Shuima

Overview

Shuima is the water horse listed in the Hua River at Mount Qiuru in the Shanhaijing’s first northern itinerary. Its shape resembles a horse, but its forelimbs are patterned and its tail resembles an ox’s tail. Its voice is compared with a call or shout. The river is explicitly its locality, distinguishing the creature from horses listed as ordinary animals elsewhere.

The adjacent river creature is an eel-like fish with a red back and an attributed dietary effect. Those details belong to that fish, not to Shuima. The name water horse does not by itself establish the human disguise, drowning tactics, or adhesive skin found in some other water-horse traditions. This particular witness records a composite aquatic body and voice without a narrated encounter or an explicit predatory action.

Origins & earliest records

China; Shanhaijing, Northern Mountains

Records & interpretation

Directly read Chinese primary-text transcription, with exact named geographical locator; no historical scan claimed.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   Shanhaijing: Northern Mountains

   Anonymous composite received text

   First northern sequence; Hua River 滑水 at Mount Qiuru 求如山

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

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

1. Primary-text transcriptionShanhaijing, Northern Mountains: First northern sequence; Hua River 滑水 at Mount Qiuru 求如山Research access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.