Every myth carries a truth older than the civilization that told it.
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The gumiho, Korea’s nine-tailed fox — a thousand-year shapeshifter who becomes a beautiful woman to devour human livers and hearts, bearer of the
The dokkaebi, Korea’s goblin born from discarded objects — wielder of the wish-granting magic club, lover of wrestling, giver of wealth to the good and
The myth of Ungnyeo, the bear who endured Hwanung’s hundred-day trial of mugwort and garlic to become a woman, then bore the founder-king Dangun — Korea’s
Hwanung, son of the Lord of Heaven, who descended to Taebaek Mountain with the gods of wind, rain and cloud, made a bear into the woman Ungnyeo, and
The legend of Dangun Wanggeom, founder of Gojoseon — born of the god Hwanung and the bear-woman Ungnyeo, ruler of Korea’s first kingdom and later a
The Sundel Bolong, a dread female ghost of Indonesian folklore — the spirit of a woman who died tragically or was wronged and killed, appearing as a
The Pocong, a famous shroud-ghost of Indonesian and Malay folklore — the spirit of a dead person still wrapped in the Muslim burial shroud, bound at head,
The Jenglot, a tiny doll-like creature of modern Indonesian folklore — a small, mummified humanoid figure with a fierce face, long hair, and fangs, said
The Genderuwo (Gandarwo), a powerful male spirit of Javanese folklore — a large, hairy, ape-like humanoid of immense strength and lust who dwells in old
The Buto Ijo (“Green Giant”), a fearsome ogre-giant of Javanese folklore — a huge, green-skinned, fanged, man-eating giant who menaces folktales like
