Monsters and demons (literally: ox-headed devils and snake-bodied gods); originally used to describe something surreal, fantastic, or grotesque. Later, it refers to various evil or undesirable elements/people in society, often used to describe those who cause trouble or are morally corrupt.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Story:
During the Tang Dynasty, the gifted but short-lived poet Li He left behind many famous poems, such as 'When the mighty cock crows, the world turns white' and 'Dark clouds press upon the city as if to crush it.' These lines are still recited today.
The poet Du Mu even wrote a preface for Li He's poems, in which he evaluated Li He's work, stating: 'The whale swallowing and the leviathan tossing, along with the ox-headed devils and snake-bodied gods, are not enough to describe their surreal and fantastical nature.'
It is from this quote that the idiom '牛鬼蛇神' (niú guǐ shé shén) originated, originally describing something fantastical and bizarre, later evolving to describe various evil or undesirable elements in society.