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Korean Myths · 02

Dokkaebi: Korean Goblins Who Want to Wrestle

Dokkaebi are Korea's goblins: not ghosts, but tricksters born from old, well-used things, who wrestle travelers, party all night and vanish at dawn.

Korean goblins don't want to scare you. They want to wrestle.
Korean goblins don't want to scare you. They want to wrestle.
Not a ghost
Not a ghostDokkaebi are not ghosts of the dead. Old tales say they grew out of old, well-used things: a worn broom, a cracked pot.
They love to play
They love to playThey wrestle travelers, play tricks and party all night. When the rooster crows, they vanish.
Funny, not evil
Funny, not evilDokkaebi are easy to fool. In many tales, kind people walk away with gold. Greedy people don't.
Where they live
Where they liveOld tales put them in empty houses, deep forests and foggy marshes, glowing with blue fire.
Next time
Next timeIf a stranger on a dark road asks you to wrestle, you'll know who it is.

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BookThe Book of Korean MythologyDokkaebi, shamans and gods: the world Bari walks through, in one book.View on Amazon BookKorean Children's Favorite StoriesFables, myths and fairy tales Korean children grow up with.View on Amazon BookKorean Stories for Language LearnersOld folktales in Korean and English, side by side.View on Amazon
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