Zhenniao

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Zhenniao (

Eastern Jin scholar Guo Pu, two different kinds of birds were called zhen: a poisonous, snake-eating bird of prey, and a pheasant-like species—purportedly the one dwelling on Mount Yaobi—which preyed instead on malodorous bugs called 蜚; fěi.[1][2][3]

Literary references

In

vipers. The male and female zhen are called 迴陽; huíyáng; 'revolving sun' and 陰氳; yīnyūn; 'Yin harmony', respectively.[3]

More descriptions of zhen birds are found in Guo Yigong's Extensive Records (廣志; Guǎngzhì), written in the 3rd century CE,

hairpins, foaming and neutralizing the poison when used to stir poisonous concoctions.[6]

Woodblock print of the zhen from the Sancai Tuhui

Aside from the Shanhaijing, Guangzhi, Piya, and Baopuzi, an entry for the zhen also appears in the

Zuo Tradition
:

The

dholes and wolves and may not be satisfied; the various Xia states are close intimates and may not be abandoned. Ease and peace are like zhen's poison and may not be contemplated.[8]

and in the "Biography of Huo Xu" from the Book of the Later Han:

Would that not be like a person appeasing his hunger by eating monkshood, or quenching the thirst by drinking zhendu? The person would die as soon as the poison entered his throat, way before they could make their way to his stomach to quench his hunger or thirst. How could [anyone] do such a thing?[7][9]

In Chinese accounts, there are a number of mentions about zhendu poisoning used in failed and successful assassinations, but because zhen eventually became a metaphor for any type of poisoning in general, it is not always clear if the bird-poison was actually employed in each case. Various

hagiographic sources relate that Wang Chuyi, a disciple of Wang Chongyang, was said to have been immune to poisons, even surviving after drinking liquor that contained the zhendu.[10]

In the

Prince Morinaga to take zhendu (Japanese
: chin doku). Later, Tadayoshi was himself captured and poisoned with zhendu.

Existence

Wild zhenniao were supposedly last seen in the Song dynasty when many farming Han Chinese moved to

poison dart frogs
produce poison by ingesting poisonous insects. As a consequence, in some illustrated books, pictures very similar to these two birds have been used to depict the zhen.

However, throughout most modern history,

poisonous birds have been discovered, most of which also gain their poison from their prey. A 2007 article published in China questioned whether or not the zhen could have really existed.[14]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Also known as Mount Huaguo.

References

  1. ^ Guo Pu & Wu Renchen. Classic of Mountains and Seas - Extensively Commentated, "Vol. 5". Siku Quanshu version, pp. 171, 200 of 229
  2. ^ Shan hai jing [The classic of mountains and seas]. Translated by Anne Birrell. Penguin Classics. 1999. pp. 85–90.
    OCLC 40754734
    .
  3. ^ a b 山海經 [A Chinese Bestiary: Strange Creatures from the Guideways through Mountains and Seas]. Translated by Richard E. Strassberg.
    OCLC 49977148
    .
  4. ^ Bocci, C., & Ptak, R. (2016). "The Entries on Birds in Liu Xun’s Lingbiao lu yi". Bulletin de l’École Française d’Extrême-Orient, 102, p. 337 of pp. 297–352. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26435127
  5. ^ Guangyun "departing tone - chapter 沁 - sub-chapter 鴆" quote: "廣志云其鳥大如鴞紫緑色有毒頸長七八寸食蛇蝮雄名運目雌名隂諧以其毛 飲食則殺人。"
  6. ^ Parker, Jeannie Thomas; Hsü, James C. H. The Mythic Chinese Unicorn Zhi. Toronto, Canada:
    OCLC 44377233
    .
  7. ^ a b "Chinese idiom: "drinking zhen to quench the thirst"". pureinsight.
  8. ^ Zuo zhuan "Duke Min - 1st year- zhuan". quote: "戎狄豺狼，不可厭也；諸夏親暱，不可棄也；宴安酖毒，不可懷也。"
  9. ^ Houhan shu "Vol. 48 - section Huo Xu" quote: "譬猶療飢於附子，止渴於酖毒，未入膓胃，已絕咽喉，豈可爲哉！"
  10. ^ Eskildsen, Stephen (2004). The Teachings and Practices of the Early Quanzhen Taoist Masters: Exploring the Realm of Health Care. SUNY series in Chinese philosophy and culture.
    OCLC 54543115
    .
  11. ^ 嶺外代答卷八・九 Archived July 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ 飲鴆止渴
  13. ^ 鴆鳥－実在から伝説へ
  14. ^ *鴆鳥在實現中有嗎？ (Did Zhen truly exist?)

External references

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