Chimimōryō
Ancient Chinese term for mountain and river monsters.
Last updated
Chimimōryō (Chinese: 魑魅魍魉; pinyin: Chīmèi wǎngliǎng; Japanese: 魑魅魍魎) is a term referring to monsters of the mountains and monsters of the rivers. Originating in China roughly 2,500 years ago in ancient chronicles such as the Zuo Zhuan, it comes from legends about spirits that harm people in mountains and swamps, with the original meaning of 'all kinds of Yaoguai (demons and ghosts).' The term encompasses two distinct types of spirits: Chimei and Wangliang.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- China, roughly 2,500 years ago
- Earliest recorded source
- Zuo Zhuan
- Known for
- Term for mountain and river monsters; all kinds of demons and ghosts
- Also known as
- Chīmèi wǎngliǎng (Chinese)
- Chimimōryō (Japanese)
- Si mị võng lượng (Vietnamese)
Facts from the source article.
Background
Chimei (魑魅; Chimi in Japanese), also called Kui, are spirits born from the strange atmosphere of mountains and forests, transformed from wood and stone. They are characterized by a human face and an animal body with four legs, and are described as very charming.
Wangliang (魍魎; mōryō in Japanese) are spirits from mountains, rivers, trees, and rocks, emerging from the life energy of natural things to fool humans. They are said to eat the dead, have the appearance of a child, stand on two feet, have dark red skin, red eyes, long ears, beautiful hair, and a voice resembling a human's. In Japan, they are thought to be oni.
More in Japanese folklore
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Chimimōryō (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced