The Folktale “Hokpuri Yongkam” and the Visual Representation of the Korean Dokkaebi

The Folktale “Hokpuri Yongkam” and the Visual Representation of the Korean Dokkaebi

Bak, Mikyung

Article:

The Oni and the Dokkaebi are mythological characters in Japan and Korea. The question of the originality of the Dokkaebi has been raised because, although the Oni and the Dokkaebi are certainly different in many respects, the image of the Dokkaebi today is described as being identical to that of Oni. A prime example cited is an illustration for the folk story “Hokpuri Yongkam” [The Old Man with a Lump] in school textbooks during the colonial period (1910–1945). Almost all scholars insist that this illustration is evidence of an affection for Japanese colonial unification ideology and that the image thus has to be corrected urgently. Moreover, some of them also insist that the folktale itself is Japanese. In this paper, I want to show another possibility for the origin of this folktale and its visual representation of the Dokkaebi.

The Oni and the Dokkaebi are mythological characters in Japan and Korea. The question of the originality of the Dokkaebi has been raised because, although the Oni and the Dokkaebi are certainly different in many respects, the image of the Dokkaebi today is described as being identical to that of Oni. A prime example cited is an illustration for the folk story “Hokpuri Yongkam” [The Old Man with a Lump] in school textbooks during the colonial period (1910–1945). Almost all scholars insist that this illustration is evidence of an affection for Japanese colonial unification ideology and that the image thus has to be corrected urgently. Moreover, some of them also insist that the folktale itself is Japanese. In this paper, I want to show another possibility for the origin of this folktale and its visual representation of the Dokkaebi.

Palavras-chave:

DOI: 10.5151/despro-icdhs2014-0028

Referências bibliográficas

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Como citar:

Bak, Mikyung; "The Folktale “Hokpuri Yongkam” and the Visual Representation of the Korean Dokkaebi", p-231-236. In: Tradition, Transition, Tragectories: major or minor influences? [=ICDHS 2014 - 9th Conference of the International Committee for Design History and Design Studies]. São Paulo: Blucher, 2014.
ISSN 23186968, DOI 10.5151/despro-icdhs2014-0028