Korean Folk Tales: Imps, Ghosts and Faries gathers a vivid spectrum of supernatural and moral narratives from Korea's oral tradition, where mischievous spirits, wandering ghosts, enchanted beings
Korean Folk Tales: Imps, Ghosts and Faries gathers a vivid spectrum of supernatural and moral narratives from Korea's oral tradition, where mischievous spirits, wandering ghosts, enchanted beings, loyal children, and cunning villagers inhabit a shared imaginative world. Moving between wonder tale, ghost story, comic anecdote, and ethical fable, the collection preserves the tonal range of folk narrative: playful, uncanny, didactic, and deeply humane. Associated with Yuk Yi and Pang Im, the volume reflects the crucial work of transmission by which oral stories enter literary circulation for wider readerships. These tales belong to a cultural matrix shaped by shamanic belief, Confucian ethics, Buddhist motifs, agrarian life, and local legend. Their varied voices illuminate communal values, fears, humor, and aspirations, offering insight into Korean storytelling as both entertainment and cultural memory. This collection is highly recommended for readers of folklore, comparative literature, Korean studies, and world mythology. In one compact volume, it offers access to a multiplicity of narrative forms and perspectives, inviting reflection on how societies imagine the invisible, regulate conduct, and preserve wonder. Its educational value lies not only in individual tales, but in the dialogue they create across genre, belief, and tradition.
