| Qilin | |
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Other Names |
Qilin, Kirin, Kỳ Lân, Gilen |
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First Appearance |
Chinese Myth |
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Created by |
Chinese Myth |
Origin[]
The qilin is a legendary hooved chimerical creature that appears in Chinese mythology, and is said to appear with the imminent arrival or passing of a sage or illustrious ruler. Qilin are a specific type of the lin mythological family of one-horned beasts. The qilin also appears in the mythologies of other Chinese-influenced cultures.
Qilin generally have Chinese dragon-like features: similar heads with antlers, eyes with thick eyelashes, manes that always flow upward, and beards. The body is fully or partially scaled and often shaped like an ox, deer, or horse, or more commonly a goat. They are always shown with cloven hooves. While dragons in China (and thus qilin) are also most commonly depicted as golden, qilin may be of any color or even various colors, and can be depicted as bejeweled or exhibiting a jewel-like brilliance.
The legendary image of the qilin became associated with the image of the giraffe in the Ming dynasty. The identification of the qilin with giraffes began after Zheng He's 15th-century voyage to East Africa (landing, among other places, in modern-day Somalia). The Ming Dynasty bought giraffes from the Somali merchants along with zebras, incense, and various other exotic animals. Zheng He's fleet brought back two giraffes to Nanjing and they were mistaken by the emperor for the mythical creature, with geri meaning giraffe in Somali. The identification of qilin with giraffes has had a lasting influence: even today, the same word is used for the mythical animal and the giraffe in both Korean and Japanese.
In Japan, the Kirin, which has also come to be used as the modern Japanese word 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 instead of a lion's tail. They are also often portrayed as partially unicorn-like in appearance, but with a backwards curving horn.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of the Qilin from before January 1. 1929 are in the public domain in the US.
Some Notable appearances are listed below:
- Feet of the Lin in Classic of Poetry (11th – 7th c. BCE)
- Spring and Autumn Annals
- Shuowen Jiezi
Notes[]
- Gosei Sentai Dairanger has a Kirin Ranger. When adapted into Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, however, the Kirin was referred to as a griffin instead, to more closely match the Yellow Ranger's previous sabertooth tiger-themed powers.
- Suicune from Pokemon is based on the kirin, chiefly due to its deer-like physique, the large, crystalline, backwards-pointing horn on its forehead, its ability to walk on water, and its nature as a pure and elusive being that avoids contact with humans.