"Cow demons and snake spirits" () is a Chinese term used during the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goa ...

(1966-1976) to demonize perceived enemies.

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom ...

poet

Du Mu Du Mu (; 803–852) was a Chinese calligrapher, poet, and politician who lived during the late Tang dynasty. His courtesy name was Muzhi (), and art name Fanchuan (). He is best known for his lyrical and romantic quatrains. Regarded as a maj ...

(803–852) coined the term in the preface of a poetry collection by Li He (791–817) to praise the fantastical elements in Li's poetry. In the early 1960s,

Mao Zedong Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) ...

, a huge admirer of Li, frequently used this term in speeches to refer to reactionary elements and "class enemies". In 1966, after

Chen Boda Chen Boda (; 29 July 1904 – 20 September 1989), was a Chinese Communist journalist, professor and political theorist who rose to power as the chief interpreter of Maoism (or "Mao Zedong Thought") in the first 20 years of the People's Republic ...

(the leader of the

Cultural Revolution Group The (Central) Cultural Revolution Group (CRG or CCRG; ) was formed in May 1966 as a replacement organisation to the Central Committee Secretariat and the "Five Man Group", and was initially directly responsible to the Standing Committee of the Po ...

) took over the newspaper and official government organ '' People's Daily'', an editorial titled '' Sweep Away All Cow Demons and Snake Spirits'' () published on June 1, 1966, called for a nationwide struggle against these elements. "Cow demons and snake spirits" became one of the most popular terms during the Cultural Revolution, a term used to denounce and dehumanize any "enemy", real or perceived. The exact definition of the term (like most things in the Cultural Revolution) was unclear and subject to arbitrary interpretation, but the major enemies of the Cultural Revolution were: *

Five Black Categories The "Five Black Categories" () referred to the following five political identities. These groups were: * Landlords () * Rich farmers () * Counter-revolutionaries () * Bad influencers bad elements"() * Right-wingers () During the period of the ...

- Landlords, rightists, rich farmers, counter revolutionaries, and "bad elements" *

Capitalist roader In anti-capitalist Mao Zedong thought, a capitalist roader (; also ) is a person or group who demonstrates a marked tendency to bow to pressure from bourgeois forces and subsequently attempts to pull the Revolution in a capitalist direction. If all ...

s * Stinking Old Ninths (intellectuals) *'' Hanjian'' (traitors) Once someone was labeled as a "cow demon", they were to become imprisoned in a cowshed, storehouse or dark room. Illegal prisons during the Cultural Revolution were called "cowsheds" (), and exiles to the countryside were sometimes called "down to cowsheds" ().

References

* Cultural Revolution Ideology of the Chinese Communist Party Dysphemisms Chinese words and phrases {{China-hist-stub