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legendary creature in Chinese mythology
This article is about the legendary animal. For other uses, see Qilin ( disambiguation )

QilinQing era depiction of a qilinGroupingLegendary creatureSub groupingChimeraSimilar entitieskirin, kỳ lân

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, gilenFirst attested5th century BCECountryChina

Qilin with Rider, c. 1800–1894, from the Oxford College Archives of Emory University The qilin ( [ tɕʰǐ.lǐn ] ; chinese : 麒麟 ) is a legendary ungulate chimeric animal that appears in Chinese mythology, and is said to appear with the at hand arrival or passing of a sage or celebrated rule. [ 1 ] Qilin are a specific type of the lin fabulous family of one-horned beasts .

Origins [edit ]

Qilin grave defender, 4th century The earliest references to the qilin are in the fifth hundred BCE Zuo Zhuan. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] The legendary prototype of the qilin became associated with the effigy of the giraffe in the Ming dynasty. [ 4 ] [ 5 ] The designation of the qilin with giraffe began after Zheng He ‘s 15th-century ocean trip to East Africa ( landing, among other places, in contemporary Somalia ). The Ming Dynasty bought giraffe from the Somali merchants along with zebras, cense, and diverse early alien animals. [ 6 ] Zheng He ‘s evanesce brought back two giraffe to Nanjing and they were referred to as “ qilins ”, with giraffe meaning geri in Somali. [ 7 ] The Emperor proclaimed the giraffe charming creatures, whose appropriate signaled the enormousness of his exponent. It is said that the female is called the lin ( 麟 ), the male is called the qi ( 麒 ) and “ qilin ” is a appellation for the whole species. however, “ lin ” alone much carries the lapp generic mean. [ 8 ] The recognition between the qilin and the giraffe is supported by some attributes of the qilin, including its herbivory and quietly nature. Its think of ability to “ walk on supergrass without disturbing it ” may be related to the giraffe ‘s long, reduce leg. besides, the qilin is described as having antlers like a deer and scales like a draco or fish ; since the giraffe has horn-like “ ossicones “ on its head and a tessellate coat convention that looks like scales, it is easy to draw an analogy between the two creatures. The identification of qilin with giraffe has had a last influence : even nowadays, the lapp news is used for the fabulous animal and the giraffe in both Korean and japanese. [ 9 ] Axel Schuessler reconstructs 麒麟 ‘s Old chinese pronunciation as * gərin. finnish linguist Juha Janhunen tentatively compares * gərin to an etymon reconstructed as * kalimV, [ 10 ] denoting “ giant “ ; and represented in the language isolate Nivkh and four different lyric 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 companion with the underlying real animals ” often confuse the whale, mammoth, and unicorn : they conceptualized the gigantic and giant as aquatic, a well as the mammoth and unicorn possessing a single automobile horn ; for inland populations, the extant whale “ remains … an abstraction, in this respect being no different from the extinct mammoth or the in truth fabulous unicorn. ” however, Janhunen conservatively remarks that “ [ triiodothyronine ] he formal and semantic similarity between * kilin < * gilin ~ * gïlin ‘unicorn ‘ and * kalimV ‘whale ‘ ( but besides Samoyedic * kalay – ‘mammoth ‘ ) is sufficient to support, though possibly not confirm, the guess of an etymological connection ”, and besides notes a possible connection between Old Chinese and Mongolian ( * ) kers ~ ( * ) keris ~ ( * ) kiris “ rhinoceros ” ( Khalkha : хирс ). [ 11 ]

description [edit ]

Qilin by and large have taiwanese dragon -like features : similar heads with antlers, eyes with thick eyelashes, manes that constantly flow up, and beards. The body is in full or partially scaled and often shaped like an ox, deer, or horse. They are always shown with cloven hooves. While dragons in China ( and thus qilin ) are besides most normally depicted as golden, qilin may be of any color or even diverse colors, and can be depicted as bejewel or exhibiting a jewel-like magnificence. Common color choices for depictions are frequently associated with the elements, valued metals, stars, and gemstones, but can additionally include earth-tones and humble browns. The qilin is depicted throughout a wide stove of chinese art, sometimes with parts of their bodies on fire. On occasion, they will have featherlike features or decorations, fluffy curly tufts of hair, as depicted in Ming Dynasty cavalry art on assorted parts of the legs, from fetlocks to upper leg, or tied with cosmetic fish-like fins as embellishments, or carp fish whiskers, or scales. [ citation needed ] It is said their auspicious voice sounds like the tinkling of bells, chimes, and the wind. [ citation needed ]
Qilin at Qingyang Palace There are variations in the appearance of the qilin in historical China, owing to cultural differences between dynasties and regions. During the Jin dynasty, the qilin was depicted as wreathed in flame and fume, with a dragon-like head, scales, and the body of a herculean hooved beast such as a cavalry. In the Ming dynasty ( 1368–1644 ), the qilin was represented as an ox -hoofed animal with a dragon -like head surmounted by a pair of horns and flame-like head ornaments. The qilin of China ‘s subsequent Manchu Qing dynasty ( 1644–1911 ) was a particular fanciful animal with the head of a draco, the antlers of a deer, the skin and scales of a fish, the hooves of an ox and chase of a leo. According to Taoist mythology, although they can look awful, qilin only punish the sinful ; therefore there exist accounts of court trials and judgments based on qilin divinely knowing whether a defendant is well or evil, guilty or innocent, in ancient lore and stories. [ citation needed ] In Buddhist -influenced depictions, qilin will refuse to walk upon denounce for fear of harming a single blade, and thus are much depicted walking upon the cloud or the water. As they are divine and peaceful creatures, their diets do not include human body. They take big care when they walk to never tread on a survive creature, and appear entirely in areas ruled by a judicious and benevolent leader, which can include a family. [ clarification needed ] Qilin can become boisterous if a pure person is threatened by a malicious one, spouting flames from their mouths and exercising other awful powers that vary from narrative to story. [ citation needed ]
A Qing dynasty qilin-shaped incense burner Legends tell that qilin have appeared in the garden of the fabled Yellow Emperor and in the capital of Emperor Yao ; both events bore testimony to the charitable nature of the rulers. It has besides been told that the parentage of the capital sage Confucius was foretold by the arrival of a qilin. [ 1 ] Qilin are besides thought to be symbols of luck, good omens, protection, prosperity, success and longevity by the Chinese ; they may additionally appear as symbols of fertility, frequently depicted as bringing a baby to a family. [ citation needed ]

In ritual dances [edit ]

Some stories [ which? ] state of matter that qilin are sacred pets ( or familiars ) of the deities. [ citation needed ] In the hierarchy of traditional dances performed by the Chinese ( for example, leo dance, dragon dance ), they rank highly, and are third merely to the dragon and phoenix. [ citation needed ] In the qilin dance, movements are characterized by fast, knock-down strokes of the fountainhead. The Qilin Dance is much regarded as a heavily dance to perform due to the weight of the head, the stances involved, and the vehemence on sudden bursts of energy ( 法劲 ; 法勁 ; fǎjìn ).

Qilin as unicorns [edit ]

One-horned beast depicted in ceramic model from Northern Wei period ( 386–534 ) In advanced times, the depictions of qilin have much fused with the western concept of unicorns. Qilin ( 麒麟 ) is frequently translated into English as “ unicorn ”, and can sometimes be depicted as having a individual cornet – although this is misleading, as qilin may besides be depicted as having two horns, and a separate word, “ one-horned animal ” ( 独角兽 ; 獨角獸 ; Dújiǎoshòu ) is used in modern Chinese for “ unicorn ”. A number of different chinese fabulous creatures can be depicted with a single horn, and a qilin, even if depicted with one horn, would be called a “ one-horned qilin ” in Chinese, not a “ unicorn ”. however, the fabulous and etymological connections between the creatures have been noted by versatile cultural studies [ 9 ] [ 10 ] [ 11 ] and even the chinese politics, which has minted flatware, gold, and platinum commemorative coins depicting both archetypal creatures. [ 12 ] A qilin in the dragon, fish, and ox vogue of the Ming dynasty. Note the pair of horns . Porcelain qilin with the head and lepidote body of a dragon, tail of a leo and cloven hoofs like a deer, its body enveloped in consecrated flames. Qing dynasty, mid eighteenth hundred .

early cultural representations [edit ]

East Asia [edit ]

Japan [edit ]

Kirin, which has besides come to be used in the modern japanese password for 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 [ 13 ] alternatively of a lion ‘s tail. They are besides frequently portrayed as partially unicorn -like in appearance, but with a backwards curving horn. In the Post- Qin Chinese hierarchy of fabulous animals, the qilin is ranked as the one-third most brawny creature ( after the dragon and phoenix ), but in Japan, the kirin occupies the top point. This is following the style of the ancient Chinese, as qilin was ranked higher than the draco or phoenix before the Qin dynasty. During the Zhou dynasty, the qilin was ranked the highest, the phoenix ranked second, and the dragon the third base. [ citation needed ]

Korea [edit ]

Girin or kirin ( 기린 ) is the korean form of qilin. It is described as a man creature with the torso of a deer, an ox dock 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. [ 14 ] They were one of the four divine creatures along with the dragon, phoenix and turtle. Girin were extensively used in korean imperial and Buddhist arts. In modern Korean, the term “ girin ” is used for “ giraffe “ .

Southeast Asia [edit ]

thailand [edit ]

In Thailand, the qilin is known as “ gilen ” ( Thai : กิเลน ), and is a extremity of the pantheon of Thai Himapant forest fabulous animals. It is most probable that the Gilen was introduced into the pantheon under the charm of the Tai Yai who came down from southerly China to settle in Siam in ancient times, and the legend was credibly incorporated into the Himapant legends of Siam in this manner. The Gilen is a assortment of assorted animals, which come from differing elementary environments, representing elemental charming forces present within each embody creature. Many of the Himapant animals actually represent gods and devas of the Celestial Realms, and bodhisattva, who manifest as personifications which represent the true nature of each creature deity through the symbolism of the respective torso parts amalgamated into the design of the fabulous creature. [ 15 ] In Phra Aphai Mani, the masterpiece epic poem of Sunthorn Phu, a celebrated poet of the eighteenth century. There is a giant that is Sudsakorn ‘s steed, one of the main characters in the epic. This creature was called “Ma Nin Mangkorn” ( Thai : ม้านิลมังกร, “ ceylonite draco horse ” ), it is depicted as it has diamond fangs, ceylonite scales, and a birthmark on the tongue. It was a mix of horse, draco, deer antlers, fish scales, and Phaya Nak chase, with has blacken sequins all over. Its appearance resembles a qilin. [ 16 ]

Vietnam [edit ]

In Vietnam, the qilin is referred to as kỳ lân. The origins of the kỳ lân is descended from the Chinese qilin, and shares many similar features, such as the head of a dragon or tiger, mane of a lion, the hooves of an ox or horse, the buttocks of a leo or ox, scales of a fish, and it can have either 1 or 2 horns or antlers .

other representations in media [edit ]

Sancai Tuhui, published in 1609 A Ming Dynasty word picture of the qilin from the, published in 1609 The qilin has besides been frequently depicted in contemporary and modern works of literature, art and other media :