The Classic of Mountains and Seas is an ancient Chinese zhiwei book, the oldest strange book rich in myths and legends. However, the author of the book is unknown, and modern researchers believe that the author of the book is not the only one. There is also a more unified saying that this book was written in the Warring States period, in fact, the Classic of Mountains and Seas may have existed before the Xia Dynasty. So, since he has such a great influence on the international sinology community, how much do you know about the secrets in this book? Do the strange creatures recorded in it really exist?
Regarding the description of various magical creatures in the book, I think it cannot be understood with today's reading logic, the "Classic of Mountains and Seas" was roughly written in the late Warring States period to the early Han Dynasty, when the main materials for the book were bamboo jane and silk veil, the biggest problem of these materials is that it is expensive, and it occupies a lot of space. So whether it's writing or taking notes, the use of words and words certainly can't be as willful as it is today.
There are many records in it, which can be found today. For example, in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, there are places where people have dog heads, and Dr. Motz found tribes near the place where they wrote about it, who liked to put the whole dog skin on their heads like hats.
It is also mentioned that a certain country in the East will make clothes out of fish skins. This is confirmed by an ethnic minority in the northeast. There was once a program that introduced the generations of ethnic minorities who used fish skins to make clothes, but with the development and change of society, this technology has been lost, even a stunt, although it is now seen less, but it does not mean that it has not really existed.
There is also the Kwa father giant clan described in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, and it is also recorded in Confucius's book that Confucius once encountered a huge skeleton excavated, which just confirms the existence of the giant family in the Classic of Mountains and Seas.
Another very strange thing is that the spin turtle recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas also appeared in Jilin Province. The appearance recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas is like an ordinary turtle, but it has a bird's head, a poisonous snake's tail, and its call is like splitting wood. If a person carries its shell, he will not be deaf, and the medicine can also treat the cocoon of the foot.
In fact, it is said that it is an ancient book of Zhiwei, and I think it is more like a recipe. Successive monarchs were quite polite to the "Classic of Mountains and Seas", Qin Shi Huang burned the book pit Confucianism, this book was not burned, when Sima Qian was sent to write the "History", but encountered this book that even he did not dare to judge. He honestly wrote in the "Records of History": "As for all the monsters in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, Yu did not dare to say anything. In fact, not only Sima Qian, but also historians of all generations who encountered the Classic of Mountains and Seas had to fight a chill, and they were all jealous of its contents.
The things written in this book have been discovered one by one around us until now. Whether so many gods and rare beasts were randomly compiled by the author or really saw it with his own eyes, it is not clear. The secret of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, we must continue to explore.