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 Evildoers" (四罪 ; Sì Zuì ):[1]
Gonggong (Chinese : 共工 ; pinyin : Gònggōng ; lit. 'all-powerful'), the disastrous god;
Huandou (驩兜 ; Huāndōu ; 'happy armor'), a chimeric minister from the south who conspired with Gonggong against Emperor Yao [2]
Gun (鯀 ; Gǔn ; 'emperor's father'), father of Yu the Great whose poorly-built dam released a destructive flood;
Sanmiao (三苗 ; Sān Miáo ; 'Three Miao '), the tribes that attacked Yao the Great 's tribe.
Zuo Zhuan and Shanhaijing [ ]
In the Zuo Zhuan and the Shanhaijing , they are defined as:
the Hundun (混沌 ; Hùndùn ; 'chaotic torrent'), a yellow winged creature of chaos with six legs and no face;
the Qiongqi (窮奇 ; Qióngqí ; 'poor and strange'), a monstrous creature that eats people, considered the same in Japan as Kamaitachi
the Taowu (檮杌 ; Táowù ; 'stupid stump'), a reckless, stubborn creature;
the Taotie (饕餮 ; Tāotiè ; 'greedy glutton'), a gluttonous beast.
The four perils are featured in the popular Japanese anime A Certain Scientific Accelerator .
See also [ ]
References [ ]
^ 《尚书·舜典》 (Canon of Shun , Book of Documents ):“《流共工于幽州,放欢兜于崇山,窜三苗于三危,殛鲧于羽山,四罪而天下咸服。”《史记·卷一·五帝本纪第一》中记载,“欢兜进言共工,尧曰不可而试之公师,共工果淫辟。四岳举鲧治鸿水,尧以为不可,岳强请试之,试之而无功,故百姓不便。三苗在江淮、荆州数为乱,于是舜归而言于帝,请流共工于幽陵,以变北狄;放欢兜于崇山,以变南蛮;迁三苗于三卫,以变西戎;殛鲧于羽山,四罪而天下咸服。 ”
^ Persons: Huandou
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