Lingyu, anonymous1667 Shanhaijing illustration
Printed陵魚 caption gives human face, fishbody, hands, feet and sea habitat; picture explicitly shows this fish hybrid. Traditional InnerNorthern locator retained although hosted text relocates the notice to a note. Smithsonian physical edition1667; anonymous illustrator, GuoPu commentator/WuZhongheng editor, not named as artists. Actual cached IIIF resource.
Overview
The Lingyu notice describes a sea-dwelling being with a human face, hands and feet, and a fish body. It appears in the traditional Inner Northern Sea sequence near notices of Gushe and other maritime places. The inspected Wikisource edition quotes it in note4 while discussing a proposed relocation of that sequence to the Inner Eastern Sea chapter. That editorial arrangement is distinguished from the traditional chapter locator.
The basic notice does not give it a woman’s torso, a seductive song or a storm-raising power. Such details require their own witnesses rather than being supplied from a generic mermaid image.
Origins & earliest records
China; Shanhaijing received textual tradition
Records & interpretation
Complete relevant received-primary notices directly read; editorial glosses and source variants distinguished.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Shanhaijing, 海內北經
Traditional Inner Northern Sea notice; quoted in hosted editorial relocation note4
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, 海內北經
海內北經. Traditional Inner Northern Sea notice; quoted in hosted editorial relocation note4
Complete relevant primary notice directly read; original-language names retained. Image-worker plate queue remains separate.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Received primary text transcriptionShanhaijing, 海內北經Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationLingyu, anonymous1667 Shanhaijing illustration
Printed陵魚 caption gives human face, fishbody, hands, feet and sea habitat; picture explicitly shows this fish hybrid. Traditional InnerNorthern locator retained although hosted text relocates the notice to a note. Smithsonian physical edition1667; anonymous illustrator, GuoPu commentator/WuZhongheng editor, not named as artists. Actual cached IIIF resource.
