Goblin To Gumiho #AToZChallenge

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Source: Goblin: The Lonely Great God
The Korean culture is a mixture of several belief systems like Shamanism, Buddhism, Confucianism, etc. As per the shaman view, there are supernatural beings who reside with us on earth.  Spirits, ghosts, and goblins inhabit in every inanimate object, thus connecting us with their world without our knowledge. Aliens, angels, vampires and mermaids are not part of Korean folklore. They are more of a western concept that is also being incorporated in Korean dramas these days.

Dokkaebi or Korean goblins are legendary creatures from their mythologies. They possess extraordinary powers and abilities but are very much different from ghosts. They are formed not by death but spiritual possession of objects stained with either their own or any other human’s blood. They are depicted in tales as awe-inspiring yet fearsome when provoked. They appear through rain and beautiful tall blue flames. The goblins mostly do not interfere with human lives, but when they do it is to bring good harvests or great fortunes. Then there are different types of Goblin.

Source: My Girlfriend is a Gumiho
Very recently Goblin: The Lonely Great God was telecast. In this drama, the titular dokkaebi, who has already lived for about a thousand years is in search of his human bride to end his immortality- another love story that brings freedom but is doomed from the beginning. He lives to see the lives, deaths, and reincarnations of people closest to him. It’s a very endearing tale. A must watch. It is the second highest rated drama in Korean cable television history, after Reply 1988.
In Goblin there are some more mythological creatures too. Samshin Granny is the goddess of childbirth who protects mothers and their children till the children are ten years old. Chil-seong-shin are the Seven-star gods who are in charge of life and death of Human beings in Korean folk religion. Cheon-Ji-Shin-Myeong - “The god of heaven and earth” is the Supreme God. You live a life under his rule. All human affairs are under his control. You meet a Grim reaper when you die. They are called “JeoseungSaja” in Korean which literally means “A messenger from Netherworld”

Source: Gumiho in Gu Family Book
Gumiho is the most popular of all the Korean folklore creatures. It is a nine tailed fox. When a fox lives for about a thousand years, it acquires the ability to shape shift into a human. In literature, they are scary creatures who lure and seduce human beings and eat their heart and liver for about a thousand days to completely turn into a human. But in Kdramas, they are romanticized beautifully to create an emotional picture of yearning a human life. My Girlfriend Is a Nine-Tailed Fox is a 2010 Kdrama. It’s an interesting watch- mythology in modern times in a romantic comedy. The Gu Family Book is also a historical fiction on a gumiho inhabiting in human society.

Watch the Dramas here: Goblin, Gu Family Book, My Girlfriend Is A Gumiho

Linking the post with UBC  and AToZChallenge.


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Queeristan by Parmesh Sahani

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  Queeristan (Amazon Link) Thanks to Audible Free Trial I listened to this amazing non-fiction on LGBTQ inclusion in Indian workplaces. Author Parmesh Sahani identifies as gay Indian, working closely with Godrej higher management and employees for years to create an inclusive workplace, both legally and in spirit. This book is a result of those years of experience, research, collaboration with individuals from difference spectrum of the society and organizations who has successfully transitioned into a queer friendly one.   Indian history is inclusive. From the Khajuraho temple architectures, to Konark to the Rig Veda, there is existing proofs even 2000 years ago of Indian inclusiveness of queer. It’s the draconian British law that criminalised it, which was scraped in 2009, came into effect once again following a sad judgement in 2013 and eventually was scraped off for good in 2018. I am in awe of the lawyers who fought this legal battle- colleagues and partners – Arundh...
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