List server
Season
Season 6 Episode
- Season 3 Baba Yaga: The Ancient Origins of the Famous ‘Witch’
- Season 3 Werehyena: The Terrifying Shapeshifters of African Lore
- Season 3 Taotie: The Mystery of Chinese Mythology’s Famous Glutton
- Season 3 Leprechaun: From Gold-Loving Cobbler to Cultural Icon
- Season 3 Will-o’-the-Wisp: Monstrous Flame or Scientific Phenomenon?
- Season 3 Yara-ma-yha-who: Australia’s Regurgitating, Blood-Sucking Mo
- Season 3 Basilisk or Cockatrice? The Mysterious King of Serpents
- Season 3 Don’t Let Them In! The Urban Legends of Black-Eyed Children
- Season 3 The Macabre Origins of the Grim Reaper
- Season 3 El Silbón: The Deadly Whistler of the South American Grasslands
- Season 3 Fire Cat or Fire Cart? The History of Japan’s Kasha
- Season 3 Death Worms: Fact or Fiction?
- Season 3 The Killer Origins of the Werewolf
- Season 3 The Werewolf’s Modern Metamorphosis
- Season 3 Trolls: Scandinavia’s Malevolent, Magical Outcasts
- Season 3 Monster Bugs, Attack! The Origins of ‘Big Bug’ Science Fiction
- Season 3 Krampus: Origins of the Yuletide Monster
Monstrum - Season 3 Episode 3 Taotie: The Mystery of Chinese Mythology’s Famous Glutton
0.00 48 minutes While its face is scarce in popular culture today, this influential ancient monster from Chinese mythology predates the written word. Inspired by ancient bronze and jade iconography detailing the face of a bulging-eyed, gapping-mouthed beast, the Taotie creature is both mysterious and notorious, inspiring fear with its horrible gluttony. The greedy, insatiable appetite of the Taotie, one of the four “legendary monsters” or malevolences of Chinese mythology, is its defining trait—but why? Explore the many theories behind this beast as you dive into a mystery that has fascinated archeologists, historians, philosophers, and authors for thousands of years.
