Heyu (合窳) — Chinese Mythology Creature

合窳Heyu

The human-faced deluge beast of Mount Shan in the Shan Hai Jing: shaped like a swine with a human face and infant-like voice, its sighting brings universal floods.《山海经》记载剡山凶兽合窳：状如彘而人面，黄身而赤尾，其音如婴儿，见则天下大水。

Face面貌

Human face on boar head彘首端生人面

其狀如彘而人面

Voice鸣叫

Cries like an infant啼鸣宛如婴孩

其音如嬰兒

Prey捕食

Preys on humans and snakes噬咬人类毒蛇

食人，亦食蟲蛇

Peril灾异

Brings universal floods招致滔天洪患

見則天下大水

Original Text & Translation原文与译文

山海經·東山經 · Shan Hai Jing · Wikisource

有獸焉，其狀如彘而人面，黃身而赤尾，其名曰合窳，其音如嬰兒。是獸也，食人，亦食蟲蛇，見則天下大水。

There is a beast here shaped like a swine with a human face, a yellow body and a red tail, named Heyu; its sound is like an infant. This beast devours humans and also eats insects and snakes; when seen, there will be a great flood throughout the world.

Comparing the Books典籍对比

The Shan Hai Jing pairs Heyu on Mount Shan with Fei on Mount Tai as the two great peril beasts of the Eastern Mountains: Heyu heralds all-engulfing floodwaters, while Fei brings all-withering drought and plague.

The human-faced deluge beast of Mount Shan in the Shan Hai Jing: shaped like a swine with a human countenance, crying like an infant, its sighting heralds great floods across the world.

The Beast of Mount Shan剡山异兽：其名曰合窳

Heyu is a human-faced boar beast dwelling on Mount Shan.《东山经》记载剡山无草木多金玉，其中有兽名曰合窳。

In the Classic of the Eastern Mountains, Heyu inhabits Mount Shan, three hundred li south of Mount Qia.

The mountain slopes are devoid of vegetation yet rich in gold and jade, harboring this predatory swine beast.

Human Face, Infant Voice, and Deluge Omen人面婴儿音：见则大水

It cries like an infant, preys on humans, and portends floods.经文记其其音如婴儿，是兽也食人，见则天下大水。

The Shan Hai Jing records that Heyu has the body of a wild boar, a human face, a yellow torso, and a crimson tail.

Its vocalization sounds like the crying of a human infant; it feeds upon humans as well as insects and venomous snakes, and its sighting brings all-submerging floodwaters ('jian ze tian xia da shui').

The Gujin Tushu Jicheng Woodblock Print清代图谱：人面合窳

Woodblock prints illustrate its swine torso and human countenance.《古今图书集成》画其为一头身如豪猪野彘、额生人面之凶险异兽。

The 1726 imperial encyclopedia Gujin Tushu Jicheng depicts Heyu striding across rugged slopes with bristling bristles and an alert human face.

The woodblock print illustrates its robust swine limbs, curved tail, and title cartouche reading Heyu Tu in the upper right.

Record Card档案卡

Type	Deluge Swine (human-faced, man-eating boar beast whose appearance heralds universal flood)
Also known as	Héyǔ 合窳; Shanshan Heyu (剡山之合窳)
Habitat	Mount Shan (剡山) in the Eastern Mountains, barren of flora and rich in gold and jade
Omen	Catastrophic universal floods submerging the realm (見則天下大水)
Earliest source	山海經·東山經
Source books	山海經·東山經
Image source	Chen Menglei 陳夢雷 (ed.) · Wikimedia Commons
License	Public domain

Type

Deluge Swine (human-faced, man-eating boar beast whose appearance heralds universal flood)

Also known as

Héyǔ 合窳; Shanshan Heyu (剡山之合窳)

Habitat

Mount Shan (剡山) in the Eastern Mountains, barren of flora and rich in gold and jade

Omen

Catastrophic universal floods submerging the realm (見則天下大水)

Earliest source

山海經·東山經

Source books

山海經·東山經

Image source

Chen Menglei 陳夢雷 (ed.) · Wikimedia Commons

License

Public domain

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Heyu look like in the Shan Hai Jing?

The classic describes Heyu as shaped like a swine with a human face, a yellow body, and a red tail ('shaped like a swine with a human face, yellow body and red tail').

What does Heyu sound like and what does it feed upon?

Ancient texts record that its cry resembles a wailing infant, and it preys upon humans as well as insects and snakes ('its sound is like an infant; it eats humans, and also eats insects and snakes').

What omen is associated with the sighting of Heyu?

The classic states that when Heyu appears, there will be catastrophic floodwaters throughout the world ('when seen, there is great water throughout the world').