Aoye, long-haired white oxlike beast with four horns, Qing Shanhaijing painted manuscript
The caption describes a white oxlike beast with four horns, heavy hair and human predation on Mount Sanwei. The long dark coat and white face are the anonymous artist’s treatment of Aoye; the library’s source mark remains visible.
Overview
Aoye is the human-eating beast of Mount Sanwei in the third western itinerary of the Shanhaijing. Its body resembles an ox, but it is white, has four horns, and bears hair compared with a rain cape of straw or fibres. The name is printed with uncommon characters, whose pronunciation is supplied in the received annotation. Human predation is a direct statement of this passage.
The same mountain also contains a bird with one head and three bodies, while the three blue birds have their own association with the Queen Mother of the West. Those multiple bodies and divine errands do not belong to Aoye. The comparison with a cape concerns the beast’s heavy hair, not an animal wearing a human-made garment. No named victim or battle is narrated, so the profile records the threatening body and diet without inventing an encounter.
Origins & earliest records
China; Shanhaijing western mountain itineraries
Records & interpretation
Directly read named primary-text transcription; historical illustration not yet assigned.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Shanhaijing, Western Mountains
Third western itinerary; Mount Sanwei
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
Primary records and illustrations
Shanhaijing
Western Mountains. Third western itinerary; Mount Sanwei
Directly read primary-text transcription. Identifying passage: 其狀如牛，白身四角，其豪如披蓑. No historical scan collated for this row; attached commentary not treated as the base text.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary text transcriptionShanhaijing: Western Mountains, received text and commentaryResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical manuscript illustrationAoye, long-haired white oxlike beast with four horns, Qing Shanhaijing painted manuscript
The caption describes a white oxlike beast with four horns, heavy hair and human predation on Mount Sanwei. The long dark coat and white face are the anonymous artist’s treatment of Aoye; the library’s source mark remains visible.
