Dokkaebi | Yeryeongcha

DOKKAEBI RESEARCH

Dokkaebi Chronology (appearance)

Dokkaebi is known to have the appearance of a tall human man most of the time, but it can also take the form of a wisp. Before Bi-Hyung-Lang, Dokkaebis regarded any spirits that performed malicious behavior and tricks. This included evil gods, such as 역신(疫神), the god of diseases. Shown in <처용설화> in 삼국유사. The first discovered painting of Dokkaebi in Korean history is <귀화전도>, the 9th painting from the series <채씨효행도>. In the series, the Dokkaebi was a kind-hearted, benevolent child-like figure.

Dokkaebi Chronology (National religion)

The similarity between the Silla Dynasty’s hostile 길달도깨비 and Buddhist Demons could be influenced by the fact that Silla’s national religion was Buddhism.
Yet, many of Silla’s stories related to the birth of the Royals and Great are generally recreated into mythology. The 박혁거세 신화, 비형랑사기, 처용신화 are the famous examples. It is debatable if the Gildals were a fabricated myth to back up the tales of the Great, or if it originates from Buddhist scriptures.

Dokkaebi Chronology (Political History)

Ironically, for traditional Dokkaebis myths, the textbook still contains illustrations of Japanese Oni(鬼).
Unfortunately, the ones in authority at the time were the Japanese and the pro-Japanese Koreans. This led to the opportunity for cultural preservation to vanish for decades. The focus of the pro-Japanese force centered around substituting Korean traditions with Japanese ideology, which resulted in effacing the heritage of centuries.

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Dokkaebi Mindmap (1)

Dokkaebi is a mythical creature in Korea, usually taking the appearance of a tall, hairy man. Despite Dokkaebi’s significance, the modern visual representation of Dokkaebi in South Korea is far different from the traditional version. Dokkaebi is often visualized as a red, horned ogre with a spiked bat. The visual that is described above is closer to a description of an Oni(鬼), a Japanese ogre. It has a fierce, aggressive nature and is very hostile to humans or any other living creatures.

Dokkaebi Mindmap (2)

Dokkaebi's precise origin is unknown, but its first record of taking a human form originates from “The Tale of Bi-Hyung Lang” in <삼국유사>. Bi-Hyung Lang was a son born between the ghost of King Jinji and Dohwa during the 6th century. He was known for being the king of Gil-dals. (Dokkaebis in the Silla period.) It is also assumed by many historians that the idea of a friendly, benevolent Dokkaebi originated from Bi-Hyung Lang.

Dokkaebi Mindmap (3)

Despite being vexatious, Dokkaebi had an honest, candid nature. Hence, a wise person could easily outsmart the Dokkaebi’s bets and tricks. Dokkaebis believe a human cannot deceive them and act with full certainty themselves. On the contrary, there are tales of Dokkaebi where the Dokkaebi shows hospitality to the ones in need. As such, Dokkaebis were described with humane and capricious characteristics.