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Qilin: Difference between revisions
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(Created page with "thumb|right|A qilin of the Qing dynasty – note the antlers, closer in style to the Japanese version (Kirin) The '''Qilin''', also spelled '''Ky...") |
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Although it looks fearsome, the Qilin only punishes the wicked. It can walk on grass and yet not trample the blades and it can also walk on water. Being a peaceful creature, its diet does not include flesh. It takes great care when it walks never to tread on any living thing, and it is said to appear only in areas ruled by a wise and benevolent leader (some say even if this area is only a house). It is normally gentle but can become fierce if a pure person is threatened by a sinner, spouting flames from its mouth and exercising other fearsome powers that vary from story to story. | Although it looks fearsome, the Qilin only punishes the wicked. It can walk on grass and yet not trample the blades and it can also walk on water. Being a peaceful creature, its diet does not include flesh. It takes great care when it walks never to tread on any living thing, and it is said to appear only in areas ruled by a wise and benevolent leader (some say even if this area is only a house). It is normally gentle but can become fierce if a pure person is threatened by a sinner, spouting flames from its mouth and exercising other fearsome powers that vary from story to story. | ||
The Qilin is the lord of all beasts or hairy creatures (mammals), while the [ | The Qilin is the lord of all beasts or hairy creatures (mammals), while the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_(mythology) Phoenix] represents the feathered, Man the naked, the Dragon the scaly and the Turtle the armored. | ||
==Variations== | ==Variations== | ||
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[[Image:MingQilinDragonFish.jpg|thumb|left|275px|A Qilin in the dragon, fish, and ox style of the Ming Dynasty. Note the pair of horns.]] | [[Image:MingQilinDragonFish.jpg|thumb|left|275px|A Qilin in the dragon, fish, and ox style of the Ming Dynasty. Note the pair of horns.]] | ||
In the Ming dynasty of China the Qilin is represented as an oxen-hooved animal with a | In the Ming dynasty of China the Qilin is represented as an oxen-hooved animal with a dragon-like head surmounted by a pair of horns and flame-like head ornaments. In some representations, the flames that come from the Qilin's mouth contain a book which is actually Buddhist Sutras. | ||
=== A Qing dynasty example === | === A Qing dynasty example === | ||
The qilin of China's subsequent Manchurian dominated Qing dynasty is a much more fanciful animal. Manchurian depictions of the qilin depict a creature with the head of a | The qilin of China's subsequent Manchurian dominated Qing dynasty is a much more fanciful animal. Manchurian depictions of the qilin depict a creature with the head of a dragon the antlers of a deer, the skin and scales of a fish, the hooves of an ox and tail of a lion. | ||
===In Japan=== | ===In Japan=== | ||
In Japanese, the qilin is called kirin. Japanese art tends to depict the qilin as more deer-like than in Chinese art. Kirin Brewery Company, Ltd. is named after the animal, and the word kirin has also come to be used in modern Japanese for a giraffe. It's depicted as a dragon shaped like a European-style unicorn, only with a horse's tail instead of a lion's. | In Japanese, the qilin is called kirin. Japanese art tends to depict the qilin as more deer-like than in Chinese art. Kirin Brewery Company, Ltd. is named after the animal, and the word kirin has also come to be used in modern Japanese for a giraffe. It's depicted as a dragon shaped like a European-style unicorn, only with a horse's tail instead of a lion's. | ||
In the Chinese hierarchy of mythological animals, the qilin is ranked as the second most powerful creature (after the Chinese | In the Chinese hierarchy of mythological animals, the qilin is ranked as the second most powerful creature (after the Chinese dragon), but in Japan, the kirin occupies the top spot. | ||
In the ''Twelve Kingdoms'' anime series, based on the fantasy novels by Fuyumi Ono, the monarch of each kingdom is chosen by a kirin, who then becomes his (or her) principal counselor. The kirin's name is derived from the name of the kingdom plus either "ki" (male) or "rin" (female). | In the ''Twelve Kingdoms'' anime series, based on the fantasy novels by Fuyumi Ono, the monarch of each kingdom is chosen by a kirin, who then becomes his (or her) principal counselor. The kirin's name is derived from the name of the kingdom plus either "ki" (male) or "rin" (female). | ||
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Kirin also makes an appearance as the strongest of the "gods" in Final Fantasy XI. | Kirin also makes an appearance as the strongest of the "gods" in Final Fantasy XI. | ||
==Source== | ==Source== | ||
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[[Category:Dragon Names]] | [[Category:Dragon Names]] | ||
[[Category:Continent: Asia]] | [[Category:Continent: Asia]] | ||
[[Category:Race: Dragon]] | [[Category:Race: Dragon]] | ||
