BLOGGING CLUB MAGAZINE
MR. COOK
Yuteh Journal
Blogging Club Magazine 2019/20 – Issue 4 COVER BY: UNKNOWN ARTIST
FOOD – FASHION – ART – STYLE
Myth/Folklore: Chinese Taoti Article by: Cathy https://a06088.wixsite.com/website
The long history of China in the past had helped to create all kinds of legends that are past down from generation to generation either orally or in the written form. Starting from my childhood life, ancient Chinese mythologies and various folk stories had always been one of the things that attracted me a lot.
Taotie's appearance has often been described in many different
Within all the creatures that are
ways. Yet, every one of them
presented in the legends, have
have a really weird and scary
you ever heard of a kind of
appearance. The most popular
fearful beast, named Taotie?
saying was that it had a human
Taotie is a creature that eats
face with a goat's body, others
anything and everything, alive or
said that its eyes grew onto or
dead. Humans and many other
underneath its short arms. Some
creatures are all counted as prey.
legend also described it with big
Taotie is one of the "four evil
tiger's teeth and human's hands.
creatures of the world" in ancient
However, a common description
Chinese mythology, with the
that is agreed with was that it
other three known as Hundun,
only had its head and the upper
Qiongqi, and Taowu. The four
part of the body, but its lower
beasts are often represented as
body was shorter for the reason
the evil opponents of holy
that it was so greedy in eating
heavens. Like the four horsemen.
that it even ate its own body.
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MR. COOK
The origin of this dreadful
A common thing for every Taotie
creature that preys upon different
from the past is that they all
species was actually first shown
consist of strong facial
to the world not by the ancient
expressions. As people from the
myths, but on the bronze and
past said that a person's face is
culture jades in pattern form.
his or her own silent language.
These bronze and jades were
The sculptor always paid full
everything and anything, people
made into Chinese ritual bronze
attention and created a lot of
hoped that it can eat all the bad
vessels known as dings, which
details on Taotie's face. The joy,
luck and scare the enemies away.
were popularly created during the
the anger, and the sorrow
Whilst others believed that these
ancient period from Shang to
expressions are all revealed on
beasts can help them to absorb
Zhou dynasty. On the dings, the
the face, as well as solemn,
more wealth and money while
Taotie was carved either in a
ferocious, insidious, mysterious
they were eating things around.
simple or complex form with
and other attitudes.
There was also another mystery
Taoti has become to theme of many statues
saying that in ancient times,
detailed designs. The design is usually in frontal perspective and
Till this point, a question might
many unexplained phenomena
is bilaterally symmetrical.
appear in your mind: since Tao tie
are attributed to the power of
Sometimes it will appear on the
is such an evil demon, why did the
God by people. Therefore,
surface of the dings in 2D with
ancients still wanted it to be
sometimes people believed that
only the facial looks, while during
carved on the important ritual
these creatures were not meant
other times it would be in 3D, and
equipment? Well, According to
to scare, but to communicate
standing on the edge of the dings
different communities, there are
with God due to the mysterious
as a small statue.
various reason. Some said that
power that they represented.
due to the fact that it ate‌‌‌.
BLOGGING CLUB MAGAZINE
MR. COOK
Since the existence of this
In this movie, Taoties appeared
horrifying beast had always been
in huge groups like an army lead
a mystery passed down in the
by a leader called Queen (a bee-
legend and folktales by the
like monster), trying to break
ancients, Taotie became an
through the Great Wall every 60
attractive theme in modern
years to get into China for the
movies as well as many famous
massive amount of "food". In the
novels. For example, just a few
movie, the myth of Taotie started
years ago, a movie called "The
from 2000 years ago, when
All in all, I can't really state that
Great Wall" was released in
people around the world were
the legend of this fearful creature
China. This historical fantasy
suffering under a greedy and
was real and if it really did appear
action movie was filmed along
ruthless emperor. Due to this
in the long history. However, I
the Great Wall in 2016. The
circumstance, God shot down a
have to say that all the myths and
director of this movie hoped to
meteorite glowing with the green
the adaptation movies based on
create the plot based on the
light on Earth, and the first Taotie
Tao tie are something that will
mysterious origins and legends
was generated from it. Since
really make people feel as if it's
behind the ancient architecture of
then, China suffered under the
much more than realistic. In
the Great Wall of China, and at
attack of the Taotie army once
conclusion, I hope that through
the same time, add elements
every 60 years as the punishment
this article, people's curiosity
such as action, & ancient Chinese
to admonish people from the sins
toward the ancient beast Taotie
culture to enrich the movie.
of greed.
will become stronger.
Taotie appears in the ‘The Great Wall’ movie