Kumiho

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A kumiho (gumiho) (Korean: 구미호; Hanja: 九尾狐, literally "nine-tailed fox") is a creature that appears in the folktales and legends of Korea.^[1] Korean kumiho shares many similarities to the Chinese huli jing and the Japanese kitsune. It can freely transform, among other things, into a beautiful woman often set out to seduce boys, and eat their liver or heart (depending on the legend). There are numerous tales in which the kumiho appears, several of which can be found in the encyclopedic Compendium of Korean Oral Literature (한국 구비문�� 대계/韓國口碑文學).

Mythology[]

The old Chinese text Classic of Mountains and Seas, the earliest record to document the nine-tailed fox, mentioned that the fox with nine tails came from and lived in the country called Qingqiu (靑丘). ^[2] Kumiho and other versions of the nine-tailed fox myths and folklores share similar concept. All explain fox spirits as being the result of great longevity or the accumulation of energy, said to be foxes who have lived for a thousand years, and give them the power of shapeshifting, usually appearing in the guise of a woman. However, while China's huli jing and Japan's kitsune are often depicted with ambiguous moral compasses, possibly good or bad, the kumiho is almost always treated as a malignant figure who feasts on human flesh. It is unclear at which point in time Koreans began viewing the kumiho as a purely evil creature, since many ancient texts mention the benevolent kumiho assisting humans (and even make mentions of wicked humans tricking kind but naïve kumiho).

In later literature, kumiho were often depicted as bloodthirsty half-fox, half-human creatures that wandered cemeteries at night, digging human hearts out from graves. The fairy tale The Fox Sister depicts a fox spirit preying on a family for their livers. However, according to Gyuwon Sahwa, kumiho is described as an auspicious fox spirit with a book in its mouth. Considering the text is thought to be written in 1675, some speculate that the modern violent image of kumiho is influenced during the Japanese occupation in Korea. Nevertheless, foxes often contained a negative image during the Koryo Dynasty (Shin Don was described as an old fox spirit due to his love for women and drinks despite his being a buddhist monk), suggesting two different views could have co-existed in ancient Korea. Taiping Guangji claims Silla worshipped foxes as sacred beings.

The most distinctive feature that separates the kumiho from its two counterparts (Japanese kitsune, and Chinese huli jing) is the existence of a 'yeowoo guseul' (여우구슬, literally meaning fox marble/bead) which is said to consist of knowledge. According to Korean mythology, the yeowoo guseul provides power to the kumiho and knowledge (and intelligence) to people if they can steal and swallow one. The kumiho can absorb humans' energy with it. The method of absorbing energy with the "yeowoo guseul" resembles a "deep kiss" (i.e. a kiss using a tongue). The kumiho sends the yeowoo guseul into people's mouths and then retakes it with their tongues. If that person swallows the yeowoo guseul, however, and then observes "sky, land, and people", each observation gives the observer preternatural knowledge. But the person fails to watch the "sky" in most tales, so they get a special ability but not the most important one.

Most legends state that while a gumiho was capable of changing its appearance, there is still something persistently fox-like about it (i.e. a foxy face, a set of ears, or the tell-tale nine tails) or a magical way of forcing; its countenance changes, but its nature does not. In Transformation of the Kumiho (구미호의 변신), a kumiho transforms into the identical likeness of a bride at a wedding and is only discovered when her clothes are removed. Bakh Mun-su and the Kumiho (박문수와 구미호) records an encounter that Pak Munsu has with a girl, living alone in the woods, that has a foxy appearance. In The Maiden who Discovered a Kumiho through a Chinese Poem (한시로 구미호를 알아낸 처녀), the kumiho is ultimately revealed when a hunting dog catches the scent of a fox and attacks. Although they have the ability to change forms, the true identity of a kumiho was said to be zealously guarded by the kumiho themselves. Some tales say that if a kumiho abstains from killing and eating humans for a thousand days, it can become human.

Much like changelings, werewolves or vampires in Western lore, there are always variations on the myth depending on the liberties that each story takes with the legend. One version of the mythology, however, holds that with enough will, a kumiho could further ascend from its yogoe (spirit) state, become permanently human and lose its evil character. Explanations of how this could be achieved vary, but sometimes include aspects such as refraining from killing or tasting meat for a thousand days, or obtaining a cintamani and making sure that the Yeoiju saw the full moon at least every month during the ordeal. Unlike Yeoiju-wielding dragons, kumiho were not thought to be capable of omnipotence or creation at will, since they were lesser creatures.

In popular culture[]

Works focusing on kumiho include:

Film and television/shows[]

• The 1994 horror film The Fox with Nine Tails^[3]
• The 2004 KBS drama Forbidden Love^[4]
• The 2006 musical comedy The Fox Family^[5]
• The 2007 animated film Yobi, the Five Tailed Fox^[6]
• The 2008 and 2009 KBS drama (also known as Hometown of Legends), Episode 1^[7]
• The 2010 SBS drama My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho^[8]
• The 2010 KBS drama Grudge: The Revolt of Gumiho^[9]
• The 2012 MBC drama ^[10]
• The 2013 MBC drama Gu Family Book^[11]
• The 2013 MBC drama Nail Shop Paris^[12]
• The 2020 tvN drama Tale of the Nine Tailed^[13]
• The 2020 HBO drama Lovecraft Country (TV series)
• The 2021 tvN drama My Roommate Is a Gumiho
• In the 149th episode of SBS's Running Man, the female guests and the female member Song Ji-hyo must collect nine tails on their back to become human.^[14]
• In the 7th episode part 2 of the 2nd season of the Tooniverse's animated series Shinbi's Haunted House [simple], The female name Heewon.
• In the 6th episode of season 1 of Lovecraft Country, it is revealed that the mysterious woman (Ji-Ah) from Atticus's past is inhabited by a kumiho and feeds on the souls of men.

Comics[]

• The Fox Sister, an ongoing webcomic started in 2011.
• Story of Miho, a webtoon created by Hye Jin-yang
• The God of High School, an ongoing webcomic started in 2011. The plot involves one of these Kumihos as a powerful deity bent on revenge.
• White Fox, Ami Han in Marvel comics is the last Kumiho
• Inattentional Blindness, a Naver WEBTOON started in 2019 including a Kumiho named No-myeong sent to the human realm to hunt ghosts and find the reason behind 'Mountain energy' being drained by a human girl.
• 구슬의 주인, ^[15] an ongoing Daum webtoon started in 2021. It is a GL(Girls' Love) story about a human girl swallowing a Kumiho's "yeowoo guseul". Consequently, the Kumiho begins following her around and saving her from the various dangers that the human girl has now garnered the attention of.

Video games[]

• League of Legends: Ahri, the Nine-Tailed Fox
• Overwatch: D.Va (Halloween skin)
• Elsword: Eun, Ara Haan's companion
• Lost Saga: Gumiho
• Metin2: Nine Tails
• Analogue: A Hate Story: *Mute
• MapleStory: The Nine-Tailed Fox is a boss monster, along with three-tailed foxes known as Samiho.
• SCP – Containment Breach: SCP-953,^[16] though the entity itself does not appear in the game. The cultural differences between a kumiho and a kitsune were noted, and played a role in its capture. "Nine-Tailed Fox" is also the code name for a certain Mobile Task Force.
• Cookie Run: The Kumiho Cookie (also known as the Ninetales Cookie in Kakao/LINE version) is an in-game playable character that can transform from a marshmallow fox into a beautiful cookie by using double jumps.
• War Robots: Kumiho, a fast robot, has two medium weapon grooves.
• White Day: A Labyrinth Named School: The hallway between the new building and the main building has a ghost that sings and can scare the player at the end of the song. The picture in the ghost collection shows a girl with foxy features and it's believed to be a kumiho because the game takes place in Korea.

Books[]

• & : Novels by featuring Gu Miyoung, a gumiho, as the main character.
• Dragon Pearl: YA novel by Yoon Ha Lee featuring Kim Min, a gumiho, as the main character.
• : a picture book written and illustrated by , featuring a gumiho who may also be the titular halmoni (i.e. grandmother).

See also[]

• Fox spirit, a general overview about this being in East Asian mythology
  • Huli jing – a Chinese fox spirit
  • Kitsune – a Japanese fox spirit
  • Hồ ly tinh - a Vietnamese fox spirit
• Korean fox
• Ungnyeo, a bear-woman in Korean mythology

References[]

External links[]

• Kumiho: The Korean fox
• Monster of the Week: Kumiho