huaihuai, named historical Shan hai jing woodcut
Exact named figure in the Southern Mountains section of a seventeenth-century illustrated Shan hai jing edition. Historical interpretation, not a biological photograph. Source file cites the Library of Congress digitized edition.
Overview
Huaihuai is described at Mount Yaoguang in the second southern sequence of the Shanhaijing. Its shape resembles a human being, but it bears piglike bristles. It lives in caves and becomes dormant in winter. Its voice resembles the sound of chopping wood, giving it an acoustic characteristic different from ordinary human speech.
The entry associates its appearance with heavy labour obligations in the district; the accompanying commentary also preserves an interpretation involving disorder. This uncertainty matters because the creature should not be described as personally enslaving villagers or organising a revolt. The mountain passage also lists jade and metal, placing Huaihuai within the work’s geographical inventory. Its humanlike anatomy and seasonal retreat are directly stated, while an independent moral character, diet, and transformation history are not.
Origins & earliest records
China; Shanhaijing, Southern Mountains
Records & interpretation
Directly read Chinese primary-text transcription; exact section and geographical passage retained. No matched scan or illustration verified.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Shanhaijing: Southern Mountains
Second southern sequence; Mount Yaoguang 堯光山; hosted text displays commentary separately in brackets.
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, Southern Mountains
南山經. Second southern sequence; Mount Yaoguang 堯光山
Directly read transcription, not a collated historical scan. Identifying passage: 有獸焉，其狀如人而彘鬛，穴居而冬蟄，其名曰猾褢。 Base text and bracketed commentary distinguished; no exact plate assigned.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary-text transcriptionShanhaijing, Southern Mountains: Second southern sequence; Mount Yaoguang 堯光山Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationhuaihuai, named historical Shan hai jing woodcut
Exact named figure in the Southern Mountains section of a seventeenth-century illustrated Shan hai jing edition. Historical interpretation, not a biological photograph. Source file cites the Library of Congress digitized edition.
