Tradition: Chinese Mythology
Alternative Names: Toad Spirit, Frog Spirit
Category: Frog
The Myth
The Toad Demon is a supernatural toad spirit associated with eclipses and the mysterious shadows on the Moon. According to one belief, a lunar eclipse occurs when a giant toad devours the Moon. The dark shape visible on the lunar surface was understood as the toad itself, as though the creature were swallowing the heavenly body. The Toad Demon was therefore feared as a being capable of disturbing the natural order of the heavens.
Whenever a solar or lunar eclipse occurred, people would beat gongs and drums and bang pots and pans to create a tremendous noise. These rituals were intended to save the Sun or Moon by frightening away the celestial dog or the toad believed to be devouring it. In another Chinese tale, a toad travelled to the Moon and brought great chaos to the world.
The name Toad Demon also refers more broadly to the spirits that frogs and toads can become in Chinese legends. These creatures are not described in detail in every account, but they belong to a wider tradition in which ordinary amphibians may transform into supernatural beings.
Sources
“蛤蟆精 (Hámájīng).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 14, 2026. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%9B%A4%E蟆%E7%B2%BE