Qiongqi
| Qiongqi | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Qing dynasty illustration from the Preface to the Classic of Mountains and Seas (山海經存) by Wang Fu (汪紱) | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 窮奇 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 穷奇 | ||||||
| |||||||
Qiongqi is a mythical creature mentioned in the Chinese classics. Along with Hundun, Taowu, and Taotie, it is one of the Four Perils.
Etymology
[edit]Qiongqi (窮奇) literally means "exhaustively strange".[1]
In traditional historiography
[edit]Qiongqi is mentioned in the Records of the Grand Historian as Shaohao's failed child, devoid of ability, who would act in bad faith, decry loyalty, and would speak only lies. Causing chaos across the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors period, he would eventually be banished by Emperor Shun of the Youyu clan to the far reaches of the region. In the biographies, he also writes that it resides in a place called Yunmeng (雲夢) in the State of Chu.[2] The Zuo Zhuan speaks to similar effect, but goes further, stating that the Qiongqi elevated lies, spread false accusations, and would stay quiet before slandering people.[3]
In the Classic of Mountains and Seas
[edit]Qiongqi is given two conflicting descriptions in the Classic of Mountains and Seas.[4]
The first is in the Classic of the Western Mountains (西山經):[4]
又西二百六十里，曰邽山。其上有獸焉，其狀如牛，蝟毛，名曰窮奇，音如獋狗，是食人。
Two hundred and sixty li further west is Mount Gui. On it dwells a beast, resembling an ox with hedgehog-like fur, named Qiongqi, whose cry sounds like a howling dog; this (thing) eats people.
The second is in the Classic of the Northern Seas' Inner Realm (海內北經):[4]
窮奇狀如虎，有翼，食人從首始，所食被髮，在蜪犬北。一曰從足。
Qiongqi resembles a tiger with wings. It eats people starting from the head, and those it eats have disheveled hair. It lives north of Taoquan. Another account says it starts from the feet.
The second account is embellished in the Book of Gods and Strange Things, which, in addition to the above description, also claims that Qiongqi understands human speech. If it hears people fighting, it will eat the one in the right, and if it hears one who is loyal and trustworthy, it will eat their nose. If it hears someone wicked, it will kill a beast to feed them. Outside of this, it also eats birds and beasts.[5]
In popular culture
[edit]Qiongqi is featured in the Shin Megami Tensei franchise, particularly the Devil Children games, as a recruitable demon, using the description from the Classic of the Northern Seas' Inner Realm (海內北經) of the Classic of Mountains and Seas.
References
[edit]- ↑ Kroll, Paul W.; Baxter, William H.; Boltz, William G.; Knechtges, David R.; Lien, Y. Edmund; Richter, Antje; Richter, Matthias L.; Warner, Ding Xiang (2017). A student's dictionary of classical and medieval Chinese (Revised ed.). Leiden Boston: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-32513-5.
- ↑ Sima, Qian. Sturgeon, Donald (ed.). 史記 (in Literary Chinese). Chinese Text Project. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
- ↑ Zuo, Qiuming. "文公十八年". In Sturgeon, Donald (ed.). 春秋左傳 (in Literary Chinese). Chinese Text Project. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
少皞氏有不才子，毀信廢忠，崇飾惡言，靖譖庸回，服讒蒐慝，以誣盛德，天下之民謂之窮奇。顓頊有不才子，不可教訓，不知話言，告之則頑，舍之則嚚，傲很明德，以亂天常，天下之民謂之檮杌。此三族也，世濟其凶，增其惡名，以至于堯，堯不能去。縉雲氏有不才子，貪于飲食，冒于貨賄，侵欲崇侈，不可盈厭，聚斂積實，不知紀極，不分孤寡，不恤窮匱，天下之民，以比三凶，謂之饕餮。舜臣堯，賓于四門，流四凶族，渾敦、窮奇、檮杌、饕餮，投諸四裔，以禦螭魅。是以堯崩而天下如一，同心戴舜，以為天子，以其舉十六相，去四凶也。故《虞書》數舜之功，曰『慎徽五典，五典克從』無違教也。曰『納于百揆，百揆時序』，無廢事也。曰『賓于四門，四門穆穆』無凶人也。舜有大功二十而為天子，今行父雖未獲一吉人，去一凶矣。於舜之功，二十之一也，庶幾免於戾乎。
- 1 2 3 Sturgeon, Donald (ed.). 山海經 [Classic of Mountains and Seas] (in Literary Chinese). Chinese Text Project. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
- ↑ Shenyijing "Classic of the Northwest WIlderness: Six Examples" quote: "西北有獸焉，狀似虎，有翼能飛，便剿食人。知人言語，聞人鬥，輒食直者；聞人忠信，輒食其鼻；聞人惡逆不善，輒殺獸往饋之。名曰窮奇，亦食諸禽獸也。"