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Encyclopedia > Qilin
A qilin of the Qing dynasty in Beijing's Summer Palace
A painting by the court artist depicting one of Zheng He's giraffes in 1414. The painting was titled "Qilin Brings Serenity (rui) Ode"

The Qilin (Chinese: 麒麟; Pinyin: qílín; Wade-Giles: ch'ilin), also spelled Kylin, Keilun (from Cantonese), or Kirin (from Japanese or Korean), 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. Download high resolution version (600x640, 90 KB)Qing dynasty qilin Bronze sculpture located at the New Imperial Summer Palace. ... Download high resolution version (600x640, 90 KB)Qing dynasty qilin Bronze sculpture located at the New Imperial Summer Palace. ... The Qing Dynasty (Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Ching chao; Manchu: daicing gurun; Mongolian: Манж Чин), occasionally known as the Manchu Dynasty, was the ruling Chinese Dynasties. ... The Summer Palace in Beijing. ... Image File history File links Zheng_he_giraffe. ... Image File history File links Zheng_he_giraffe. ... Zheng He (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: Zhèng Hé; Wade-Giles: Cheng Ho; Birth name: 馬三寶 / 马三宝; Pinyin: ; Islamic name: حجّي محمود شمس Hajji Mahmud Shams) (1371–1433), was a Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat and fleet admiral, who made the voyages collectively referred to as the travels of Eunuch Sanbao to the Western... Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), commonly called Pinyin, is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ... Wade-Giles, sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration) system for the Chinese language based on Mandarin. ... This article is on all of the Yue dialects. ... This article is about a system of myths. ... Chimera on a red-figure Apulian plate, ca 350-340 BCE (Musée du Louvre) In Greek mythology, the Chimera (Greek Χίμαιρα (Chímaira); Latin Chimaera) is a monstrous creature of Lycia in Asia Minor, which was made of the parts of multiple animals. ... Geographic East Asia. ... Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), commonly called Pinyin, is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ...

Contents

Name in other languages

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


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. Over time, however, it came to be identified with the giraffe. (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium) The 5th century BC started on January 1, 500 BC and ended on December 31, 401 BC. // The Parthenon of Athens seen from the hill of the Pnyx to the west. ... The Zuo Zhuan (Chinese: ; Wade-Giles: Tso Chuan) is the earliest Chinese work of narrative history and covers the period from 722 BCE to 468 BCE. It was traditionally attributed to Zuo Qiuming, as a commentary to the Spring and Autumn Annals, although many scholars believe it was an independent... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Range map The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all land-living animal species. ...


Later, the Qilin became a stylised representation of the giraffe. 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. Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Range map The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all land-living animal species. ... Zheng He (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: Zhèng Hé; Wade-Giles: Cheng Ho; Birth name: 馬三寶 / 马三宝; Pinyin: ; Islamic name: حجّي محمود شمس Hajji Mahmud Shams) (1371–1433), was a Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat and fleet admiral, who made the voyages collectively referred to as the travels of Eunuch Sanbao to the Western...  Eastern Africa (UN subregion)  East African Community  Central African Federation (defunct)  geographic, including above East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easternmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Range map The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all land-living animal species. ... Beijing (Chinese: 北京; pinyin: BÄ›ijÄ«ng; IPA: ;  ), a metropolis in northern China, is the capital of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Range map The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all land-living animal species. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Range map The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all land-living animal species. ...


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.


The extent to which giraffes and qilins were regarded as the same creature in pre-modern times is unclear. For example, Ming-era depictions of the qilin have much shorter necks than giraffes.


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. Lion dance (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture, in which performers mimic a lions movements in a lion costume. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...


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 jìng" (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. Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning to cultivate), generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. ...


Ming dynasty example

A Qilin in the dragon, fish, and ox style of the Ming Dynasty. Note the pair of horns.
A Qilin in the dragon, fish, and ox style of the Ming Dynasty. Note the pair of horns.

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. Ming dynasty qilin of the dragon-fish style. ... Ming dynasty qilin of the dragon-fish style. ... Ming China under the Yongle Emperor Capital Nanjing (1368-1421) Beijing (1421-1644) Language(s) Chinese Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1368-1398 Hongwu Emperor  - 1627-1644 Chongzhen Emperor History  - Established in Nanjing January 23, 1368  - Fall of Beijing 1644  - End of the Southern Ming April, 1662 Population  - 1393 est. ... Ming China under the Yongle Emperor Capital Nanjing (1368-1421) Beijing (1421-1644) Language(s) Chinese Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1368-1398 Hongwu Emperor  - 1627-1644 Chongzhen Emperor History  - Established in Nanjing January 23, 1368  - Fall of Beijing 1644  - End of the Southern Ming April, 1662 Population  - 1393 est. ... Binomial name Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 Cattle are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. ... It has been suggested that European dragon be merged into this article or section. ...


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. Approximate extent Northeast China (Simplified Chinese: 东北; Traditional Chinese: 東北; pinyin: Dōngběi; literally east-north), historically known as Manchuria, is the name of a region (ca. ... The Qing Dynasty (Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Ching chao; Manchu: daicing gurun; Mongolian: Манж Чин), occasionally known as the Manchu Dynasty, was the ruling Chinese Dynasties. ... It has been suggested that European dragon be merged into this article or section. ... For the Poet Laureate of Milwaukee, see Antler (Poet). ... “Fawn” redirects here. ... A giant grouper at the Georgia Aquarium Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are typically cold-blooded; covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Binomial name Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 Cattle are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. ... A scorpion tail The tail is the section at the rear end of an animals body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. ... Binomial name Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758) Distribution of Lions in Africa Synonyms Felis leo (Linnaeus, 1758) The lion (Panthera leo) is a mammal of the family Felidae and one of four big cats in the genus Panthera. ...


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. Chinese Art (Simplified Chinese: ) has varied throughout its ancient history, divided into periods by the ruling dynasties of China and changing technology. ... Kirin Brewery Company, Ltd. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Range map The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all land-living animal species. ...


In the 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. Chinese dragon (spelled Long, Loong or Lung in transliteration), is a mythical Chinese creature that also appears in other East Asian cultures, and is also sometimes called the Oriental (or Eastern) dragon. ...


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. The Altaic peoples are the peoples who speak Altaic languages. ... Khanates of Mongolian Empire: Il-Khanate, Chagatai Khanate, Empire of the Great Khan (Yuan Dynasty), Golden Horde The Ilkhanate (also spelled Il-khanate or Il Khanate) was one of the four divisions within the Mongol Empire. ... Timurid can refer to several entities, related to Timur: Timurid Dynasty Timurid Empire Timurid Emirates This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Honorary guard of Mongolia. ... The beliefs and practices of the culturally and linguistically related group of ancient peoples who inhabited the Iranian Plateau and its borderlands, as well as areas of Central Asia from the Black Sea to Khotan (modern Ho-tien, China), form Persian mythology. ... 15mm British Camel Corps and Heliograph Team from Peter Pig A miniature figure -- also known as a miniature or just a mini -- is a small figurine commonly used in role playing games (RPGs) such as Dungeons & Dragons. ... Buraq, mistakenly described as Mohammeds horse, was a creature described as being part griffin, eagle and horse. ... Safavid era Miniature painting kept at Shah Abbas Hotel in Isfahan. ...


Contemporary media references

A contemporary take on the Qilin, as featured in the video game Guild Wars: Factions.
  • 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).
  • The spirit Shishi Gami in Hayao Miyazaki's animated film Princess Mononoke is also clearly derived from the kirin mythology. Other references can be found in the graphic novels Pet Shop of Horrors and Genju no Seiza, both by Matsuri Akino, published by Tokyopop.
  • The kirin appears in the video game series Final Fantasy. Kirin is one of the Espers, or summoned monsters in Final Fantasy VI. Kirin also makes an appearance as the strongest of the "gods" in Final Fantasy XI.
  • In the Pokémon media franchise, the "Alpha" Pokémon Arceus appears to be based on the Qilin.
  • Qilin makes an appearance from time to time in the Capcom game Monster Hunter as a special hunting quest.
  • In the MMORPG Ultima Online the Kirin appears as a creature that only attacks bad players. It can also be ridden.
  • In Digimon, Kudamon's Ultimate form, Qilinmon, is named after and based on the Qilin.
  • In the computer game Guild Wars Factions, players encounter both helpful Kirin charged with safeguarding certain areas, as well as several tainted Kirin as enemies.
  • In the Magic: The Gathering set Saviors of Kamigawa, there are five Kirin, one for each color of Magic. They are, Infernal Kirin, Skyfire Kirin, Cloudhoof Kirin, Celestial Kirin, and Bounteous Kirin.
  • In the manga and anime B't X by Masami Kurumada, Teppei's B't (X) resembles a Kirin, while other B'ts appear to be the other legendary beasts.
  • A kirin whose name is incorrectly translated as "Kylin" is the master of Space Magic and offers to join your party in the PS1 game Saga Frontier.
  • In The Game Monster Hunter for ps2 The kirin appears as a Online hunting Quest.
  • In the computer roguelike game NetHack The Ki-rin appears as strong angelic being which can be tamed and used as a steed

For other uses of the word "kirin" see the Kirin article. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 742 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1131 × 914 pixel, file size: 404 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) 3D production/promotional model for the Kirin creature, from Guild Wars. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 742 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1131 × 914 pixel, file size: 404 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) 3D production/promotional model for the Kirin creature, from Guild Wars. ... Juuni Kokki(Japanese:十二国記 Jūni Kokuki), or the Twelve Kingdoms, is an 45-episode anime series adapted from a series of seven novels and a short story collection by Fuyumi Ono which are based loosely upon ancient Chinese mythology. ... The main cast of the anime Cowboy Bebop (1998) (L to R: Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Ed Tivrusky, Faye Valentine, and Ein the dog) For the oleo-resin, see Animé (oleo-resin). ... Miyazaki can be: Miyazaki prefecture Miyazaki city of Miyazaki prefecture Name of famous Japanese animator and filmmaker, Hayao Miyazaki Takiri Miyazaki, an athlete Tsutomu Miyazaki, a serial killer and otaku A common Japanese family name. ... Princess Mononoke ) is a Japanese animated film by Hayao Miyazaki that was first released in Japan on July 12, 1997 and in the United States on October 29, 1999 in select cities and on November 26, 1999. ... Serialized in Original run 1995 – No. ... For the music movie, see Tokyo Pop. ... For the first installment in the series, see Final Fantasy (video game). ... The official Pokémon logo. ... {{. Its forelegs are connected to its torso and become thicker halfway down, ending in pointed golden hooves. ... Monster Hunteris an adventure video game for PlayStation 2. ... An image from World of Warcraft, one of the largest commercial MMORPGs as of 2004, based on active subscriptions. ... Ultima Online (UO) is a popular graphical massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), released on September 25, 1997, by Origin Systems. ... Digimon , short for デジタルモンスター dejitaru monsutā, Digital Monster) is a popular Japanese series of media and merchandise, including anime, manga, toys, video games, trading card games and other media. ... This article refers to the Kudamon featured in Digimon Savers. ... Qilinmon is a fictional character from the Digimon franchise, an Ultimate Level Exalted Beast Digimon, based on the Chinese Qilin, (Kirin in Japanese), a creature that resembles a Unicorn. ... A computer game is a game composed of a computer-controlled virtual universe that players interact with in order to achieve a defined goal or set of goals. ... Guild Wars Factions is a computer game released in 2006 by ArenaNet and is the first stand-alone campaign expanding on Prophecies, the original Guild Wars game. ... Magic: The Gathering (colloq. ... Saviors of Kamigawa (also Saviors or SoK) is a Magic: The Gathering set, third and last in the Kamigawa Block. ... Bt X (ビト・エックス) is a science fiction manga and anime series created by Masami Kurumada, the author of Saint Seiya. ... Masami Kurumada (車田正美 Kurumada Masami, born December 6, 1953) is a manga artist and writer. ... SaGa Frontier is a Sony PlayStation console role-playing game by Square Co. ... Monster Hunteris an adventure video game for PlayStation 2. ... This article is about the role-playing game. ... Kirin may refer to: Kirin, the Japanese and Korean word for the Qilin, a mythical beast in Chinese culture and now the word for giraffe Kirin Brewery Company, Ltd. ...


See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... Chimera from Arezzo. ... Shaanxi Gaitianli Kylins (陕西盖天力麒麟) or Shaanxi Gaitianli or Shaanxi Kylins are a basketball team in the North Division of the Chinese Basketball Association, based in Shaanxi. ... The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA; Chinese 中国男子篮球职业联赛) is the premier professional basketball league in the Peoples Republic of China. ... The gentle and pensive maiden has the power to tame the unicorn, in this fresco in Palazzo Farnese, Rome, probably by Domenichino, ca 1602 The Unicorn (from Latin unus one and cornu horn) is a legendary creature. ... Chinese dragon (spelled Long, Loong or Lung in transliteration), is a mythical Chinese creature that also appears in other East Asian cultures, and is also sometimes called the Oriental (or Eastern) dragon. ... Yali (pronounced yaali) is a mythical creature seen in many Hindu temples. ... {{. Its forelegs are connected to its torso and become thicker halfway down, ending in pointed golden hooves. ... Five Stars Battle Team Great Ranger was TOEI Company Limiteds 17th production of the Super Sentai television series. ...

References

  1. ^ http://www.chinaknowledge.de/Literature/Classics/chunqiuzuozhuan.html
  2. ^ http://engine.cqvip.com/content/tu/98575x/2001/000/002/gc13_tu1_5337044.pdf

 

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