Tradition: Chinese Mythology
Alternative Names: 奚鼠, 磎鼠, 鼷鼠
Category: Rat
The Myth
Xishu is a gigantic, rat-like creature described in the Chinese text Shenyi Jing (Classic of Divine Marvels). It is said to live underground beneath an enormous northern ice sheet, reportedly stretching for thousands of miles and reaching a thickness of hundreds of zhang. There, it feeds on the grass, trees, and roots growing around the ice.
Accounts describe Xishu as weighing hundreds or even thousands of jin, with some versions claiming that its flesh alone weighs ten thousand jin. Its meat is said to provide warmth when eaten, making it particularly valuable in the freezing northern regions. Its thick fur can be fashioned into clothing and blankets that offer exceptional protection against the cold.
Xishu possesses other remarkable properties: a drum made from its hide is said to produce a sound audible a thousand miles away, while its hairs can be used to summon other rats. Some modern interpretations suggest that the creature may have been inspired by the woolly mammoth or possibly the musk ox, although neither identification is certain. Its enormous size, insulating fur, and association with the frozen north make it a striking example of a legendary animal adapted to an extreme environment.
Sources
“鼷鼠 (Xīshǔ).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%BC%B7%E9%BC%A0