Gu (poison)

Gu (simplified Chinese: 蛊; traditional Chinese: 蠱; pinyin: gǔ; Wade–Giles: ku) or jincan (simplified Chinese: 金蚕; traditional Chinese: 金蠶; pinyin: jīncán; Wade–Giles: chin-ts'an; lit. "gold silkworm") was a venom-based poison associated with cultures of south China, particularly Nanyue. The traditional preparation of gu poison involved sealing several venomous creatures (e.g., centipede, snake, scorpion) inside a closed container, where they devoured one another and allegedly concentrated their toxins into a single survivor. Gu was used in black magic practices such as manipulating sexual partners, creating malignant diseases, and causing death. According to Chinese folklore, a gu spirit could transform into various animals, typically a worm, caterpillar, snake, frog, dog, or pig.

Circa 14th-century BCE Shang Dynasty oracle inscriptions recorded the name gu, while 7th-century CE Tang Dynasty texts first used jincan "gold silkworm".

The term gu 蠱, says Loewe (1990:191), "can be traced from the oracle bones until modern times, and has acquired a large number of meanings or connotations". Before discussing gu, it is necessary to introduce the related word chong 蟲 "wug".

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