Xuán Guī

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Tradition: Chinese Mythology
Alternative Names: 旋龟, Whirling Turtle
Category: Turtle

The Myth

The Xuán Guī is a strange turtle described in the ancient Chinese text Classic of Mountains and Seas. It resembles an ordinary turtle, with a black body, but has the head of a bird and a tail resembling that of a snake. Its cry sounds like wood being struck or split.

The Xuán Guī lives on Niuyang Mountain, where the Guai River originates. According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas, wearing this creature was believed to prevent deafness and could also help treat calluses on the hands and feet.

Sources

“旋龟 (Xuánguī).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%97%8B%E9%BE%9F

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