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While its face is scarce in popular culture today, this influential ancient monster from Chinese mythology predates the written word. Inspired by ancient bronze and jade iconography detailing the face of a bulging-eyed, gapping-mouthed beast, the Taotie creature is both mysterious and notorious, inspiring fear with its horrible gluttony.
The greedy, insatiable appetite of the Taotie, one of the four “legendary monsters” or malevolences of Chinese mythology, is its defining trait-but why? Explore the many theories behind this beast as you dive into a mystery that has fascinated archeologists, historians, philosophers, and authors for thousands of years. #taotie #chinesemythology #MonstrumPBS
Written and Hosted by: Dr. Emily Zarka
Director: David Schulte
Executive Producer: Amanda Fox
Producer: Stephanie Noone
Illustrator: Samuel Allen
Editor: Ray Lux
Produced by Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios.
Dr. Zarka would like to sincerely thank Longwen Chen, M.D., Ph.D. for his aid with the Mandarin pronunciations in this episode (I tried to do them justice), and his knowledge regarding the Chinese mythological creatures discussed. Monstrum is better because of the generosity of people like you.
The world is full of monsters, myths, and legends and Monstrum isn’t afraid to take a closer look. The show, hosted by Emily Zarka, Ph.D., takes us on a journey to discover a new monster in each new episode. Monstrum looks at humans' unique drive to create and shape monster mythology through oral storytelling, literature, and film and digs deep into the history of those mythologies.
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Glahn, Richard Von. The Sinister Way: The Divine and the Demonic in Chinese Religious Culture. University of California Press, 2004.
Kesner, Ladislav. “The Taotie Reconsidered: Meanings and Functions of the Shang Theriomorphic Imagery.” Artibus Asiae, vol. 51, no. 1/2, 1991, pp. 29-53.
Lewis, Mark Edward. The Flood Myths of Early China. State University of New York Press, 2006.
Lopes, Rui Oliveira. “Securing the Harmony between the High and Low: Power Animals and Symbols of Political Authority in Ancient Chinese Jades and Bronzes.” Asian Perspectives, vol. 53, no. 2, 2014, pp. 195-225.
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2 мар 2021
