Qilin

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A qilin in the lion and unicorn style of the Ming dynasty

A qilin in the dragon and fish style of the Ming dynasty

A qilin of the Qing dynasty

A qilin, also spelled kylin and qilin (麒麟 pinyin: qi2 lin2; Cantonese: kay-lun), is a mythical hoved Chinese creature that is said to appear only when a sage has appeared. It is a good omen that brings Rui4 (瑞 roughly translated to serenity and prosperity). It is often depicted with what looks like fire all over its body. It is also known as a kirin in Japan.

Table of contents

1 The nature of the beast
2 Variations

2.1 Ming dynasty examples
2.2 A Qing dynasty example
2.3 In Japan

The nature of the beast

Although it looks fearsome, the Qilin only punishes the sinners; when it walked on grass, it could not trample it. Being a peaceful creature, its diet did not include flesh.

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.

Ming dynasty examples

In the Ming dynasty of China (1368–1644) the qilin is represented as an oxen-hoved animal with a lion-like head mounting a single horn and unremarkable skin, appearing plausable as the representation of an real animal. This Ming qilin is sometimes translated as a "Chinese unicorn" in English, because in this variation it is superficially similar to the unicorn in being a hooved imaginary beast having a single horn on its head.

In close proximity to the single horned example can be found a similar beast with a dragon head with a pair of antlers and fish like skin, closer in appearance to qilins of later dynasties and to the Kirin of Japan.

A Qing dynasty example

The qilin of China's subsequent manchurian dominated Qing dynasty (1644–1911) is a much more fanciful animal. That mythical beast also has hoves, but possesses the head of a dragon, the antlers of a deer, the skin and scales of a fish, and the hooves of an ox and tail of a lion.

In Japan

In Japanese, the qilin is called a kirin. Japanese art tends to depict the qilin as more deerlike than in Chinese art. The word kirin has come to be used in modern Japanese for a giraffe.

For other uses of the word Kirin see the Kirin article.