Taowu
| Taowu | |||||||||||||||
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Edo period illustration | |||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 檮杌 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 梼杌 | ||||||||||||||
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Taowu is a mythical creature mentioned in the Chinese classics. Along with Hundun, Qiongqi, and Taotie, it is one of the Four Perils.
Etymology
Taowu is composed of two characters, both of which are quite rare. Paul W. Kroll et al link 檮/梼 tao with a block of wood or a tree stump, and 杌 wu is normally used to refer to a stool.[1] In Records of the Grand Historian, 檮 tao is written with the character 梼, which is also the simplified form.[2]
Semantically, the name originally referred to some sort of beast. However, its meaning extended over time to refer to mythical creatures in general, a now-lost text referring to the history of Chu, and violent, stubborn people.[1]
In traditional historiography
Sima Qian records Taowu as a label given to a rebellious, destructive son of Zhuanxu, the progenitor of the Youyu clan. He was devoid of ability, stubborn, ignorant to instruction, and could not be appeased. The trouble he caused would continue throughout the reign of Emperor Yao of the Taotang clan, until Emperor Shun of the Youyu clan would receive him along with the other Four Perils, banishing them to the outer reaches of the kingdom and expelling evil spirits.[2]
Guoyu and Shuo Yuan record Taowu as residing at Mt. Pi (丕山) during the Shang dynasty.[3][4]
The Book of Gods and Strange Things records Taowu as a monster with a human face, a tiger's feet, a pig's mouth and teeth, and a tail 18 feet long. It is also given two alternate names: Aohen (傲狠) and Nanxun (難訓).[5][6]
As a text
In his eponymous text, Mencius records Taowu as a record of the history of the State of Chu.[7] This title would be mimicked by the Northern Song scholar Zhang Tangying (張唐英) in the text Shu Taowu (蜀檮杌), a history of the Later Shu dynasty.[8][9][10]
In popular culture
The trans-Neptunian object 471325 Taowu and a machairodont genus, Taowu liui, are named after Taowu.
Taowu is featured in the Shin Megami Tensei franchise, including Persona 4, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner, and Shin Megami Tensei IV, as a recruitable demon, using the description from the Book of Gods and Strange Things.
References
- ^ a b Kroll, Paul W.; Baxter, William H.; Boltz, William G.; Knechtges, David R.; Lien, Y. Edmund; Richter, Antje; Richter, Matthias L.; Warner, Ding Xiang (2017). A student's dictionary of classical and medieval Chinese (Revised ed.). Leiden Boston: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-32513-5.
- ^ a b Sima, Qian. "五帝本紀". In Sturgeon, Donald (ed.). 史記 (in Literary Chinese). Chinese Text Project. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
昔帝鴻氏有不才子，掩義隱賊，好行凶慝，天下謂之渾沌。少暤氏有不才子，毀信惡忠，崇飾惡言，天下謂之窮奇。顓頊氏有不才子，不可教訓，不知話言，天下謂之梼杌。此三族世憂之。至于堯，堯未能去。縉云氏有不才子，貪于飲食，冒于貨賄，天下謂之饕餮。天下惡之，比之三凶。舜賓於四門，乃流四凶族，遷于四裔，以御螭魅，於是四門辟，言毋凶人也。
- ^ Zuo, Qiuming. "周語上". In Sturgeon, Donald (ed.). 國語 (in Literary Chinese). Chinese Text Project. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
商之興也，梼杌次于丕山，其亡也，夷羊在牧。
- ^ Liu, Xiang. "辨物". In Sturgeon, Donald (ed.). 說苑 (in Literary Chinese). Chinese Text Project. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
商之興也，檮杌次於丕山；其亡也，夷羊在牧。
- ^ 東方朔. (in Chinese) – via Wikisource.
西方荒中有獸焉，其狀如虎而犬毛，長二尺，人面虎足，猪口牙，尾長一丈八尺，攪乱荒中，名梼杌，一名傲狠，一名難訓。《春秋》云顓頊氏有不才子名梼杌是也。
- ^ Dongfang 東方, Shuo 朔 (2022). 神异经. Chengdou: 巴蜀书社 [Bashu Book Club]. ISBN 978-7-5531-1784-3.
- ^ Meng, Ke. "離婁下". In Sturgeon, Donald (ed.). 孟子 [Mencius] (in Literary Chinese). Chinese Text Project. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
孟子曰：「王者之迹熄而詩亡，詩亡然後春秋作。晉之乘，楚之檮杌，魯之春秋，一也。其事則齊桓、晉文，其文則史。孔子曰：『其義則丘竊取之矣。』」
- ^ 樊一, 方法林. 张唐英与《蜀梼杌》[J]. 成都大学学报
- ^ 王炎：《〈蜀梼杌〉之版本流传与后蜀广政十八年佚文问题》
- ^ 張唐英. (in Chinese) – via Wikisource.