Gotoku was a ritual item for a magic carried out in order to put a curse on someone, called 'ushi no koku mairi' (the visit at midnight), which is known to have been practiced as early as the Heian period.
平安時代にはすでにあったといわれる「丑の刻参り」という、人を禍に陥れる呪術において、五徳は儀式の上での道具であった。