Demon of Drought

南方有人，長二三尺，袒身而目在頂上，行走如風，名曰𪕰[鼠+叚]，所之国大旱，俗曰旱魃，一名格子。善行市朝眾中，遇之者投著廁中乃死，旱災消。《詩》曰：旱魃為虐。或曰生捕得殺之，禍去福來。

In the south, there exists a man standing two to three feet tall. He is naked, with eyes atop his head. He moves as swiftly as the wind and is known as Xia. He brings severe drought to the lands he visits. He is commonly known as Hanba [Demon of Drought] or Gezi. He likes to mingle in crowds at marketplaces or court assemblies. If someone comes across him and throws him into a latrine, he will die, and the drought will be lifted. The Book of Songs says, “The Demon of Drought wreaks havoc.” It is also said that capturing him alive and killing him will dispel misfortune and bring good fortune.

* From Chen Menglei 陳夢雷 (1650-1741) ed., Gujin tushu jicheng 古今圖書集成 (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1934 [reprint]), “Lixiang huibian; Shuzheng dian; Hanzai bu” 曆象彙編•庶徵典•旱災部, vol. 44, 96.22a.

 "Heting xiaoxia " 荷亭銷夏 (Whiling Away Summer in a Lotus Kiosk), album leaf by an anonymous artist

Image credit: National Palace Museum, Taipei

名繪集珍　冊　無款荷亭銷夏。國立故宮博物院，台北，CC BY 4.0 @ www.npm.gov.tw