Four Perils

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Si Xiong
Chinese name
Chinese四凶
Literal meaningFour Perils
Japanese name
Kanji四凶
Hiraganaしきょう
Si Zui
Chinese name
Chinese四罪
Literal meaningFour Evildoers
Japanese name
Kanji四罪
Hiraganaしざい

The Four Perils (Chinese: 四凶; pinyin: Sì Xiōng) are four malevolent beings that existed in Chinese mythology and the antagonistic counterparts of the Four Benevolent Animals.

Book of Documents[]

In the Book of Documents, they are defined as the "Four Criminals" (四罪; Sì Zuì):[1][2]

Zuo Zhuan, Shanhaijing, and Shenyijing[]

In Zuo Zhuan,[8][9] Shanhaijing, and Shenyijing, the Four Perils (Hanzi: 四凶; pinyin: Sì Xiōng) are defined as:

  • the Hundun (渾敦, 渾沌; Hùndùn; 'chaotic torrent'[b]), a yellow winged creature of chaos with six legs and no face;[10][11]
  • the Qiongqi (窮奇; Qióngqí; 'distressingly strange, thoroughly odd'), a monstrous creature that eats people,[12][13] considered the same in Japan as Kamaitachi;
  • the Taowu (檮杌; Táowù; 'blockhead stump'), a reckless, stubborn creature;[14]
  • the Taotie (饕餮; Tāotiè; 'greedy glutton'), a gluttonous beast.[15]

In popular culture[]

The four perils are featured in the popular Japanese anime A Certain Scientific Accelerator.

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ According to Schuessler (2009), 鯀 (standard Chinese gǔn < Old Chinese *kwə̂nʔ) is the same word as 鮌 (gǔn < OC *kwə̂nʔ) and 鯤 (kūn < OC *kûn), the latter being a mythical giant fish mentioned in Zhuangzi.[5][6]
  2. ^ a.k.a. 帝江; Dìjiāng; 'Emperor River, Thearch River', 帝鴻; Dìhóng; 'Emperor Swan, Thearch Swan'

References[]

  1. ^ Book of Documents "Canon of Shun" quote: “流共工于幽洲,放驩兜于崇山,竄三苗于三危,殛于羽山,四罪而天下咸服。”
  2. ^ Shiji "Annals of the Five Emperors" "請流共工於幽陵,以變北狄;放讙兜於崇山,以變南蠻;遷三苗於三危,以變西戎;殛於羽山,以變東夷:四罪而天下咸服。"
  3. ^ Shanhaijing "Classic of the Regions Outsides the Seas: South" & "Classic of the Great Wildernesses: South""
  4. ^ Persons: Huandou
  5. ^ Schuessler, Axel. (2009) Minimal Old Chinese and Later Han Chinese. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i. p. 317, 333-4
  6. ^ Zhuangzi, "Enjoyment in Untroubled Ease" quote: "北冥有魚,其名為鯤。鯤之大,不知其幾千里也。" translation: "In the Northern Ocean there is a fish, the name of which is Kun - I do not know how many li in size."
  7. ^ Kangxi Dictionary, "魚 radical 7" quote: "鯀:《唐韻》《集韻》《正韻》