WEBVTT - The Monstrefact: The Nine Faces of Death

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind, a production of iHeartRadio.

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<v Speaker 2>Hi, my name is Robert Lamb and this is the

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<v Speaker 2>Monster Fact, a short form series from Stuff to Blow

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<v Speaker 2>Your Mind, focusing on un mythical creatures, ideas and monsters.

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<v Speaker 2>In time, I'd like to return once more to the

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<v Speaker 2>world of Chinese mythology and legend. In this episode, you

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<v Speaker 2>might remember our previous discussion of Chiseltooth, a monstrous ogre

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<v Speaker 2>ultimately slain by the mighty archer Oh Ye. Well, today

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<v Speaker 2>we have another unnatural creature that only Ye or another

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<v Speaker 2>suitable hero or god was capable of slaying the Nine

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<v Speaker 2>faces of death. It's another being detailed in the Classic

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<v Speaker 2>of Mountains and Seas of the Shanghai Jing, which you

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<v Speaker 2>might remember us recording an episode of Stuff to Blow

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<v Speaker 2>Your Mind about, and as Shooting Need describes in the

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<v Speaker 2>excellent book Chinese Myths, the entity's name Jiu Ying or

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<v Speaker 2>nine Infants doesn't quite convey the true monstrosity of the creature,

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<v Speaker 2>because this creature does present you with the heads of

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<v Speaker 2>nine infants, but these heads are attached to a monstrous

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<v Speaker 2>green or black serpentine body. Each head inflicts one of

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<v Speaker 2>the nine pains, burning, corroding, freezing, drowning, blinding, poisoning, violence, destruction,

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<v Speaker 2>and cruelty. The anbural translation of the Shanghaijing translates the

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<v Speaker 2>monster's name as aid Willem. It is also known as

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<v Speaker 2>sheng Lu. This is the name astronomers give the only

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<v Speaker 2>known moon of the dwarf planet twenty two five eight

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<v Speaker 2>eight Gongong, itself named for the Chinese water god. Fort

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<v Speaker 2>Is said that Chu Ying was once a minister of

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<v Speaker 2>the water god, but has left to fend for itself

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<v Speaker 2>after Gongong's defeat and divine battle. And so the nine

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<v Speaker 2>headed monster roamed the earth, feeding with its nine heads

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<v Speaker 2>from the nine mountains, leaving toxic swamps, gorgeous famine, and

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<v Speaker 2>devastation in its wake. It helped bring about the Great Flood,

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<v Speaker 2>and neither Heaven nor Hell would permit the creature's entry,

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<v Speaker 2>according to n and so it was left to the

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<v Speaker 2>mighty archer Ye to slay the creature. In the Handbook

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<v Speaker 2>of Chinese Mythology by Yang at All, the authors attribute

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<v Speaker 2>the monster's slaying, at least in some versions, to You

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<v Speaker 2>the Great, the legendary ruler and tamer of floods. After

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<v Speaker 2>its slaying, the monster's foul blood is said to have

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<v Speaker 2>corrupted the very earth that it spilled upon, and so

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<v Speaker 2>you dug out the soil three times and built a

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<v Speaker 2>terrace for the gods on Kunlun Mountain out of the excavations.

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<v Speaker 2>The authors here add that some orally transmitted versions of

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<v Speaker 2>the tale hold that the monster survived as more of

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<v Speaker 2>a nine headed dragon, only to ultimately meet its death

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<v Speaker 2>at the hands of the creator. God es new why

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<v Speaker 2>whoever it's slayter, it is clear that the nine phases

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<v Speaker 2>of death are no match for bravery, ingenuity, and creative power.

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<v Speaker 2>Tune in for additional episodes of The Monster Fact each week.

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<v Speaker 2>As always, you can email us at contact at stuff

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<v Speaker 2>to Blow Your Mind dot.

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<v Speaker 1>Stuff to Blow Your Mind is production of iHeartRadio. For

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<v Speaker 1>more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app,

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