Tradition: Chinese mythology
Alternative Names: Daolao demons
Category: Demon

The Myth

Daolao are malicious creatures that inhabit the mountains of Linchuan County in Jiangxi Province. They appear most often during storms and heavy rain, when they produce whistling sounds and can fire arrows at people. Anyone struck by one of these arrows is immediately covered in sores caused by a powerful poison.

Daolao are divided into males and females. The males are active, but their activity lasts for no more than half a day. The females are comparatively sluggish, and their sluggishness lasts much longer.

People who come into contact with Daolao are usually saved, but those who are rescued only slightly and not completely may die.

Daolao are described as demons whose supernatural nature can bring both trouble and happiness to the world. In the account of Gan Bao, they are presented as examples of the mysterious creatures that exist through the forces of Yin and Yang.

Gan Bao further explains that Heaven and Earth, demons and spirits, were originally born identical to humans. When the elements separated, their essences became different, and differences in the lands produced differences in their forms and natures. The existence of strange creatures such as the Daolao is therefore connected to the primordial forces of Yin and Yang.

Sources

“Даолао (Daolao).” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed September 9, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/Daolao

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