Rare Monsters

  Tao Tie is a monster from Chinese mythology It is one of the four perils, four evil beings who represent the worst qualities and greatest threats to civilization. Tao Tie specifically represents greed and overconsumption. Even as the representation of greed and gluttony Tao Tie is sometimes listed among more beneficial beings, such as the Nine Sons of the Dragon. There his ravenous hunger is shown in a more benevolent light, as something that will consume anything, even the bad luck and aspects of life that are holding you back, so that better aspects have room to be fulfilled. Although 90% of the time Tao Tie is seen as a malevolent force. Tao Tie has several different origins. According to the classic Chunqui Tao Tie started out as the son of Jinyun, an officer of the Yellow Emperor. This son of Jinyun was so overcome by greed and hunger that he had no limitations. He would steal from orphans, the elderly, and respected officials. He had no decency or morals of any kind. No one...

  The xiezhi was said to be a single horned ram, with black fur and burning eyes. Although in artistic depictions it more often looks like a cross between a qilin and a lion, always with a single horn or antler. The xiezhi is an ideally just beast and can intrinsically distinguish between the just and unjust people in the world. It is a highly intelligent beast and can understand all human languages. The xiezhi will hunt down evil doers and stab them with its single horn and devour them. It was believed that the legendary emperor Shun had a captive xiezhi, who would preside over court hearings and ram the guilty party. The censorate of the Ming and Qing periods wore xiezhi badges as a sign of their office. Among common people the image of the xiezhi was believed to ward off evil and protect them from crime. Similar creatures could be found in other parts of Asia. In Japan it was known as the sinyou and in Korea it was known as the haetae.