Suānyǔ

酸與Suanyu

The serpentine multi-winged bird of Mount Jing from the Shan Hai Jing: shaped like a snake with four wings, six eyes and three feet, its sighting brings terror.《山海经》记载景山凶禽酸与：其状如蛇而四翼六目三足，其鸣自詨，见则其邑有恐。

Body身形

Like a snake体态蜿蜒宛如灵蛇

其狀如蛇

Wings飞翼

Four wings肋下翻飞两对四翼

四翼

Eyes眼目

Six eyes面生环顾六目

六目

Omen灾异

Causes townwide panic现身则城邑大恐

見則其邑有恐

Woodblock print from Gujin Tushu Jicheng showing the serpentine bird Suanyu with multiple wings and claws gliding, inscribed 'Suanyu Tu'六目Six eyes面生六目六目Six eyes面生六目其狀如蛇Serpentine body如蛇之躯其狀如蛇Serpentine body如蛇之躯四翼Four wings四翼展翅四翼Four wings四翼展翅三足Three talons三爪下垂三足Three talons三爪下垂
有鳥焉，其名曰酸與

There is a bird here; its name is Suanyu.

山海經·北山經
酸與圖, Gujin Tushu Jicheng 古今圖書集成, Qin Chong Dian (Section on Birds and Animals), woodblock print, 1726清·陈梦雷等编《古今图书集成·禽虫典》“酸與图”，雍正四年（1726）铜活字印本 · Public domain公有领域

Highlighted words: anatomy part · feature · form type — tap to jump标色词：形态部位 · 特征 · 形态类别，点击可跳转

The texts原文

Original Text & Translation原文与译文

山海經·北山經 · 山海經·北山經 · Wikisource

景山，有鳥焉，其狀如蛇，而四翼、六目、三足，名曰酸與，其鳴自詨，見則其邑有恐。
There is a bird here shaped like a snake, with four wings, six eyes, and three feet, named Suanyu; its cry calls its own name, and when it appears the township suffers great panic.

山海經·北山經 · 山海經·北山經 · Wikisource

景山，有鳥焉，其狀如蛇，而四翼、六目、三足，名曰酸與，其鳴自詨，見則其邑有恐。
There is a bird here shaped like a snake, with four wings, six eyes, and three feet, named Suanyu; its cry calls its own name, and when it appears the township suffers great panic.

Comparing the Books典籍对比

The Classic of the Northern Mountains documents the Suanyu on Mount Jing: an uncanny hybrid of snake, multiple wings, and six eyes whose arrival strikes terrifying panic into whole towns.

The story来历与故事

A chilling, multi-limbed chimeric terror of the northern skies: possessing the sinuous, scale-patterned length of a serpent, driven through the air on four feathered wings, peering through six unblinking eyes, and clutching with three talons. Screeching its own title, its appearance strikes sudden hysteria and panic into human settlements.

The Multi-Eyed Terror of Mount Jing景山险峰与四翼六目

The Shan Hai Jing states in the Classic of the Northern Mountains that Mount Jin《山海经·北山经》记载，又南三百里曰景山，南望盐贩之泽，山多秦椒多赭玉。在这座荒

The Shan Hai Jing states in the Classic of the Northern Mountains that Mount Jing looks south toward the Salt Sellers' Marsh. Amidst the mountain peppers and rich cinnabar veins perches the Suanyu, an impossible biological fusion classified as a bird yet built like a gliding serpent.

The creature flies through dusk emitting an uncanny self-named shriek. Ancient accounts record its specific omen: 'when it is seen, the township experiences panic' ('jian ze qi yi you kong'). Unlike predators that hunt single victims, the Suanyu was feared for transmitting mass psychological contagion, causing entire prefectures to descend into sudden dread and paranoia.

Chimeric Avians and Social Psychology in Myth古代灾异恐慌与视觉奇想

In ancient Chinese omens, physical anomalies—such as excessive eyes and wings—sy汉晋阴阳五行注家认为，酸与的“四翼六目三足”乃天地乖戾阴阳之气失序凝聚之极。六目

In ancient Chinese omens, physical anomalies—such as excessive eyes and wings—symbolized overwhelming sensory inundation and unresolvable cosmic tension. The six eyes of Suanyu represented an omnipresent, inescapable surveillance that unsettled the mortal mind.

Throughout classical illustrated compendia, Suanyu's striking multi-winged silhouette was immortalized as one of the most surreal and imaginative visions in the entire Shan Hai Jing canon.

Record档案

Record Card档案卡

TypeOmen Avian (four-winged six-eyed terror harbinger)
Also known asSerpentine Four-Winged Fowl; Panic Omen Bird
Earliest sourceShan Hai Jing 山海經 (Classic of the Northern Mountains)
OmenSightings induce acute panic, dread, and social terror upon local settlements
HabitatDwells upon Mount Jing in the northern mountains
Earliest source山海經·北山經
Source books山海經·北山經
Image sourceChen Menglei 陳夢雷 (ed.) · Wikimedia Commons
LicensePublic domain
Divine BirdsCalamityShan Hai JingMany-legged多足Winged有翼

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Suanyu in Chinese mythology?

The Suanyu is an omen bird from the Shan Hai Jing shaped like a snake with four wings, six eyes, and three feet. Its appearance brings widespread panic to towns.

Why does the Suanyu cause panic?

The classic text records that 'when seen, the town has panic' ('jian ze qi yi you kong'), symbolizing mass anxiety and supernatural dread.

Where does the Suanyu dwell?

According to the Shan Hai Jing, the Suanyu lives on Mount Jing, looking south toward the Salt Sellers' Marsh.

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