Xiao (mythology)

Template:ChineseText A xiao or hsiao is a legendary creature in Chinese mythology, described as resembling either a long-armed ape or a four-winged bird.

Jorge Luis Borges describes this creature as similar to a hawk, but with the head of a man, the body of a monkey, and the tail of dog. The word is sometimes misspelled "hsigo".

Word

In Chinese word, xiāo (囂) means "noise; clamor; hubbub; haughty; proud; arrogant". During the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BCE), Xiao was the name of a historical capital (near modern Zhengzhou in Henan province) during the era of King Zhong Ding (r. c. 1421-1396 BCE), and the given name of King Geng Ding (r. c. 1170-1147 BCE).

The Chinese character 囂 for xiao graphically combines the radicals kou 口 "mouth" (quadrupled as 㗊) and ye 頁 "head", thus signifying "many voices". The first Chinese character dictionary, the (121 CE) Shuowen Jiezi defines xiao (囂) as sheng (聲) "sound; noise", and cryptically says 气出頭上 "qi is emitted on top of the head", which Duan Yucai's commentary explains as 聲出而气隨之 "noise is emitted and qi follows it".

Shanhaijing

The Shanhaijing "Classic of Mountains and Seas" uses Xiao as the name of a river (Xiaoshui 囂水, tr. Birrell 2000:16, passim "River Hubbub") , a mountain (Beixiao zhi shan 北囂之山, tr. Birrell 2000:43 "Mount Northhubbub"), and two mythical creatures.

The first mythological Xiao, which supposedly resembles a yu (禺) "monkey; ape", is found on the western mountain Yuci (羭次),

Seventy leagues further west is a mountain called Mount Ewenext. … There is an animal on this mountain which looks like an ape, but it has longer arms and it is good at throwing things. Its name is the hubbub. (tr. Birrell 1999:15),

One hundred ninety li farther west stands Black-Ewe Mountain … There is a beast here whose form resembles a Yu-Ape but with longer arms. It is adept at throwing things and is called the Xiao … Noisy-Ape. (tr. Strassberg 2002:99)

The second mythological Hsiao, which resembles Kuafu (夸父) the mythological giant who chased the sun, is found on the northern mountain Liangqu (梁渠),

Three hundred and fifty leagues further north is a mountain called Mount Bridgedrain. … There is a bird here which looks like the boastfather; it has four wings, one eye, and a dog's tail. Its name is the hubbub. It makes a noise like a magpie. If you eat it, it will cure a bellyache, and it is effective for indigestion. (tr. Birrell 1999:44)

There is a bird dwelling here whose form resembles Kuafu the Boaster but with four wings, one eye, and a dog's tail. It is called the Raucous-Bird, and it makes a sound like a magpie. Eating it will cure abdominal pain, and it can also stop diarrhea. (tr. Strassberg 2002:129)

Although this passage compares the Xiao bird with Kuafu, who has a human form, the Shanhaijing commentary of Guo Pu (276-324) says another textual version states that it resembles the Jufu (舉父), who is also described as yu "monkey; ape". The sub-commentary of Hao Yixing (郝懿行; 1757–1825) notes the association may be owing to the similar sounding names Kuafu and Jufu (Strassberg 2002:259). The relevant passage concerns the mountain Chongwu (崇吾),

The first peak of the Classic of the Western Mountains, Part III, is called Mount Worshipmy. … There is an animal here which looks like an ape but its forearms have markings like a leopard or tiger, and it is good at throwing things. Its name is the liftfather. (tr. Birrell 2000:20-21)

The first mountain along the third guideway through the Western Mountains is called Mount Chongwu. … There is a beast here who form resembles a Yu-Ape with leopard and tiger markings on its arms. It is adept at throwing things and is called the Jufu … Lifter (Strassberg 2002:104)

Further reading

• Birrell, Anne, tr. 2000. The Classic of Mountains and Seas. Penguin.
• Schiffeler, John W. 1978. The Legendary Creatures of the Shan hai ching. Hwa Kang.
• Strassberg, Richard. 2002. A Chinese Bestiary: Strange Creatures from the guideways Through Mountains and Seas. University of California Press.