There is a strange beast in the Book of Mountains and Seas, which is called "Taotie" and is believed to be able to punish good and promote evil and uphold justice.
The Taotie has a very peculiar image. It has a dragon head, a tiger body, a snake tail, sharp teeth and claws in its mouth, and piercing eyes. Its body is covered with scales and its limbs are strong and powerful. The name Taotie comes from two words in ancient Chinese: "Taotie" and "餮", which mean greed and ferocity respectively. Therefore, Taotie is considered a greedy and ferocious monster.
In ancient Chinese culture, people believed that Taotie had the ability to punish evil and promote good. When someone does something bad or misbehaves, Taotie will come out to punish the person and let him receive the punishment he deserves. At the same time, Taotie will also protect those with good conduct and kindness from evil forces.
Although modern people’s understanding of Taotie mainly comes from ancient documents and folklore, its status in Chinese culture still plays a decisive role. Many literary works, movies and TV series feature Taotie, showing its image of punishing evil and promoting good. In addition, Taotie is also used as a symbol of justice and strength, appearing in many artworks and designs.
The origin and development of the Classic of Mountains and Seas
1. Origin
The origin of the Classic of Mountains and Seas can be traced back to the Classic of Mountains and Seas and the Overseas Classic of the Warring States Period. Both works take geography as the main content and record many myths, legends and geographical knowledge.
However, due to historical reasons, these two works were gradually lost during the subsequent inheritance process. By the Han Dynasty, scholars began to reorganize these ancient books and integrate them into a complete geographical work, which is what we know today as "The Classic of Mountains and Seas".
2. Development
The Han Dynasty was an important stage in the development of Shan Hai Jing. Scholars at that time systematically organized and studied ancient books and integrated the geographical knowledge that was originally scattered in the Classic of Mountains and Seas and the Overseas Classic. At the same time, they also added some new geographical knowledge to this work, making the content of Shan Hai Jing more enriched and perfect.
During the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao ordered the compilation of a national geography book in order to unify the world. The "Shui Jing Zhu" of this period was influenced by the Classic of Mountains and Seas.
During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, with the prosperity of the country's political economy, cultural undertakings also achieved unprecedented development. During this period, the status of Shan Hai Jing further improved and it became a work of important academic value. Tang Dynasty scholar Li Fang and others conducted in-depth research on the Classic of Mountains and Seas and put forward many valuable views and insights.