No. 014
Gildal
吉達길달 (gildal)
A member of the spirit host led by Bihyeongnang under King Jinpyeong of Silla, who took human form and served as a court steward. He built the gate tower south of Heungnyunsa, called Gildal's Gate, but one day turned into a fox and fled, and Bihyeong had the spirits catch and kill him.
Names
- Korean
- 길달
- Hanja
- 吉達
- Revised Romanization
- gildal
- English
- Gildal
Abilities
- Took human form and served the court faithfully.
- Turns into a fox.
Related creatures
- Related Dokkaebi
- Related Duduri
- Related Nine-tailed fox - Shares the fox transformation.
Attestations
-
Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms Classical text
Original一日吉達變狐而遁去。荊使鬼捉而殺之。
Translation (Korean)어느 날 길달이 여우로 변해 달아나자, 비형이 귀신을 시켜 잡아 죽였다.
Translation (English)One day Gildal turned into a fox and fled; Bihyeong sent spirits to catch him and kill him.
What it says: The tale of Gildal, one of the spirit host (鬼眾) led by Bihyeongnang, who serves at court and then flees as a fox. The original calls him one of the spirits; the word dokkaebi does not appear.
-
Encyclopedia of Korean Culture Encyclopedia
What it says: The Gildal article, which reads him as a dokkaebi that appeared as a man under King Jinpyeong, with a summary of the story.
Interpretation and notes
The encyclopedia reads Gildal as a dokkaebi (duduri). The original says only 'spirit host' (鬼眾), so the dokkaebi identification is a later interpretation.