64-568: The qilin is a creature in Chinese and other East Asian mythologies. It may refer to: Qilin may also refer to: Qilin The qilin ( English: / tʃ i ˈ l ɪ n / chee- LIN ; Chinese : 麒麟 ) is a legendary hooved chimerical creature that appears in Chinese mythology , and is said to appear with the imminent arrival or death of a sage or illustrious ruler. Qilin are
128-427: A flaming pearl under their chin or in their claws. The pearl is associated with spiritual energy, wisdom, prosperity, power, immortality, thunder, or the moon. Chinese art often depicts a pair of dragons chasing or fighting over a flaming pearl. Chinese dragons are occasionally depicted with bat-like wings growing out of the front limbs, but most do not have wings, as their ability to fly (and control rain/water, etc.)
192-460: A giraffe , are similar to qilin. Japanese art tends to depict the kirin as more deer-like than in Chinese art . Alternatively, it is depicted as a dragon shaped like a deer, but with an ox's tail instead of a lion's tail. They are also often portrayed as partially unicorn -like in appearance, but with a backwards curving horn. Girin or kirin ( 기린 ) is the Korean form of qilin. It is described as
256-630: A zoomorphic composition in reddish-brown stone have been found at the Chahai site (Liaoning) in the Xinglongwa culture (6200–5400 BC). The presence of dragons within Chinese culture dates back several thousands of years with the discovery of a dragon statue dating back to the fifth millennium BC from the Yangshao culture in Henan in 1987, and jade badges of rank in coiled form have been excavated from
320-471: A creature that likes to drink water, and is typically used on bridge structures. The oldest known attestation of the "children of the dragon" list is found in the Shuyuan zaji ( 菽園雜記 , Miscellaneous records from the bean garden ) by Lu Rong (1436–1494); however, he noted that the list enumerates mere synonyms of various antiques, not children of a dragon. The nine sons of the dragon were commemorated by
384-426: A crocodile. A demon's eyes. The neck of a snake. A tortoise's viscera. A hawk's claws. The palms of a tiger. A cow's ears. And it hears through its horns, its ears being deprived of all power of hearing". He notes that, "Others state it has a rabbit's eyes, a frog's belly, a carp's scales". Chinese dragons were considered to be physically concise. Of the 117 scales, 81 are of the yang essence (positive) while 36 are of
448-616: A dragon. During the Tang dynasty , emperors wore robes with dragon motif as an imperial symbol, and high officials might also be presented with dragon robes. In the Yuan dynasty , the two-horned, five-clawed dragon was designated for use by the Son of Heaven or emperor only, while the four-clawed dragon was used by the princes and nobles. Similarly, during the Ming and Qing dynasty , the five-clawed dragon
512-600: A head resembling a boar . The character for "dragon" in the earliest Chinese writing has a similar coiled form, as do later jade dragon amulets from the Shang dynasty . A snake-like dragon body painted on red pottery wares was discovered at Taosi (Shanxi) from the second phase of the Longshan Culture, and a dragon-like object coated with approximately 2000 pieces of turquoise and jade was discovered at Erlitou. Chinese literature and myths refer to many dragons besides
576-716: A lasting influence: even today, the same word is used for the mythical animal and the giraffe in both Korean and Japanese. Axel Schuessler reconstructs Old Chinese pronunciation of 麒麟 as * gərin . Finnish linguist Juha Janhunen tentatively compares * gərin to an etymon reconstructed as * kalimV , denoting " whale "; and represented in the language isolate Nivkh and four different language families Tungusic , Mongolic , Turkic and Samoyedic , wherein * kalay(ә)ng means "whale" (in Nenets ) and * kalVyǝ " mammoth " (in Enets and Nganasan ). As even aborigines "vaguely familiar with
640-491: A maned creature with the torso of a deer , an ox tail with the hooves of a horse . The girin were initially depicted as more deer-like, however over time they have transformed into more horse-like. They were one of the four divine creatures along with the dragon , phoenix , and turtle . Girin were extensively used in Korean royal and Buddhist arts. In modern Korean, the term "girin" is used for " giraffe ". In Thailand,
704-456: A peasant born with a dragon birthmark who eventually overthrows the existing dynasty and founds a new one; another legend might tell of the prince in hiding from his enemies who is identified by his dragon birthmark. In contrast, the empress of China was often identified with the Chinese phoenix . Worship of the Dragon god is celebrated throughout China with sacrifices and processions during
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#1732765269035768-412: A qilin depicted with one horn may be called a "one-horned qilin" in Chinese. Nevertheless, the mythical and etymological connections between the creatures have been noted by various cultural studies and even the Chinese government, which has minted silver, gold, and platinum commemorative coins depicting both archetypal creatures. Kirin, which has also come to be used as the modern Japanese word for
832-610: A specific type of the lin mythological family of one-horned beasts. The qilin also appears in the mythologies of other Chinese-influenced cultures. The earliest mention of the mythical qilin is in the poem 麟之趾 ; Lín zhī zhǐ ; 'Feet of the Lin'; included in the Classic of Poetry (11th – 7th c. BCE). Spring and Autumn Annals mentioned that a lin ( 麟 ) was captured in the 14th year of Duke Ai of Lu ( 魯哀公 ) (481 CE); Zuo Zhuan credited Confucius with identifying
896-559: A state symbol in Vietnam. During the Nguyễn dynasty , the dragon was featured on the imperial standards. It was also featured on the coats of arms of the State of Vietnam , and later South Vietnam . The ancient Chinese self-identified as "the gods of the dragon" because the Chinese dragon is an imagined reptile that represents evolution from the ancestors and qi energy. Dragon-like motifs of
960-404: A tiger, his ears those of a cow. Upon his head, he has a thing like a broad eminence (a big lump), called [ chimu ] ( 尺木 ). If a dragon has no [ chimu ], he cannot ascend to the sky. Further sources give variant lists of the nine animal resemblances. Sinologist Henri Doré [ fr ] lists these characteristics of an authentic dragon: "The antlers of a deer. The head of
1024-548: Is a mixture of various animals, which come from differing elemental environments, representing elemental magical forces present within each personified creature. Many of the Himapant animals actually represent gods and devas of the Celestial Realms, and bodhisattvas , who manifest as personifications which represent the true nature of each creature deity through the symbolism of the various body parts amalgamated into
1088-480: Is associated with the Yangshao culture shows a large dragon mosaic made out of clam shells. The Liangzhu culture also produced dragon-like patterns. The Hongshan culture sites in present-day Inner Mongolia produced jade dragon objects in the form of pig dragons which are the first 3-dimensional representations of Chinese dragons. One such early form was the pig dragon. It is a coiled, elongated creature with
1152-555: Is fully or partially scaled and often shaped like an ox, deer, or horse, or more commonly a goat. They are always shown with cloven hooves. While dragons in China (and thus qilin) are also most commonly depicted as golden, qilin may be of any color or even various colors, and can be depicted as bejeweled or exhibiting a jewel-like brilliance. The qilin is depicted throughout a wide range of Chinese art, sometimes with parts of their bodies on fire. Legends tell that qilin have appeared in
1216-401: Is mystical and not seen as a result of their physical attributes. This description accords with the artistic depictions of the dragon down to the present day. The dragon has also acquired an almost unlimited range of supernatural powers. It is said to be able to disguise itself as a silkworm , or become as large as our entire universe. It can fly among the clouds or hide in water (according to
1280-408: Is sufficient to support, though perhaps not confirm, the hypothesis of an etymological connection", and also notes a possible connection between Old Chinese and Mongolian (*) kers ~ (*) keris ~ (*) kiris "rhinoceros" ( Khalkha : хирс ). Qilin generally have Chinese dragon -like features: similar heads with antlers , eyes with thick eyelashes, manes that always flow upward, and beards. The body
1344-524: Is thought that each animal is associated with certain personality traits. Dragon years are usually the most popular to have children. There are more people born in Dragon years than in any other animal years of the zodiac . The Azure Dragon is considered to be the primary of the four celestial guardians , the other three being the Vermilion Bird , White Tiger , Black Tortoise . In this context,
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#17327652690351408-563: The Guanzi ). It can form clouds, turn into water, change color as an ability to blend in with their surroundings, and be an effective form of camouflage or glow in the dark (according to the Shuowen Jiezi ). In many other countries, folktales speak of the dragon having all the attributes of the other 11 creatures of the zodiac, this includes the whiskers of the Rat , the face and horns of
1472-685: The Hongshan culture c. 4700 –2900 BC. Some of the earliest Dragon artifacts are the pig dragon carvings from the Hongshan culture. The coiled dragon or snake form played an important role in early Chinese culture. The character for "dragon" in the earliest Chinese writing has a similar coiled form, as do later jade dragon amulets from the Shang period. Ancient Chinese referred to unearthed fossil bones as " dragon bones " and documented them as such. For example, Chang Qu in 300 BC documents
1536-467: The Kētos as Chinese dragon appeared more reptilian and shifted head-shape afterwards. Chinese dragons are strongly associated with water and weather in popular religion. They are believed to be the rulers of moving bodies of water, such as waterfalls, rivers, or seas. The Dragon god is the dispenser of rain as well as the zoomorphic representation of yang, the masculine power of generation. In this capacity as
1600-578: The Manchus initially considered three-clawed dragons the most sacred and used that until 1712 when it was replaced by five-clawed dragons, and portraits of the Qing emperors were usually depicted with five-clawed dragons. In works of art that left the imperial collection, either as gifts or through pilfering by court eunuchs (a long-standing problem), where practicable, one claw was removed from each set, as in several pieces of carved lacquerware , for example
1664-933: The Ox , the claws and teeth of the Tiger , the belly of the Rabbit , the body of the Snake , the legs of the Horse , the goatee of the Goat , the wit of the Monkey , the crest of the Rooster , the ears of the Dog , and the snout of the Pig . In some circles, it is considered bad luck to depict a dragon facing downward, as it is seen as disrespectful to place a dragon in such a manner that it cannot ascend to
1728-539: The Qinghai Lake and beyond), and the North Sea (sometimes seen as Lake Baikal ). Because of this association, they are seen as "in charge" of water-related weather phenomena. In premodern times, many Chinese villages (especially those close to rivers and seas) had temples dedicated to their local "dragon king". In times of drought or flooding, it was customary for the local gentry and government officials to lead
1792-473: The garden of the legendary Yellow Emperor and in the capital of Emperor Yao ; both events bore testimony to the benevolent nature of the rulers. It has also been told that the birth of the great sage Confucius was foretold by the arrival of a qilin. In modern times, the depictions of qilin have often fused with the Western concept of unicorns. Qilin ( 麒麟 ) is often translated into English as "unicorn";
1856-531: The lin as such. The bisyllabic form qilin ( 麒麟 ~ 騏驎 ), which carries the same generic meaning as lin alone, is attested in works dated to the Warring States period (475 – 221 BCE). Qi denotes the male and lin denotes the female according to Shuowen Jiezi . The legendary image of the qilin became associated with the image of the giraffe in the Ming dynasty . The identification of
1920-690: The Chinese dragon have different preferences; in Mongolia and Korea, four-clawed dragons are used, while in Japan , three-clawed dragons are common. In China, three-clawed dragons were popularly used on robes during the Tang dynasty. The usage of the dragon motif was codified during the Yuan dynasty, and the five-clawed dragons became reserved for use by the emperor while the princes used four-clawed dragons. Phoenixes and five-clawed two-horned dragons may not be used on
1984-466: The Han dynasty dictionary Shuowen Jiezi describes qi as single-horned, and it can sometimes be depicted as having a single horn . The translation, however, may be misleading, as qilin can also be depicted as having two horns. In modern Chinese, "one-horned beast" ( 独角兽 ; 獨角獸 ; Dújiǎoshòu ) is used for "unicorns". A number of different Chinese mythical creatures can be depicted with a single horn, and
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2048-420: The Ming dynasty emulated the Yuan dynasty rules on the use of the dragon motif and decreed that the dragon would be his emblem and that it should have five claws. The four-clawed dragon would be used typically for imperial nobility and certain high-ranking officials. The three-clawed dragon was used by lower ranks and the general public (widely seen on various Chinese goods in the Ming dynasty). The dragon, however,
2112-523: The Nine Offspring of the Dragon ( 龍生九子 ), and subsequently these feature prominently in popular Chinese stories and writings. The scholar Xie Zhaozhe [ zh ] (1567–1624) in his work Wu Za Zu Wuzazu [ zh ] (c. 1592) gives the following listing, as rendered by M. W. de Visser: A well-known work of the end of the sixteenth century, the Wuzazu 五雜俎 , informs us about
2176-547: The Shanghai Mint in 2012's year of the dragon with two sets of coins, one in silver, and one in brass. Each coin in the sets depicts one of the 9 sons, including an additional coin for the father dragon, which depicts the nine sons on the reverse. It's also a Chinese idiom, which means among brothers each one has his good points. Originally, early Chinese dragons are mostly depicted with three claws, but they can range from two to five claws. Different countries that adopted
2240-476: The Yan Emperor, was born by his mother's telepathy with a mythical dragon. This legend also contributed towards the use of the Chinese dragon as a symbol of imperial power. Dragons (usually with five claws on each foot) were a symbol for the emperor in many Chinese dynasties . During the Qing dynasty, the imperial dragon was colored yellow or gold, and during the Ming dynasty it was red. The imperial throne
2304-943: The addition of the Yellow Dragon of the center to Azure Dragon of the East, these Vermilion, White, and Black Dragons coordinate with the Four Symbols, including the Vermilion Bird of the South, White Tiger of the West, and Black Tortoise of the North. Dragons were varyingly thought to be able to control and embody various natural elements in their "mythic form" such as " water , air, earth, fire , light, wind, storm, [and] electricity". Some dragons who were able to breathe fire were thought to be exiled from tiān and banished to Earth. Several Ming dynasty texts list what were claimed as
2368-512: The community in offering sacrifices and conducting other religious rites to appease the dragon, either to ask for rain or a cessation thereof. The King of Wuyue in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period was often known as the "Dragon King" or the "Sea Dragon King" because of his extensive hydro-engineering schemes which "tamed" the sea. In coastal regions of China, Korea, Vietnam, traditional legends and worshipping of whale gods as
2432-518: The design of the Mythical creature. In Phra Aphai Mani , the masterpiece epic poem of Sunthorn Phu , a renowned poet of the 18th century. There is a monster that is Sudsakorn 's steed, one of the main characters in the epic. This creature was called "Ma Nin Mangkorn" ( Thai : ม้านิลมังกร , "ceylonite dragon horse"), it is depicted as it has diamond fangs, ceylonite scales, and a birthmark on
2496-484: The discovery of "dragon bones" in Sichuan . While these "dragon bones" have often been asserted in modern times to be dinosaur bones, according to palaeontologist Mark Witton there is little evidence of this (aside a recent report of villagers collecting dinosaur bones as "dragon bones" from 2007), with historical accounts of "dragon bones" from the 19th century suggest that they were predominantly those of mammals, such as
2560-510: The dragon and nine sons of the dragon (see Classical depictions above). The Nine-Dragon Wall is a spirit wall with images of nine different dragons, and is found in imperial Chinese palaces and gardens. Because nine was considered the number of the emperor, only the most senior officials were allowed to wear nine dragons on their robes—and then only with the robe completely covered with surcoats . Lower-ranking officials had eight or five dragons on their robes, again covered with surcoats; even
2624-404: The dragon), to wit: from head to shoulder, from shoulder to breast, and from breast to tail. These are the joints; as to the nine resemblances, they are the following: his antlers resemble those of a stag, his head that of a camel, his eyes those of a demon, his neck that of a snake, his belly that of a clam ( shen , 蜃 ), his scales those of a carp, his claws those of an eagle, his soles those of
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2688-515: The emperor himself wore his dragon robe with one of its nine dragons hidden from view. There are a number of places in China called "Nine Dragons", the most famous being Kowloon in Hong Kong. The part of the Mekong in Vietnam is known as Cửu Long , with the same meaning. The dragon is one of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac which is used to designate years in the Chinese calendar . It
2752-437: The extinct horse Hipparion . From its origins as totems or the stylized depiction of natural creatures, the Chinese dragon evolved to become a mythical animal. The Han dynasty scholar Wang Fu recorded Chinese myths that long dragons had nine anatomical resemblances. The people paint the dragon's shape with a horse's head and a snake's tail. Further, there are expressions such as 'three joints' and 'nine resemblances' (of
2816-407: The famous long . The linguist Michael Carr analyzed over 100 ancient dragon names attested in Chinese classic texts . Fewer Chinese dragon names derive from the word long 龍 : Some additional Chinese dragons are not named long , for instance, Chinese scholars have classified dragons in diverse systems. For instance, Emperor Huizong of Song canonized five colored dragons as "kings". With
2880-832: The fifth and sixth moons, and especially on the date of his birthday the thirteenth day of the sixth moon. A folk religious movement of associations of good-doing in modern Hebei is primarily devoted to a generic Dragon god whose icon is a tablet with his name inscribed, for which it has been named the "movement of the Dragon Tablet". Dragons or dragon-like depictions have been found extensively in neolithic-period archaeological sites throughout China. Some of earliest depictions of dragons were found at Xinglongwa culture sites. Yangshao culture sites in Xi'an have produced clay pots with dragon motifs. A burial site Xishuipo in Puyang which
2944-568: The guardians of people on the sea have been referred to Dragon Kings after the arrival of Buddhism. According to Chinese legend, both Chinese primogenitors, the earliest Door and the Yellow Emperor , were closely related to the dragon. At the end of his reign, the first legendary ruler, the Yellow Emperor, was said to have been immortalized into a dragon that resembled his emblem, and ascended to Heaven. The other legendary ruler,
3008-522: The nine different young of the dragon, whose shapes are used as ornaments according to their nature. Further, the same author enumerates nine other kinds of dragons, which are represented as ornaments of different objects or buildings according to their liking prisons, water, the rank smell of newly caught fish or newly killed meat, wind and rain, ornaments, smoke, shutting the mouth (used for adorning key-holes), standing on steep places (placed on roofs), and fire. The Sheng'an waiji ( 升庵外集 ) collection by
3072-478: The origin of the Chinese dragon: snakes , Chinese alligators , thunder worship and nature worship . They traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water. Historically, the Chinese dragon was associated with the emperor of China and used as a symbol to represent imperial power. Liu Bang , the founder of the Han dynasty , claimed that he was conceived after his mother dreamt of
3136-566: The poet Yang Shen (1488–1559) gives different 5th and 9th names for the dragon's nine children: the taotie , form of beasts, which loves to eat and is found on food-related wares, and the jiāo tú ( 椒圖 ), which looks like a conch or clam, does not like to be disturbed, and is used on the front door or the doorstep. Yang's list is bì xì , chī wěn or cháo fēng , pú láo , bì àn , tāo tiè , qiú niú , yá zì , suān ní , and jiāo tú . In addition, there are some sayings including [ bā xià 𧈢𧏡 ], Hybrid of reptilia animal and dragon,
3200-561: The qilin is known as " gilen " ( Thai : กิเลน ), and is a member of the pantheon of Thai Himapant forest mythical animals. It is most probable that the Gilen was introduced into the pantheon under the influence of the Tai Yai who came down from Southern China to settle in Siam in ancient times, and the legend was probably incorporated into the Himapant legends of Siam in this manner. The Gilen
3264-534: The qilin with giraffes began after Zheng He 's 15th-century voyage to East Africa (landing, among other places, in modern-day Somalia ). The Ming Dynasty bought giraffes from the Somali merchants along with zebras, incense, and various other exotic animals. Zheng He's fleet brought back two giraffes to Nanjing and they were mistaken by the emperor for the mythical creature, with geri meaning giraffe in Somali . The identification of qilin with giraffes has had
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#17327652690353328-420: The robes of officials and other objects such as plates and vessels in the Yuan dynasty. It was further stipulated that for commoners, "it is forbidden to wear any cloth with patterns of Qilin , Male Fenghuang (Chinese phoenix), White rabbit , Lingzhi , Five-Toe Two-Horn Dragon, Eight Dragons, Nine Dragons, ' Ten thousand years ', Fortune-longevity character and Golden Yellow etc." The Hongwu Emperor of
3392-759: The rulers of water and weather, the dragon is more anthropomorphic in form, often depicted as a humanoid, dressed in a king's costume, but with a dragon head wearing a king's headdress. There are four major Dragon Kings , representing each of the Four Seas : the East Sea (corresponding to the East China Sea ), the South Sea (corresponding to the South China Sea ), the West Sea (sometimes seen as
3456-609: The sky. Also, depictions of dragons in tattoos are prevalent as they are symbols of strength and power, especially criminal organisations where dragons hold a meaning all on their own. As such, it is believed that one must be fierce and strong enough, hence earning the right to wear the dragon on his skin, lest his luck be consumed by the dragons. According to an art historian John Boardman , depictions of Chinese Dragon and Indian Makara might have been influenced by Cetus in Greek mythology possibly after contact with silk-road images of
3520-516: The tongue. It was a mixture of horse, dragon, deer antlers, fish scales, and Phaya Nak tail, with has black sequins all over. Its appearance resembles a qilin. Chinese dragon The Chinese dragon or loong is a legendary creature in Chinese mythology , Chinese folklore , and Chinese culture generally. Chinese dragons have many animal-like forms, such as turtles and fish , but are most commonly depicted as snake-like with four legs. Academicians have identified four reliable theories on
3584-556: The underlying real animals" often confuse the whale, mammoth, and unicorn : they conceptualized the mammoth and whale as aquatic, as well as the mammoth and unicorn possessing a single horn; for inland populations, the extant whale "remains ... an abstraction, in this respect being no different from the extinct mammoth or the truly mythical unicorn." However, Janhunen cautiously remarks that "[t]he formal and semantic similarity between * kilin < * gilin ~ * gïlin 'unicorn' and * kalimV 'whale' (but also Samoyedic * kalay - 'mammoth')
3648-518: The well known Chinese lacquerware table in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The number nine is special in China as it is seen as the number of heaven, and Chinese dragons are frequently connected with it. For example, a Chinese dragon is normally described in terms of nine attributes and usually has 117 (9×13) scales—81 (9×9) Yang and 36 (9×4) Yin. This is also why there are nine forms of
3712-648: The wolf may be used by the Mongols as it is considered to be their legendary ancestor. The dragon was the symbol of the Chinese emperor for many dynasties. During the Qing dynasty, the Azure Dragon was featured on the first Chinese national flag. It was featured again on the Twelve Symbols national emblem , which was used during the Republic of China , from 1913 to 1928. The dragon has been used as
3776-478: The yin essence (negative). Initially, the dragon was benevolent, wise, and just, but the Buddhists introduced the concept of malevolent influence among some dragons. Just as water destroys, they said, so can some dragons destroy via floods, tidal waves, and storms. They suggested that some of the worst floods were believed to have been the result of a mortal upsetting a dragon. Many pictures of Chinese dragons show
3840-537: Was later to become a feature of the design of Brand Hong Kong , a government promotional symbol. The Chinese dragon has very different connotations from the European dragon – in European cultures, the dragon is a fire-breathing creature with aggressive connotations, whereas the Chinese dragon is a spiritual and cultural symbol that represents prosperity and good luck, as well as a rain deity that fosters harmony. It
3904-399: Was only for select royalty closely associated with the imperial family, usually in various symbolic colors, while it was a capital offense for anyone—other than the emperor himself—to ever use the completely gold-colored, five-clawed Long dragon motif . Improper use of claw number or colors was considered treason, punishable by execution of the offender's entire clan. During the Qing dynasty,
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#17327652690353968-404: Was referred to as the Dragon Throne . During the late Qing dynasty, the dragon was even adopted as the national flag. Dragons are featured in carvings on the stairs and walkways of imperial palaces and imperial tombs, such as at the Forbidden City in Beijing. In some Chinese legends, an emperor might be born with a birthmark in the shape of a dragon. For example, one legend tells the tale of
4032-490: Was reported that the Chinese government decided against using the dragon as its official 2008 Summer Olympics mascot because of the aggressive connotations that dragons have outside of China and chose more "friendly" symbols instead. Sometimes Chinese people use the term "Descendants of the Dragon" ( 龙的传人 ; 龍的傳人 ) as a sign of ethnic identity, as part of a trend started in the 1970s when different Asian nationalities were looking for animal symbols as representations. For example,
4096-430: Was strictly reserved for use by the emperor only. The dragon in the Qing dynasty appeared on the flag of the Qing dynasty . The dragon is sometimes used in the West as a national emblem of China, though such use is not commonly seen in the People's Republic of China or Taiwan . Instead, it is generally used as the symbol of culture. In Hong Kong , the dragon was a component of the coat of arms under British rule. It
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