Tradition: Chinese Mythology
Alternative Names: Puer (疟鬼)
Category: Demon
The Myth
Puer is a Chinese supernatural being associated with malaria and other fevers. It was believed to be a demon responsible for causing illness.
In ancient Chinese accounts, Puer could appear before sleeping people in the form of a small animal, a bird, or a human. It would then approach the person’s body and cause them to fall ill. If the victim tried to drive the creature away, it would gradually grow larger.
Because Puer was associated with disease, people developed various customs intended to prevent it from entering their homes. A common practice was to seek refuge in temples or in other people’s houses before the illness was believed to strike, thereby avoiding the demon.
The Taiping Guangji records a story concerning a person from Jiangxi who was suffering from malaria. He encountered two people who told him that they had been sent to treat his illness.
In Anhui, there was also a custom connected with Puer. Before the local disease season, people would make a paste from soybeans, flour, and water, believing that this mixture could suppress the disease demons and prevent them from spreading illness.
Ancient Chinese medical and literary works likewise associated Puer with recurring fevers and disease. Its appearance and influence were understood through the supernatural framework of illness, with the demon serving as an explanation for the sudden onset of fever and other symptoms.
Sources
“疟鬼 (Nüèguǐ; Malaria Ghost).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed September 6, 2026. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%96%9F%E9%AC%BC