Nine-Tailed Snake

Origin and Mythology

The Nine-Tailed Snake appears in the Qing writer Yuan Mei's Xuzi Buyu (Sequel to What the Master Did Not Speak), a collection of supernatural tales. It is a later literary legend, not an entry in the Shan Hai Jing. The story describes an immense armored snake with nine tails, each marked by a small opening said to release a storm of air-like projectiles.

Yuan Mei's tale follows a paper merchant traveling in the mountains of Jiangxi. Ignoring a warning not to go out after dark, he sees monkeys race into a tree and watches as the nine-tailed serpent emerges from the forest. Beneath the tree it raises and turns its tails; the story says their small openings send a volley toward the branches. The merchant survives by returning indoors, and the night leaves him too frightened to wander out again. This is a Qing supernatural story, not a historical report.

Appearance

The tale describes a snake with hard, fish-scale armor, bright eyes, and nine tails below the waist that trail behind it with a sound like armor. MythColoring's pale golden hood, patterned scales, and fan of colorful curling tails are a modern artistic interpretation of this supernatural creature.

Symbolism

The Nine-Tailed Snake represents transformation, the unknown forest, and the many directions a story can take. Its nine tails make the wilderness feel full of hidden possibilities. Through MythColoring, this later Chinese supernatural legend becomes a coloring page where a new legend can begin with a single color.