The Four Great Beasts of Ancient Mythology: Taowu

The Taowu (梼杌, táo wù) is said to be the son of the Northern Emperor Zhuangxu (颛顼, zhuān xū). It is also known by names such as Aohen (傲狠) and Nanxun (难训), all of which suggest it is a ferocious, malevolent beast.

The Taowu resembles a tiger but is several times larger, reaching several zhang in length, with a tail over six feet long. Its fur is extremely long, soft, and tough, which provides formidable defense against typical weapons and attacks. Additionally, the Taowu has a human-like face and craves human flesh.

According to the ancient text "Shen Yi Jing" (神异经), it is described as: "There is a beast, resembling a tiger but with dog-like fur, measuring two feet long, with a human face, tiger legs, boar-like tusks, and a tail that is eight feet long, causing chaos in the wilderness; it is called Taowu." This description suggests that the Taowu is a monster residing in the remote West, with a body like a tiger, fur like a dog, a somewhat human face, tiger-like legs, and tusks resembling those of a wild boar. It commands the West and never retreats from a fight.

The earliest reference to the Taowu can be found in "Zuo Zhuan" (左传), Year 18 of Duke Wen, which states: "Zhuangxu has a son who is unworthy, unteachable, and does not comprehend words; when warned, he is stubborn; when left alone, he is unruly. His arrogance and malevolence disrupt the natural order, and people call him Taowu." This implies that Taowu is a stubborn character who disregards all advice and engages in wrongdoing without restraint.

Due to its ignorance and unruly nature, "Taowu" has often been used historically to metaphorically describe stubborn and ill-tempered individuals. Its rebellious and untamable qualities eventually led to its designation as one of the four great evil beasts in folklore.

According to "Zuo Zhuan" and "Records of the Grand Historian," the unworthy sons of the Emperor Hong (帝鸿氏) include "Hundun" (混沌); the unworthy son of the Shaohao clan is "Qiongqi" (穷奇); and the unworthy son of the Zhuangxu clan is "Taowu." These are referred to as the "Three Evils," and when combined with "Taotie" (饕餮) from the Jinyun clan, they become the "Four Evils."

"Zuo Zhuan" Year 18 of Duke Wen states: "Shun, as a minister to Yao, invited the four evil clans Hundun, Qiongqi, Taowu, and Taotie, and exiled them to the four corners to guard against demons." Here, "Dun" is synonymous with "Dun." This indicates that Shun exiled the four evils, with Taowu linked to Gun (鲧), the father of Da Yu (大禹).

The text above suggests that when Shun served as a minister under Emperor Yao, he exiled the four great evil beasts to distant regions to fend off monsters and demons. This indicates that the role of these beasts was not entirely negative; instead, they helped stabilize areas. Being fierce beasts, they likely possessed a deterrent effect against evil spirits, thus serving as protective deities.

The Taowu's rebellious nature has led it to live a solitary existence. Whatever it chooses to do, no one and no other beast dares stop it. Anyone attempting to obstruct the Taowu will face its wrath without hesitation!

Among the four great evil beasts, the Taowu and Qiongqi are the most mischievous, enjoying toying with humans. The Taowu encourages some evildoers to commit misdeeds while it watches from the sidelines for amusement; occasionally, it even assists wrongdoers. However, don't be fooled into thinking it genuinely helps them; the Taowu seeks only entertainment! Once it becomes bored or hungry, it treats humans as food and devours them whole!

Various Historical Descriptions of "Taowu"

The true nature of "Taowu" has been widely debated, with no consensus reached.

Some describe it as a ferocious beast. For instance, Dongfang Shuo in "Shen Yi Jing - Western Wilderness" notes: "In the western wilderness, there is a beast. It resembles a tiger but has dog-like fur, measures two feet long, with a human face, tiger legs, boar-like tusks, and a tail that is eight feet long. It causes chaos in the wilderness and is called Taowu. It is also known as Aohen and Nanxun."

Others describe it as a fierce person, as recorded in "Zuo Zhuan - Year 18 of Duke Wen": "Hundun, Qiongqi, Taowu, and Taotie are the four evils. Taowu is the unworthy son of Zhuangxu, unteachable. When warned, it is stubborn; when left alone, it is unruly. The people of the world call it Taowu."

Some describe it as a fierce tree, as Wang Jun explains in "Shuo Wen Jie Zi": "Taowu is an evil tree, associated with recording evil as a warning."

Some claim "Taowu" refers to Gun (鲧), as Xue Anqin notes in "Guo Yu Yi Zhu": "Taowu is the same as Gun, also written as '鲧,' and is said to be a tribal leader from ancient times who transformed into a yellow bear after being deified."

Others suggest that "Taowu" describes a foolish appearance, as Du Yu states in his annotations to "Zuo Zhuan": "It has the appearance of a fierce and unruly beast." Jia Kui also supports this interpretation.

There are also claims that "Taowu" refers to a crocodile, as mentioned by Tang Shanchun in his article "Explaining 'Taowu'": "'Taowu' means crocodile in the Miao language." "Taowu" comes from the Miao language, meaning crocodile, and is the totem of the Chu people. Similar claims can be found in various sources, but due to space limitations, they will not be detailed here.

Historical Documentation

According to "Zuo Zhuan" Year 18 of Duke Wen: "Zhuangxu has an unworthy son, unteachable, and does not understand words; when warned, he is stubborn; when left alone, he is unruly. His arrogance and malevolence disrupt the natural order, and the people of the world call him Taowu."

"Zuo Zhuan" Year 18 of Duke Wen states: "Shun, as a minister to Yao, invited the four evil clans Hundun, Qiongqi, Taowu, and Taotie, and exiled them to the four corners to guard against demons." Here, "Dun" is synonymous with "Dun." This indicates that Shun exiled the four evils, with Taowu linked to Gun. Gun is the father of Yu.

Tang scholar Zhang Shoujie in "Shiji Zhengyi" cites "Shen Yi Jing" and notes: "In the western wilderness, there is a beast, resembling a tiger but large, with fur two feet long, a human face, tiger legs, boar-like tusks, and a tail that is eight feet long, causing chaos in the wilderness, named Taowu. It is also called Aohen and Nanxun."

Referring to Taowu — "Zuo Zhuan - Year 18 of Duke Wen." Note: "It has the appearance of a fierce and unruly beast." Commentary: "Taowu resembles a tiger, measuring one foot long, with a human face, tiger legs, boar tusks, and a tail that is eight feet long, never backing down in a fight."

The Taowu of Chu — "Mengzi." Note: "A type of fierce beast, arising from the warning against evil, hence its name. Ding refers to an evil beast."

"Chunqiu" states: "Zhuangxu has an unworthy son named Taowu."

"Mengzi - Li Lou Xia" states: "The Jin chariot, the Chu Taowu, and the Spring and Autumn Annals are all the same." Taowu, pronounced as "tao wu." This indicates that Taowu is associated with the chariot and the Spring and Autumn Annals, representing the national history of the state, with "Taowu" being the historical name of Chu.