![]() ![]() On page five, he writes: "the lion (re-)appears as a gryphon or winged leophoric chimera in the tomb of King Cuo of Zhongshan during the fourth century B.C., and a western Shanxi site from the first century B.C. Story by Wolfgang Behr, Hinc sunt leones - two ancient Eurasian migratory terms in Chinese revisited. International Journal of Asian Studies, Volume 9, 2004. The term Hekija is also used figuratively in Japan to mean “valiant soldier.” ![]() Literally “ward off evil (邪悪を避ける).” In Japan, it is read Hekija 辟邪, as in the Exorcists Scroll (aka Hekija-e 辟邪絵). Hence Tiān Lù is associated with acquiring and keeping wealth. Tiān Lù is said to have angered the Chinese emperor, who then sealed the beast’s anus and restricted the beast’s diet to gold. 天禄 literally means heavenly wealth or celestial blessings or heavenly salary. Like the mythological Phoenix (a male-female pair known as Fèng Huáng 鳳凰) and the Qílín 麒麟 (a male-female pair of giraffe-like mythological beasts), the term Pí 貔 refers to the male of the species and Xiū 貅 refers to the female. = Henpuku), the symbol of wealth, long life, and other blessings in China. Indeed, in contemporary artwork, the beast is sometimes depicted holding gold (or coins) in its mouth, or shown together with a bat (Biānfú 蝙蝠 Jp. The Tiān Lù thus came to represent the acquisition and preservation of riches. In one legend, the male beast (called Tiān Lù 天禄 in China) somehow angered the Jade Emperor, who punished it by limiting its diet to gold and by sealing its rectum - thereby preventing the animal from defecating. Such modern-day beliefs originated in earlier Chinese folklore. Gamblers in China and Taiwan, for example, commonly keep miniature statues of the creatures in their gambling parlors - the pair is said to represent fair and honest play. ![]() = fēngshuǐ geomancy) and to gamblers in many Asian nations. In modern times, the mythological Hikyū (Píxiū) remain important to practitioners of Fusui 風水 (Chn. Some were also carved from quality jade and used as ornaments for the wealthy and powerful.” Often found as huge stone statues, they would be placed along the spirit road leading up to tombs. Says the National Palace Museum (Taipei, Taiwan): “In China during the Han dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), the pi-hsieh (aka Bìxié) were commonly represented as winged, four-legged beasts, a form that was probably transmitted from Western Asia. References: Source: Scholar Wolfgang Behr Let us recall that, in China, the Pìxiū also serve this role, and in olden times were commonly displayed on the roof corners of the homes of the emperor and gentry. In Japan, effigies of Shishi lions are also commonly used as architectural elements, placed under the eaves of both Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples to ward off evil spirits. In Japan, the Hikyū are largely ignored, having been supplanted by the Koma-inu (magical lion dogs) and Shishi (magical lions), who traditionally stand guard outside the gates of Japanese Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. In old China, the beasts were also commonly portrayed with hoofs, wings, and tails, and supposedly appeared on the banners of the emperor’s chariots (兵車に立てた旗). In ancient China, statues of the two guarded the entrance to the tomb, as they are thought to ward off evil and protect wealth. ![]() The mythological dragon-headed, lion-bodied Pìxiū 貔貅 (also spelled 豼貅) were traditionally depicted in China as a male-female pair, one with a single horn (male, Pì 貔) and the other with two horns (female, Xiū 貅), but in modern times they each commonly appear with only one horn. 貔 = leophoric beast, male (leopard, panther)Ī composite beast of ancient origin, mostly forgotten in Japan, but still popular today in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore. Green Jade (browned with age), H = 9.3 cmĭouble-horned, in front of the Yongningling Mausoleum in Nanjing, China.Īlso known in Chinese as Bìxié 避邪 or Tiān Lù 天禄Īlso known in Japanese as Hekija 辟邪 or Tenroku 天禄 ![]()
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