User:Coenglish/sandbox

In Korean folklore, there are a few legends that touch of the idea of feminism and the role of women in these tales.

Legend of Arang (Chosen Era):

In the Legend of Arang, Arang is portrayed as very vulnerable. She is helpless, weak and innocent and needs to be rescued by a hero to avoid falling into the trap of her maid, who is tempting her. However, Arang’s maid is seen as very beautiful but also a very evil temptress. From these two characters, it can be seen that women in the Chosen Era are seen secondary to men as they are always in need of rescue or too weak to fight for themselves. Women are also seen as evil beings.

Legend of Dangun: In the legend of Dangun, the tiger who followed the orders of Hwanung was transformed into a beautiful woman, who eventually became the mother of Dangun. Through this tale, the reader can see that women are perceived as very patient and motherly figures.

Kumiho:

Kumiho is a nine-tailed fox that appears in various Korean folktales. When this fox transforms itself into a human, it becomes a woman. One prominent trait of this fox is its trickster personality which is often used to trick men. This reflects a perception of women as being deceptive.