All  

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ Mobile

The gentle and benevolent Qilin of Chinese mythology

The gentle and benevolent Qilin of Chinese mythology

Print

Chinese mythology is full of fantastic supernatural and mythical creatures. Whilst the Western world is probably most familiar with the dragon and the phoenix, there are other equally interesting, though less well-known mythological beings. One of these is the Qilin.

Like the Chinese dragon, the Qilin is composed of different animals. Over the centuries, however, the depiction of the Qilin has changed. In general, the Qilin is said to have an equine-like body. Thus, the Qilin may have the body of a deer, or an ox, or a horse. The body of the Qilin is also covered with the scales of a fish, and is often enveloped in fire. As for its head, it is quite similar to the Chinese dragon, yet, even this feature has its variations over time. Some Qilin, for example, have been depicted with a single horn. Hence, the Qilin has been compared to the European unicorn, and has been dubbed as the ‘Chinese Unicorn’, while others are shown with antlers. Nevertheless, it has been suggested that the Qilin and the Chinese Unicorn are two separate mythological creatures altogether.

Although the Qilin may be terrifying to behold, legends describe it as a gentle and peaceful creature. In Buddhist depictions of the creature, for instance, the Qilin is shown to be walking on clouds, as it refuses to harm even a single blade of grass by walking on it. Yet, in some stories, the Qilin is capable of incinerating people, and possesses a variety of supernatural powers. These abilities are only revealed, however, when it is required to defend innocent people from the malice of evil-doers.

The Qilin

The Qilin is said to have walked on clouds to avoid damaging the grass. Picture: ‘Qilin’ by Sleepingfox

As the Qilin is believed to be a benevolent creature, its appearance is regarded as an auspicious sign. It is also believed that the Qilin would only appear during the reign of a good ruler, or shortly before the birth or death of a sage. According to popular belief, the birth of one of China’s greatest sages, Confucius, was made known when a Qilin appeared to his pregnant mother. This Qilin coughed up an inscribed jade tablet that foretold the future greatness of the child in the womb. Furthermore, when a Qilin was injured by a charioteer, it was taken as a foreshadowing of the death of Confucius.

Since the Qilin was associated with greatness, it would be of little wonder that that the Chinese emperors wanted one to appear during their reign, so that he may enhance his reputation. One Ming emperor had his chance in the 15 th century. In 1414, the fleet of Zheng He returned to China after its voyage to East Africa. The gifts that were brought back included a pair of giraffes. These were bought from merchants when the fleet landed in modern day Somalia. Due to some similarities between the giraffes and the Qilin, the Emperor Yongle proclaimed these animals as magical, and saw them as a legitimisation of his greatness. Incidentally, the word for Qilin in Korean ( Girin) and Japanese ( Kirin) are actually the same ones used for giraffe. This shows the long lasting influence of the Chinese identification of the giraffe with the Qilin.

A Qilin with giraffe-like form

A Qilin with giraffe-like form. Picture: Qilin by Vrolokya

Apart from this linguistic influence, the Qilin has also had an influence on the cultural heritage of the Hakka (a Chinese dialect group) people. The Qilin dance is similar to the more common lion dance, both of which are usually performed during the Lunar New Year. Although the basic form and the ritual of the Qilin dance is similar to that of the lion, the pattern of steps, gestures, and music are quite distinct from its more famous counterpart. Although the Qilin dance is relatively obscure, it seems that it is getting more popular today. Thus, the Qilin will probably become better known as more people come to know about it and its place in Chinese mythology.

Featured image: An artist’s depiction of a Qilin. Credit: Megaloceros-Urhirsch

By Ḏḥwty

References

Benjudkins, 2013. Qilin Dancing During the Lunar New Year and Southern Chinese Martial Culture. [Online]
Available here.

Cultural China, 2014. Magical Chinese Unicorn Qilin. [Online]
Available at: http://traditions.cultural-china.com/en/210Traditions9158.html

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2014. qilin. [Online]
Available at: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/110049/qilin

Parker, J. T., 2007. The Mythic Chinese Unicorn. [Online]
Available at: http://chinese-unicorn.com/title/

Szczepanski, K., 2014. What is a Qilin?. [Online]
Available at: http://asianhistory.about.com/od/Asian_History_Terms_N_Q/g/What-Is-A-Qilin.htm

Wikipedia, 2014. Qilin. [Online]
Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qilin

Zhu, W., 2013. The Legendary Qilin. [Online]
Available at: http://www.theworldofchinese.com/2013/06/the-legendary-qilin/

 
dhwty's picture

Wu

Wu Mingren (‘Dhwty’) has a Bachelor of Arts in Ancient History and Archaeology. Although his primary interest is in the ancient civilizations of the Near East, he is also interested in other geographical regions, as well as other time periods.... Read More

Next article