lu-shanhaijing, 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
Lu is called a fish in the Shanhaijing, yet its form resembles an ox and it lives on elevated land at Mount Di. It has a serpent’s tail and wings situated beneath its sides. Its voice is also compared with a bovine sound. The entry gives the creature a seasonal pattern: it dies in winter and is born or lives again in summer.
The hosted commentary interprets that seasonal statement in terms of dormancy rather than literal annihilation and recreation. Keeping the text and interpretation distinct preserves the peculiarity of the original description. The passage also attaches a claimed benefit against swelling to eating it. Lu’s classification therefore reflects the composite categories of the literary geography; it should not be silently converted into a real flying fish or given an invented resurrection narrative.
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
First southern sequence; Mount Di 柢山; 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. First southern sequence; Mount Di 柢山
Directly read transcription, not a collated historical scan. Identifying passage: 有魚焉，其狀如牛，陵居，蛇尾有翼，其羽在魼下。 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: First southern sequence; Mount Di 柢山Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationlu-shanhaijing, 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.
