Zhenniao
Encyclopedia
Zhenniao or sometimes translated as Zhen or Poisonfeather Birds, is a name given to poisonous birds that is said to have existed in what is now present-day Southern China
during ancient times and is referenced in many Chinese myths
, annals
and poetry. The Shanhaijing Chapter 5: Classic of the Mountains: Central describes the Zhen as resembling an eagle
living in Girl's Tabletop Mountain, Lutemute Mountain and Jade Mountain in Southern China.
's (郭璞) commentaries of the Shanhaijing, he describes this bird as having a purple abdomen and green tipped feathers with a long neck and a scarlet beak. This bird acquires its poisonous attributes from devouring poisonous viper
heads. The male in the species is called Revolving Sun and the female is called Yin
Harmony .
Another description of the Zhen however appears in the Song Dynasty
dictionary Piya
, describing it as being goose
like, colored dark-purple and having a beak 7‑8 cun
long and copper-colored.
As described in the Piya, from its very veins to the tips of its feathers, the Zhen's body is said to be tainted with an unparalleled poison referred to as Zhendu or Zhen poison. The Zhen's feathers were often dipped into liquor to create a poisonous draught that that was often used to carry out assassinations. Its meat however was said to be overtly toxic and gave off a gamy odor that it rendered it inadequate for surreptitious use and the Zhen's excrement could dissolve stone. The Zhen's poison was said to be so deadly that it needed only to pass through one's throat kill a person. In the Baopuzi
by Taoist adept Ge Hong
, the only thing that was said to be able to neutralize the Zhen's poison was the horn of Xiniu (犀牛) - or the rhinoceros
. Xiniu horns would be made into hairpins
and when used to stir poisonous concoctions would foam and neutralize the poison.
Aside from the Shanhaijing, Piya and Baopuzi, an entry for the Zhen also appears in the Sancai Tuhui
along with a woodblock print. In the historical records of ancient China references to the Zhen are usually in the form of the idiom
"Drinking Zhen to quench one's thirst" or when comparing the Zhendu to the poison from monkshood. Such references include "The Biography of Qi Huan Gong" from the Spring and Autumn Annals
and "The Biography of Huo Xu" from the Book of the Later Han. The idiom is usually used to describe someone who merely considers the benefit for the time being and not contemplating the gravity of the consequence that his action will bring him. The following excerpt is from "The Biography of Qi Huan Gong":
In Chinese accounts, there are a number of mentions about Zhendu poisoning used in failed and successful assassinations, but because "Zhen" eventually became a metaphor for any type of poisoning in general, it is not always clear if the bird-poison was actually employed in each case. In various hagiographic sources allege that Wang Chuyi, a disciple of Wang Chongyang
, was said to have been immune to poison and to have survived after drinking liquor containing poison from the Zhen bird.
In the Japanese
historical epic Taiheiki
, Ashikaga Takauji
and his brother Ashikaga Tadayoshi
forced Prince Morinaga
to take Zhendu (or Chin doku as known in Japan). Todayoshii later was himself captured and poisoned with Zhendu.
and Guangxi
. The Chinese ornithologist
have often theorized that the Zhen was similar to secretary bird
or the crested serpent eagle
(which happens to live in Southern China) and gained their toxicity from ingesting poisonous snakes, similar to how the poison dart frogs produce poison by ingesting poisonous insects. As a consequence, in some illustrated books, pictures very similar to the these two birds have been used to depict the Zhen. But throughout most modern history, zoologist knew of no poisonous birds and presumed the Zhen to be a fabulous invention of the mind. But in 1992, an article was published in Science
reporting that the Hooded Pitohui
of New Guinea has poisonous feathers. A recent article in China has been published bringing up the question if the Zhen bird could have really exists.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
during ancient times and is referenced in many Chinese myths
Chinese mythology
Chinese mythology is a collection of cultural history, folktales, and religions that have been passed down in oral or written tradition. These include creation myths and legends and myths concerning the founding of Chinese culture and the Chinese state...
, annals
Annals
Annals are a concise form of historical representation which record events chronologically, year by year. The Oxford English Dictionary defines annals as "a narrative of events written year by year"...
and poetry. The Shanhaijing Chapter 5: Classic of the Mountains: Central describes the Zhen as resembling an eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
living in Girl's Tabletop Mountain, Lutemute Mountain and Jade Mountain in Southern China.
Historical and Literary References
In Guo PuGuo Pu
Guo Pu , courtesy name Jingchun , born in Yuncheng, Shanxi, was a Chinese writer.-Biography:Guo Pu was a Taoist mystic, geomancer, collector of strange tales, editor of old texts, and erudite commentator...
's (郭璞) commentaries of the Shanhaijing, he describes this bird as having a purple abdomen and green tipped feathers with a long neck and a scarlet beak. This bird acquires its poisonous attributes from devouring poisonous viper
Viperidae
The Viperidae are a family of venomous snakes found all over the world, except in Antarctica, Australia, Ireland, Madagascar, Hawaii, various other isolated islands, and above the Arctic Circle. All have relatively long, hinged fangs that permit deep penetration and injection of venom. Four...
heads. The male in the species is called Revolving Sun and the female is called Yin
Yin and yang
In Asian philosophy, the concept of yin yang , which is often referred to in the West as "yin and yang", is used to describe how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only...
Harmony .
Another description of the Zhen however appears in the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
dictionary Piya
Piya
The Piya was a Chinese dictionary compiled by Song Dynasty scholar Lu Dian . He wrote this Erya supplement along with his Erya Xinyi commentary...
, describing it as being goose
Goose
The word goose is the English name for a group of waterfowl, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller....
like, colored dark-purple and having a beak 7‑8 cun
Cun (length)
The cun is a traditional Chinese unit of length. Its traditional measure is the width of a person's thumb at the knuckle, whereas the width of the two forefingers denotes 1.5 cun and the width of all fingers side-by-side is three cuns...
long and copper-colored.
As described in the Piya, from its very veins to the tips of its feathers, the Zhen's body is said to be tainted with an unparalleled poison referred to as Zhendu or Zhen poison. The Zhen's feathers were often dipped into liquor to create a poisonous draught that that was often used to carry out assassinations. Its meat however was said to be overtly toxic and gave off a gamy odor that it rendered it inadequate for surreptitious use and the Zhen's excrement could dissolve stone. The Zhen's poison was said to be so deadly that it needed only to pass through one's throat kill a person. In the Baopuzi
Baopuzi
The Baopuzi , written by the Jin Dynasty scholar Ge Hong 葛洪 , is divided into esoteric Neipian 內篇 "Inner Chapters" and exoteric Waipian 外篇 "Outer Chapters". The Daoist Inner Chapters discuss topics such as techniques for xian 仙 "immortality; transcendence", Chinese alchemy, elixirs, and demonology...
by Taoist adept Ge Hong
Ge Hong
Ge Hong , courtesy name Zhichuan , was a minor southern official during the Jìn Dynasty of China, best known for his interest in Daoism, alchemy, and techniques of longevity...
, the only thing that was said to be able to neutralize the Zhen's poison was the horn of Xiniu (犀牛) - or the rhinoceros
Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
. Xiniu horns would be made into hairpins
Hairpins
Hairpins is a 1920 silent drama film directed by Fred Niblo.-Cast:* Enid Bennett - Muriel Rossmore* Matt Moore - Rex Rossmore* William Conklin - Hal Gordon* Margaret Livingston - Effie Wainwright* Grace Morse - Mrs. Kent...
and when used to stir poisonous concoctions would foam and neutralize the poison.
Sancai Tuhui
The Sancai Tuhui, compiled by Shanghai natives Wang Qi and Wang Siyi , is a Chinese encyclopedia known at the time as a type of Book by category , completed in 1607 and published in 1609 during the Ming dynasty, featuring illustrations of subjects in the three worlds of heaven, earth, and...
along with a woodblock print. In the historical records of ancient China references to the Zhen are usually in the form of the idiom
Idiom
Idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made...
"Drinking Zhen to quench one's thirst" or when comparing the Zhendu to the poison from monkshood. Such references include "The Biography of Qi Huan Gong" from the Spring and Autumn Annals
Spring and Autumn Annals
The Spring and Autumn Annals is the official chronicle of the State of Lu covering the period from 722 BCE to 481 BCE. It is the earliest surviving Chinese historical text to be arranged on annalistic principles. The text is extremely concise and, if all the commentaries are excluded, about 16,000...
and "The Biography of Huo Xu" from the Book of the Later Han. The idiom is usually used to describe someone who merely considers the benefit for the time being and not contemplating the gravity of the consequence that his action will bring him. The following excerpt is from "The Biography of Qi Huan Gong":
"The nations of Rong and DiDi (ethnic group)The Di were an ethnic group in China from the 8th century BCE to approximately the middle of the 6th century CE. Note that the character Di is used to differentiate this group from the Beidi , a generic term for "northern barbarians". They lived in areas of the present-day provinces of Gansu,...
are as jackals and wolves, and they are never contented. All states of HuaxiaHuaxiaHuaxia is a name often used to represent China or Chinese civilization.-Etymology:According to the historical record, Zuo Zhuan, the ancient Xia Dynasty of central China was a state that held propriety and justice in high esteem...
are intimate, and every one should not be deserted. It is like drinking the bird Zhen's poison to seek momentary ease with no thought of the future, and this mind should not be kept."
In Chinese accounts, there are a number of mentions about Zhendu poisoning used in failed and successful assassinations, but because "Zhen" eventually became a metaphor for any type of poisoning in general, it is not always clear if the bird-poison was actually employed in each case. In various hagiographic sources allege that Wang Chuyi, a disciple of Wang Chongyang
Wang Chongyang
Wang Chongyang [Chinese calendar: 宋徽宗政和二年十二月廿二 – 金世宗大定十年正月初四] was a Chinese Taoist and one of the founders of the Quanzhen School in the twelfth century during the Song Dynasty. He was one of the Five Northern Patriarchs of Quanzhen...
, was said to have been immune to poison and to have survived after drinking liquor containing poison from the Zhen bird.
In the Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
historical epic Taiheiki
Taiheiki
The is a Japanese historical epic , written in the late 14th century. It deals primarily with the Nanboku-chō, the period of war between the Northern Court of Ashikaga Takauji in Kyoto, and the Southern Court of Emperor Go-Daigo in Yoshino....
, Ashikaga Takauji
Ashikaga Takauji
was the founder and first shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate. His rule began in 1338, beginning the Muromachi period of Japan, and ended with his death in 1358...
and his brother Ashikaga Tadayoshi
Ashikaga Tadayoshi
was a general of the Northern and Southern Courts period of Japanese history and a close associate of his elder brother Takauji, the first Muromachi shogun. Son of Ashikaga Sadauji and of a daughter of Uesugi Yorishige, the same mother as Takauji, he was a pivotal figure of the chaotic transition...
forced Prince Morinaga
Prince Morinaga
was a son of Emperor Go-Daigo and Minamoto no Chikako executed by Ashikaga Tadayoshi in 1335.When Moriyoshi was 18, Go-Daigo had him named the head abbot of the Enryakuji temple on Mount Hiei....
to take Zhendu (or Chin doku as known in Japan). Todayoshii later was himself captured and poisoned with Zhendu.
Did the Zhen really exist?
Zhenniao in the wild was last seen in the Song dynasty, when many farming Han Chinese moved to GuangdongGuangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
and Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
. The Chinese ornithologist
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
have often theorized that the Zhen was similar to secretary bird
Secretary Bird
The Secretarybird or Secretary Bird is a large, mostly terrestrial bird of prey. Endemic to Africa, it is usually found in the open grasslands and savannah of the sub-Sahara...
or the crested serpent eagle
Crested Serpent Eagle
The Crested Serpent Eagle is a medium-sized bird of prey that is found in forested habitats across tropical Asia. Within its widespread range, there are considerable variations and some authorities prefer to treat several of its subspecies as completely separate species. In the past, several...
(which happens to live in Southern China) and gained their toxicity from ingesting poisonous snakes, similar to how the poison dart frogs produce poison by ingesting poisonous insects. As a consequence, in some illustrated books, pictures very similar to the these two birds have been used to depict the Zhen. But throughout most modern history, zoologist knew of no poisonous birds and presumed the Zhen to be a fabulous invention of the mind. But in 1992, an article was published in Science
Science (journal)
Science is the academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is one of the world's top scientific journals....
reporting that the Hooded Pitohui
Hooded Pitohui
The Hooded Pitohui, Pitohui dichrous is a songbird of New Guinea with black and orange plumage.This species and its two close relatives, the Variable Pitohui and the Brown Pitohui, were the first documented poisonous birds...
of New Guinea has poisonous feathers. A recent article in China has been published bringing up the question if the Zhen bird could have really exists.
External references
- The Idiom "Drinking Zhen to quench one's thirst" (Chinese)
- 春秋左傳 - Chun Qiu Zuo Zhuan (Full Chinese text for the Biography of Qi Huan Gong)
- 太平記 (Full Japanese text for the Taiheiki)