Editing Merfolk (section)

===''Renyu'' or human-fish===
;(aka ''haieryu''. subtypes ''tiyu'' and ''niyu'' )
{{multiple image
 | header = ''Renyu'' of Jueshui ("Bursting River"), Mt. Dragon-Marquis.
 | total_width = 
 | image1 = Sancai-tuhui-094-bird&beast6-06renyu-humanfish - labeled.jpg
 | caption1 = Described as resembling a ''fei'' {{linktext|𩵥}} type of fish.{{right|{{small|― Wang Qi.  ''[[Sancai Tuhui]]'' (1609)}}<ref name="wang_qi-sancai_tuhui-renyu"/>{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|The accompanying text here says the ''renyu'' resembles a fish called ''fei''.}}}}
 | alt1 = A fei-like renyu
 | image2 = Wang fu(1895)-shanhaijingcun3-fol27a-renyu-manfish.png
 | caption2 = Described as resembling a ''tiyu'' {{lang|zh|䱱魚}} .{{efn|Image for the ''tiyu'' (''renyu''/''haieryu'') in {{harvnb|Suzuki tr.|1929}} ''Benca Gangmu'' is reproduced in {{harvnb|Kuzumi|2006b|p=60}} which resembles this picture.}}{{right|{{small|―{{interlanguage link|Wang Fu (Qing dynasty)|zh|汪紱|lt=Wang Fu}}(d. 1759) '' Shan hai jing cun''<!-- 山海經存-->, pub. 1895}}<ref name="wang_fu3-beishanjing3"/>}}
 | alt2 = A tiyu-like renyu 
 | footer =
}}

The ''renyu'' ({{lang|zh|人魚}}; human-fish) is described in the ''Bei Shan Jing'' ("Classic of the North Mountains") section as dwelling on Mt. Longhou ({{lang|zh|龍侯山}}, "Dragon-Marquis Mountain") in the waters of the Jueshui ({{lang|zh|決水}}, "Bursting River"), which flows eastward into the [[Yellow River]].{{Refn|Alternatively, River BurstBurst ({{lang|zh|決決水}}) on Mount Dragonbutt.{{sfnp|Birrell tr.|2000|p=45}}}} It is said to "resemble the ''tiyu''"<ref name="shanhaijing03northern"/><ref>Cf. {{harvp|Unschuld tr.|2021|p=733}}: "The ''Bei shan jing'' states: "The Jue shui river has many ''ren yu'' 人魚 sea-cows. They are shaped like ''ti yu'' 䱱魚, newts, but have four feet.."</ref> (translated as "resemble catfish"<ref name="shanhaijing-strassberg-renyu-humanfish"/>{{sfnp|Birrell tr.|2000|p=45}}<ref>Cf. {{harvp|Luo tr.|2003|p=3606}}: "''Beishan Jing'': In Jueshui River there are many dugongs. They look like catfish but have four legs..""</ref>){{Refn|Cf. {{harvp|Unschuld tr.|2021|p=733}}:}}{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|The ''tiyu'' is not literally a catfish but a subtype of ''renyu'' "human-fish", according to the ''Bencao Gangmu'', as given below. However, this translation may be justified in the light of [[Guo Pu]]'s commentary to the ''Bei Shan Jing'', which reads "The ''renyu'' is, namely, the  ''niyu''. It resembles catfish with four feet/legs, and voice like a child crying. Nowadays this catfish is also called the ''ti'' 人魚即鯢也。似鮎而四足、聲如兒嗁。今亦呼鮎爲䱱。音蹏(テイ)". In Naoaki Maeno ed. (1975). ''Sengaikyō retsu sennin den''<!--前野直彬『山海経・列仙人伝』--> ''apud'' Yamaguchi (1995)<ref name="yamaguchi_tetsuro"/>}}{{Refn|This Guo Pu quote as commentary to ''Bei Shan Jing'' is hard to confirm in other secondary sources, but similar phrases about ''renyu'' resembling catfish were written by other near-contemporaries, one being "Guangzhi" 廣志 (attributed to Guo Yigong 郭義恭) as preserved in the ''[[Shui Jing Zhu]]'': [[Yi River (Henan)|Yi River]],<!--"鯢魚聲如小兒啼，有四足，形如鯪鱧，可以治牛，出伊水也"--> cf. commentary to the ''Hainei bei jing'' 海内北經 (Classic of regions within the seas: North), by Yuan Ke.<ref name="yuan_ke2004"/> Another is {{interlanguage link|Xu Gugang (scholar)|zh|徐廣|lt=Xu Gugang}}, <!--徐廣曰 人魚似鮎而四足。即鯢魚也--> probably from his ''Shiji Yinyi'' or "Pronunciation and Meaning of the Shiji"; both these are quoted in annotations to the ''Shiji'': Books of the First Emperor of Qin, 6, which mentions the human-fish oil used for lanterns in the Emperor's tumulus.{{sfnp|Fujisawa|1925|pp=45–46}}}} possess four legs, with a voice like baby crying.{{Refn|name="bencao-gangmu-tiyu"}}

Eating the fish purportedly cured idiocy<ref name="shanhaijing-strassberg-renyu-humanfish"/> or dementia.{{sfnp|Unschuld tr.|2021|p=733}}{{sfnp|Luo tr.|2003|p=3606}} This fish as a cure was also quoted in the ''Compendium of Materia Medica'' or ''[[Bencao Gangmu]]'' (1596) under its entry for ''Tiyu'' ({{lang-zh|䱱魚}}){{Refn|name="bencao-gangmu-tiyu"|Li Shizhen, ''Bencao Gangmu'', (Chapter 44 §42) "Animals with Scales 4": §Tiyu. (Chinese);{{sfnp|Li Shizhen|1596}}{{sfnp|Li Shizhen|1782}} (English translations);{{sfnp|Unschuld tr.|2021|pp=732–733}}{{sfnp|Luo tr.|2003|pp=3606–3607}} (Japanese tr.).{{sfnp|Suzuki tr.|1929}}}}

The ''[[Bencao Gangmu]]'' categorized the ''tiyu'' ({{lang|zh|{{linktext|䱱}}魚}}<!--䱱魚-->) as one of two types of "human-fish" (''renyu''). The human-fish were also known as "child-fish" or ''haieryu'' ({{lang|zh|{{linktext|孩|兒}}魚}}<!--孩兒魚-->; {{lang|zh|孩儿鱼}}).{{Refn|name="bencao-gangmu-tiyu"}}<ref>Luo tr. (2003), index. [https://books.google.com/books?id=qUgoAQAAIAAJ&q=%22haieryu%22 '''6''': 4255]</ref>

The other type, called the ''niyu'' ({{lang|zh|{{linktext|鯢}}魚}}<!--鯢魚-->) is elaborated in a separate section.{{Refn|name="bencao-gangmu-niyu"|Li Shizhen, ''Bencao Gangmu'', (Chapter 44 §43) "Animals with Scales 4": §Niyu. (Chinese);{{sfnp|Li Shizhen|1596}}{{sfnp|Li Shizhen|1782}} (English translations);{{sfnp|Unschuld tr.|2021|pp=733–734}}{{sfnp|Luo tr.|2003|pp=3607}} (Japanese tr.).{{sfnp|Suzuki tr.|1929}}}} It has been noted by [[Li Shizhen]] that the character for the ''Niyu'' (''Ni'' {{lang|zh|鯢}} fish) consists of the "fish" [[Radical (Chinese characters)|indexing component]] ({{lang|zh|魚}}) and "child" ({{lang|zh|兒}}) radical.{{sfnp|Luo tr.|2003|pp=3607}}

Translators of the ''Bencao Gangmu'' attempt to match entries with actual [[taxa]] of animals, forbs, etc., where possible, and the ''tiyu'' type is glossed as "newts" while the ''niyu'' type is "[[Chinese giant salamander]]".{{sfnp|Unschuld tr.|2021|pp=732–733}}