higher usually a good Kumiho can go up out-of the yokwe (monster) state, become permanently peoples and you may losing the worst temper. Ways in which an effective Kumiho can be peoples become:
- The new Kumiho need certainly to refrain from eliminating and you will restaurants human beings (or in certain tales one chicken) for example,100000 weeks. (Korean folklore)
- Somebody who possess discover brand new Kumiho’s genuine characteristics, must tell nobody of their secret for 10 years. (Kumiho: Facts of Fox’s Kid)
- During a period of one hundred days, the fresh new Kumiho ought not to reveal their real means so you can a human, capture no people otherwise creature lives, that assist anyone that needs help. In the event the Kumiho goes wrong on this subject trip it does remove one chance of is person and will also be a demon for 1,000 ages. (Gu Household members Publication)
- The latest Kumiho need to eat brand new livers of just one,100 boys over step 1,000 ages. Should your task isn’t completed after the brand new step 1,100000 years, brand new Kumiho often break down on the bubbles. (This new Thousandth Man)
Prominent Culture
The newest Kumiho appears inside the ancient Korean folktales, however, tales on the yokwe fox is loaded in well-known community, particularly in Korean tv drama.
Comics
Banya is good Kumiho regarding comic A thousand Years Ninetail. He transforms toward a good-looking son with long white tresses.
The brand new webcomic The fresh Fox Cousin is founded on the fresh Korean fairy tale of the identical term. The fresh new comical is set inside Seoul in the later sixties. Simple fact is that tale out of a young Mugyo priestess and her fight with an effective Kumiho. Come across webcomic at the thefoxsister.
- The lingering Korean webcomic, This new Jesus regarding Twelfth grade, keeps a beneficial Kumiho character called the Nine Tails Guardian. Notice it during the webtoons.
- On comic One thousand Many years Ninetails (2011), 15-year-dated Lee Therefore-Yoon discovers an effective scroll that contains a good 9-tailed Fox, Banya, which aims a beneficial monk whom took his mother’s orb. Find it during the mangatown.
- Laon (2006) is actually a great six-collection comic in the a strange young boy that is indeed good Kumiho.
Tv
- The fresh collection Taboo Like: The latest Legend of your own Nine-Tailed Fox (2004) featured a great kumiho who was simply a gentle-mannered personnel within a natural history museum by day, however, when the sun goes down she is a brutal warrior on the 9-Tailed Fox clan who looked for in preserving the new sensitive harmony ranging from people and you can Kumiho.
- In 2010 this new Korean drama My Girlfriend is actually a Gumiho, in which a college student mistakenly unleashes an excellent Kumiho who was closed into the a decorating, is actually a major international struck and started many focus about Kumiho. Available on Viki and you can Hulu.
Some other Kumiho-centered crisis one shown in 2010 is actually Gumiho: Facts of your own Fox’s Son, where an excellent Kumiho and her daughter choose the method around the globe shortly after this lady husband’s indiscretion helps them to stay away from to be people. Available on Hulu and you will Viki once the Grudge: The Revolt out-of Gumiho.
Whenever you are interested in learning more about the new Kumiho through conventional Korean folktales, take a look at Salt Peddler and White Fox, together with Fox Cousin. These types of reports have traditionally come distributed to the students, however, just as in of numerous old myths, he or she is much spookier and you will a little more gruesome than our very own progressive fairy stories.
* One another Kumiho and Gumiho are correct. The fresh spelling depends on and that transcription program put. The original Korean hangul ? was transcribed since Grams throughout the Modified Romanization out-of Korean, in the fresh more mature McCune–Reischauer system it is transcribed so you’re able to K. Revised Romanization turned the official transcription program during the South Korea inside 2000, while brand new McCune–Reischauer system is widely used outside of Southern Korea. North Korea continues to have fun with a variant of your own McCune–Reischauer program out of Romanization.