Dokkakgwi

Dujiaogui (Chinese: 独脚鬼; pinyin: Dújiǎoguǐ) or dokkakgwi (Korean: 독각귀; Hanja: 獨脚鬼), literally "One-Legged Ghost" or "One-Legged Demon", is a legendary creature found in East Asian folklore. The creature appears in Chinese folklore, but the one-legged form is particularly associated with Korean folklore, where it is described as a type of dokkaebi.

Unlike ghosts (gwisin), which are believed to be the souls of the dead, dokkaebi are supernatural beings associated with inanimate objects that have acquired a spirit, including old brooms, inkstones, and household tools stained with human blood. The one-legged dokkakgwi is one form of the dokkaebi.

Origins

One-legged supernatural beings appear in early Chinese mythology and may have influenced later Korean traditions. The Chinese classic Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shanhaijing) describes a one-legged mountain spirit or beast called Kui (夔). In southern China, the Wutong Shen (五通神) was also known as the "One-legged Wutong" (独脚五通). It was said to live in the mountains and bring disaster to those who harmed it. It was also believed to come down to rural villages and bring blessings to crops. The creature was described as being like an ox with one foot, and its appearance was associated with storms. Some sources connect this tradition with the dokkakgwi in Korea.[1][2]

After the Six dynasties period, the figure developed other characteristics. It came to be associated with wealth and good fortune, as well as with a lecherous monster that attacked women. One explanation attributes these changes to the southward migration of the Han people and its influence on the beliefs of ethnic minorities. Another links them to changes in the way of life of people living in mountainous areas.[3] Other theories suggest that the figure was based on a tree or a lame person,[4] or that it was connected with phallic worship.[3]

In Korea, the term dokkakgwi refers specifically to its "one-legged" (독각, dokkak) form. This distinguishes it from other forms of dokkaebi.[5]

In Korean folktales

The dokkakgwi appears in Korean folktales along with other types of dokkaebi. Many of these stories teach a lesson or warn against greed. One well-known example is The Bump on the Chin. In the story, a kind old man with a large bump on his chin comes across a dokkaebi celebration. He joins the dokkaebi in singing. Pleased with his singing and cheerful manner, they remove the bump as a reward. A greedy neighbor with a similar bump hears about what happened and tries to do the same. His singing is unpleasant, however, and the dokkaebi punish him by putting the first man's bump on him as well. He is left with two bumps.[6][7]

Another widely told story is The Man Who Defeated a dokkaebi. In this story, a man is repeatedly challenged to a wrestling match by a dokkaebi. He learns that the creature's weakness is its single leg, or, in some versions, its left side, and defeats it. In some versions, the dokkaebi runs away in shame and leaves behind its magical club. In others, it becomes the man's friend and uses its powers to make him wealthy.[6]

Characteristics

The dokkakgwi is a type of dokkaebi in Korean folklore. It is usually described as a hairy humanoid with one leg. It is said to move by hopping on its single leg. Traditional descriptions also give it a satgat (conical bamboo hat) and a dorongi (straw raincoat). It is often said to appear on dark or rainy days. Some accounts describe it as having two eyes under the brim of its hat, while others give it a single eye. This differs from the modern image of the dokkaebi, which commonly shows a two-legged creature with horns and a stocky body, an image influenced by the Japanese oni.[1][8]

The dokkakgwi is not always portrayed as an evil creature. In folktales, it may play tricks on people or challenge them to Korean wrestling (ssireum). In some stories, it challenges a traveler to a wrestling match and defeats him because of its strength. Other stories describe it leading people astray or hiding their belongings.[6]

The dokkakgwi, like other dokkaebi, is associated with magical objects. These include the dokkaebi gamtu (도깨비 감투), a cap said to make its wearer invisible, and the dokkaebi bangmangi (도깨비 방망이), a magical club that can produce things such as gold or food when struck against the ground.[6]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 中国民间故事集成: 河北卷 (in Chinese). 中国isbn中心出版. 2003. ISBN 978-7-5076-0211-1.
  2. ↑ 释.山海 (in Chinese). Airiti Press.
  3. 1 2 二〇〇九年度修士論文要旨 ; 二〇〇九年度卒業論文題目 (in Japanese). Keio Media Center. 2010. pp. 116(326)–130(340).
  4. ↑ 『中国古代の民俗と文化』（山中の独脚鬼に関する一考察―日中の比較）桐本東太著 刀水書房 2004年 ISBN 4-88708-328-9
  5. ↑ 한국인 (in Korean). 社會發展硏究所. 1983.
  6. 1 2 3 4 한국의 도깨비: 도깨비를 통해 본 한국의 시각문화 (in Korean). 고려대학교출판문화원. 30 January 2020. pp. 66–75. ISBN 979-11-91161-98-4.
  7. ↑ 옛 고전 에서 전해 오는 조선 왕조 500년 괴담 (in Korean). 자유 문학사. 2004. ISBN 978-89-424-0360-8.
  8. ↑ 숭의동 독각귀(獨脚鬼). Incheonin.
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