Ranyi fish of the Yuan River, anonymous1667 Shanhaijing illustration
Printed冉遺魚 caption identifies fishbody/snakehead/sixfeet and涴水. Horse comparison remains source-specific; no extra ear or head anatomy inferred from the illustration. Physical Smithsonian edition1667; anonymous plate illustrator, GuoPu commentator and WuZhongheng editor; later pictorial witness, not date of ancient text composition.
Overview
Ranyi fish lives in the Yuan River flowing north from Mount Yingdi into Lingyang Marsh. Its body is fishlike, its head snake-like, and it has six feet. Its eyes are compared to a horse’s ears. The Shanhaijing attributes protection against an oppressive condition and against harm to eating it.
The host mountain has lacquer trees above and gold and jade below; its birds and beasts are all described as white. The horse-ear comparison applies to the eyes in the received wording, an unusual detail that should remain visible rather than being silently converted into horse ears on the head.
Origins & earliest records
China; Shanhaijing Western Mountains
Records & interpretation
Specific named received-primary passage directly read; historical illustration matching remains separate.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Shanhaijing, Western Mountains
Fourth western itinerary; Mount Yingdi and Yuan River
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. Fourth western itinerary; Mount Yingdi and Yuan River
Specific named received text directly read: 冉遺. Historical image not yet assigned.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary text transcriptionShanhaijing Western Mountains received primary textResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationRanyi fish of the Yuan River, anonymous1667 Shanhaijing illustration
Printed冉遺魚 caption identifies fishbody/snakehead/sixfeet and涴水. Horse comparison remains source-specific; no extra ear or head anatomy inferred from the illustration. Physical Smithsonian edition1667; anonymous plate illustrator, GuoPu commentator and WuZhongheng editor; later pictorial witness, not date of ancient text composition.
