In folklore Belief in wilderness demons haunted China from the very earliest periods and persisted throughout the late imperial era. In the Xia dynasty, nine bronze cauldrons with their forms were cast to help the common people to identify and to avoid them. Classical texts in the Zhou and Warring-States period distinguish between the demons of mountains and forests (the seductive Chimei 魑魅), demons of trees and rocks (a necrophagous fever-demon, the Wangliang 魍魎), subterranean demons of the earth and of decay (the goat-like and necrophagous Fenyang 墳羊 (lit. "grave-goat"), who caused disease and miscarriage) and fever demons born from water (Wangxiang 罔象, a child-like being with red eyes). These demons were said to be born of aberrant qi (breath or energy), known to accost and kill travellers, and held responsible for sickness. People also feared the Muling 木灵 lit. "tree spirit" (also muzhong 木肿 lit. "tree swelling") - demons forming over time in trees of immense age, capable of inflicting disease and killing human passers-by and birds flying overhead. Examples include the penghou 彭侯 (lit. "drumbeat marquis"), a demon associated with camphor trees in mountain forests, and which takes the form of a human-headed dog, and in the southern provinces, the banana-leaf spirits.
in folklore belief in wilderness demons haunted china from the very earliest periods and persisted throughout the late imperial era in the xia dynasty nine bronze cauldrons with their forms were cast to help the common people to identify and to avoid them classical texts in the zhou and warring-states period distinguish between the demons of mountains and forests (the seductive chimei 魑魅) demons of trees and rocks (a necrophagous fever-demon the wangliang 魍魎) subterranean demons of the earth and of decay (the goat-like and necrophagous fenyang 墳羊 (lit "grave-goat") who caused disease and miscarriage) and fever demons born from water (wangxiang 罔象 a child-like being with red eyes) these demons were said to be born of aberrant qi (breath or energy) known to accost and kill travellers and held responsible for sickness people also feared the muling 木灵 lit "tree spirit" (also muzhong 木肿 lit "tree swelling") - demons forming over time in trees of immense age capable of inflicting disease and killing human passers-by and birds flying overhead examples include the penghou 彭侯 (lit "drumbeat marquis") a demon associated with camphor trees in mountain forests and which takes the form of a human-headed dog and in the southern provinces the banana-leaf spirits