Tokki (토끼)

TricksterKorea · East AsiaFolktaleFear 3/10

Description

The clever rabbit from Byeoljubu-jeon (Tale of the Turtle). Tricked into visiting the Dragon King's underwater palace, the rabbit claims he left his liver on land, outwitting the powerful dragon court. Represents the triumph of wit over power in Korean folklore.

The Legend

The rabbit is recognized as a clever and intelligent animal, and in the Korean folktale 'Tokkijeon' (Rabbit Tale), the rabbit's liver is described as effective in curing the Dragon King's illness. Additionally, the shape of the moon's craters is sometimes compared to a rabbit pounding rice cakes under a cassia tree.

In Popular Culture

In Korea, the rabbit is considered the fourth animal in the twelve zodiac signs, and in Hwanghae Province, there are place names related to rabbits, such as Tosang-gun and Tosang-myeon. In China and Japan, the rabbit is also recognized as an animal associated with Eastern beauty, and on Okunoshima Island in Japan, hundreds of rabbits are released. Globally, rabbits appear in literary works such as 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland,' and in Germany, there is a tradition of eating rabbit-shaped chocolate eggs during Easter.

This article is based on the Wikipedia article "토끼" (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikipedia