Qingxu Daode Zhenjun (清虛道德真君)

Qingxu Daode Zhenjun (清虛道德真君)

Alternative Names (異名):
清虛道德真君, Qingxu Daode Zhenjun


Qingxu Daode Zhenju (Chinese: 清虛道德真君; Pinyin: Qīngxū Dàodé Zhēnjūn) a character featured within the famed ancient Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods.

Daode Zhenjun is the renowned superiorman of Mount Green Top, Purple Cave. At one point in time during the Yang Ren incident, Zhenjun would realize that Yang Ren's time is not yet over, and he thus needs to exist for a longer period of time. Due to this, Insouciant would unleash his Yellow Kerchiefed Genie to scoop up Yang Ren and effectively bring him to his mountain by creating a large dust storm. Next, Insouciant would place a set amount of magic on both of Yang Ren's eyes (because Yang Ren previously had his eyes removed as punishment by King Zhou of Shang). Following this, Zhenjun would blow on Yang Ren's face and tell him to awaken. Following this point, Zhenjun would have Yang Ren as his disciple for the remainder of his alloted time.

At one point in time when Huang Feihu had been completely surrounded by Wen Zhong's forces, Zhenjun would engulf Huang and his entourage in a sleep-inducing fog and would then move them outside the valley. As seen following this, Zhenjun has the ability to create clone forms of any individual at will (due to his magic gourd). Some time later when Huang had been struck in the arm by Chen Tong's magical dart, Zhenjun would summon his disciple, Huang Tianhua, and tell him to quickly save his father -- who is in difficulty. Before the leave of his disciple, Zhenjun would first hand Tianhua a flower basket, his Non-Evil Sword, and tell him to hurry back once his objective is completed


Superiormen of Fengshen Yanyi | Fengshen Yanyi characters | Taoism | Chinese gods | Chinese mythology

Qilin (麒麟)

Qilin (麒麟)

Alternative Names (異名):
Qilin, 麒麟, 기린, qílín(pinyin), ch'ilin(Wade-Giles)


The Qilin (Chinese: 麒麟; pinyin: qílín; Wade-Giles: ch'ilin), also spelled Kirin or Kirin (Korean and Japanese ) is a mythical hooved Chinese chimerical creature known throughout various East Asian cultures, and is said to appear in conjunction with the arrival of a sage. It is a good omen that brings rui (Chinese: 瑞; pinyin: ruì; roughly translated as "serenity" or "prosperity"). It is often depicted with what looks like fire all over its body.


Name in other languages

The Qilin is known in other languages as: Girin (in Korean), Sabitun Sabintu (in Manchu), Hariharipo Hariharimo (in Tibetan), Билигтэй Бэлэгтэй Гөрөөс (in Mongolian), Kỳ lân (in Vietnamese), Ki len (in Thai), and Keilun (Cantonese).


Origins

The earliest references to the Qilin are in the 5th century BC book Zuo Zhuan.[1][2] The Qilin made appearances in a variety of subsequent Chinese works of history and fiction. At one point, however, it became identified with the giraffe.

The Qilin became a stylised representation of the giraffe in Ming dynasty. It is known that on Zheng He's voyage to East Africa (landing, among other places, in modern-day Kenya), the fleet brought back two giraffes to Beijing. It is also known that these two giraffes were referred to as "Qilins". The Emperor proclaimed the giraffes magical creatures, whose capture signalled the greatness of his power.

The identification between the Qilin and the giraffe is supported by some attributes of the Qilin, including its vegetarian and quiet nature. Its reputed ability to "walk on grass without disturbing it" may be related to the giraffe's long legs.

It is unlikely that giraffes and qilins were regarded as the same creature in pre-modern times however. For example, typical depictions of the qilin have much shorter necks than giraffes. However, the Chinese word 麒 and 麟 both carry Chinese radical 鹿, suggesting that it was originally a type of deer, or perhaps even antelope.


The nature of the beast

Although it looks fearsome, the Qilin only punishes the wicked. It can walk on grass 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.

Some stories state that the Qilin is a sacred pet (or familiar) of the deities. Therefore, in the hierarchy of dances performed by the Chinese (Lion Dance, Dragon Dance, Phoenix Dance, etc), the Qilin ranks highly; second only to the Dragon and Phoenix whom are the highest.

In the Qilin Dance, movements are characterised by fast, powerful strokes of the head. Qilin Dance is often regarded as the hardest dance to perform due to the weight of the head, stances and the emphasis on "fǎ jìn" (Traditional Chinese - 法勁) - outbursts of strength/power/energy


Variations

There are variations in the appearance of the qilin, even as seen in a single country such as China, owing to cultural differences between dynasties and regions

Ming dynasty example

In the Ming dynasty of China (1368–1644) 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.

A Qing dynasty example

The Qilin of China's subsequent Manchurian dominated Qing dynasty (1644–1911) 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 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 Post-Qin Chinese hierarchy of mythological animals, the Qilin is ranked as the third most powerful creature (after the dragon and phoenix), but in Japan, the Kirin occupies the top spot. This is following the style of the ancient Chinese, as QiLin, before the Qin Dynasty, was ranked higher then the Dragon or Phoenix, in fact, during the Zhou Dynasty, the Dragon is the third, the Phoenix rank second

Turko-Mongol Iran

In Ilkhanid and Timurid Mongol-Persian mythological miniatures, the buraq was portrayed in a style reminiscent of the Chinese qilin, reflecting the Chinese background of painters who introduced watercolor techniques to Iran and initiated several medieval schools of Persian miniature painting.


See also

Chimera
Shaanxi Kylins of the Chinese Basketball Association
Unicorn
Chinese dragon
Sin-you, a more feline, feral cousin of the Qilin
Yali, a Hindu mythological beast.


Links

http://www.chinaknowledge.de/Literature/Classics/chunqiuzuozhuan.html


Chinese mythology | Chinese legendary creatures | Japanese legendary creatures | Legendary mammals | Fictional giraffes

Qibo (岐伯)

Qibo (岐伯)

Alternative Names (異名):
Qibo, 岐伯, 기백, Qíbó(pinyin), Chi Bo(Wade-Giles)


Qibo, was a mythological Chinese doctor, employed by Huangdi (the Yellow Emperor) as his minister. It is said that he was enlightened with the knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine by an ethereal being from the heavens.

He was a doctor in shanggu shidai (simplified Chinese: 上古时代; traditional Chinese: 上古時代; pinyin: shànggǔ shídài) in legend. He lived in Beidi (Chinese: 北地; pinyin: běidì, now Qingyang).

It is said that he had learned medicine from some celestial being like Guangchengzi, Chisongzi (Chinese: 赤松子; pinyin: chìsōngzǐ), Zhongnanzi (Chinese: 中南子; pinyin: zhōngnánzǐ). He recognized medicinal herb in daylight, learned Tao of health maintenance and mastered jingluo medicine. Zhongnanzi recommended Qibo to Huangdi, while Huangdi asked Tao to Guangchengzi in Kongtong Mountains. Qibo became the chancellor of Huangdi. He sampled medicinal herbs by the order of Huangdi. Huangdi Neijing is the a book comprising the dialogues regarding medicinal problems between Huangdi and Qibo.

The renowned sinologist Paul Unschuld maintains based on phonetic resemblances that the elusive Qibo might actually have been Hippocrates.


Traditional Chinese medicine | History of China | Chinese mythology | Asian mythology stubs | Chinese people stubs