Gumiho
Gumiho · Nine-Tailed Fox — The Bewitching Fox-Spirit of East Asia
A fox spirit that, after a thousand years, gains nine tails. Often transforming into a beautiful woman to beguile humans, it is said to sustain its power by taking livers or vital essence. The Korean form of the fox-spirit tradition shared across Korea, China, and Japan, portrayed as a being holding a tragic yearning to become human.
Origin
The Chinese nine-tailed fox tradition spread across East Asia and developed independently in Korean folklore. A signature motif: gathering essence through a fox-bead, and becoming human by hiding its true nature for a hundred or a thousand days.
Features
- A great fox with nine tails
- Transforms into a beautiful woman
- Gathers essence and wisdom with a fox-bead
- Takes human livers and vital essence
Stories
Appears as a bewitching femme fatale, a tragic protagonist doomed by breaking a taboo, and a being that longs to become human. A staple yokai in narratives of love, the exposure of a hidden nature, and yearning for humanity.
Weakness
Loses power when its true nature is revealed or its fox-bead is taken. Often it ruins itself by breaking the very taboo set as the condition to become human.