Vol. 2026 No. 2 (2026)
Articles

A study on prophetic monsters in the classic of mountains and seas as disaster memory

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  • Noah Martin,
  • Sophia Tremblay
Noah Martin
UBC, Vancouver Campus,2329 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
Sophia Tremblay
UBC, Okanagan Campus,3333 University Way, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada

Published 17-03-2026

Keywords

  • Shan Hai Jing,
  • prophetic monsters,
  • primitive mentality,
  • witchcraft / shamanism

Copyright (c) 2026 Cambridge Arts and Humanities Research

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Abstract

The Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shan Hai Jing) records a vast array of bizarre and exotic creatures, among which a particular category of monsters not only possesses peculiar appearances but also possesses the ability to foretell fortune or misfortune. The emergence of such prophetic monsters represents not merely the primitive mentality's exploration and comprehension of natural phenomena, but also serves as an alternative record of natural disasters within agricultural civilization. Furthermore, it embodies the quintessential application of the Shan Hai Jing as an ancient text of shamanism.

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References

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