| Name ▲▼ | Origin ▲▼ | Description ▲▼ |
|---|---|---|
| Spirit name "Chang Tao Ling" | Taoist / Chinese | God of the afterlife. The head of the heavenly Ministry of Exorcism, and allegedly the first head of the Taoist church. By tradition he vanquished the five poisonous ani malsthe centipede, scorpion, snake, spider and toadplacing their venom in a flask in which he concocted the elixir of life. Having drunk the contents at the age of 123, he ascended to heaven. He is depicted riding upon a tiger and brandishing a sword. Before the communist takeover of China, the gods of exorcism lived in a sanctuary on the dragon Tiger mountain in Kiangsi province. Exorcised spirits were trapped in jars which were stored in the cellars.... |
"Chinese dragon" | China | In China, the drawing of a five-clawed dragon is not only introduced into pictures, but is also embroidered on state dresses and royal robes. This representation is regarded as an amulet. |
| God name "Feng Po" | Chinese | sky god. Described as the Count of the wind, which he releases from a sack, he has strong links with the sea. He was originally regarded as malevolent and the antagonist of the god Shen Yi. Feng Po may be depicted in human form as an old man with a white beard, or in the guise of a dragon with the head of a bird or a deer. Also Fei Lian; Fei Lien; Feng Bo.... |
| Goddess name "Hung Sheng (boly one)" | Chinese | Guardian god. A deity who protects fishing boats and their crews against danger at sea in the Southern Ocean. His role is similar to that of the goddess KUAN YIN. Little is known of the origin of Hung Sheng, but he was allegedly a mortal who died on the thirteenth day of the second moon, which falls two days before the spring equinox when the sea dragon king, Lung Wang, is believed to leave the ocean and ascend into the heavens. The god is propitiated with cakes made from the first grain of the year, on the fifth day of the fifth month and in some traditions he is seen as an aspect of the sea dragon king.... |
| Goddess name "Long Mu" | Chinese | Mother of dragons was a Chinese woman who was deified as a goddess after raising five infant dragons. |
| Goddess name "NA CHA (here is a loud cry)" | Taoist / Chinese | Guardian god. A somewhat ambiguous god who is generally regarded as benevolent, but whose traditions hint at a more destructive aspect. He was born a god of human parents, the reincarnation of an older deity, Ling Chu-Tzu, the intelligent pearl. According to tradition, his father was Li Ching, who threatened to kill his mother because she claimed she was made pregnant by the mystical actions of a Taoist priest who told her she was to bear the child of a unicorn. Na Cha is said to have fought in the Shang-Chou war on the side of the Chou dynasty circa 1027 BC. His chief adversary was the sea dragon king. Ultimately he became involved with the goddess Shih-Chi Niang Niang, accidentally killed her attendant and, in remorse, committed suicide.... |
| God name "Ryujin" | Shinto / Japan | dragon god. A deity controlling thunder and Rain and probably the most significant of the group of weather gods known as the RAIJIN. He is of Chinese origin and more Buddhist than Shinto. He does not appear in the sacred Shinto texts Kojiki or Nibongi, but enjoys shrines in many Shinto sanctuaries and is worshiped by farmers, particularly in times of drought. He lives in the sea, lakes and large ponds from which he ascends in mists and winds. He generates dark Rain clouds which then burst. His main festival takes place in June.... |
Table of Gods
Your guide to the World gods, spirits,
demons and legendary monsters
Kylin. Chinese Dragon.
The kylin is an animal in ancient Chinese mythology. The kylin has a compound appearance with dragon's head, antlers, horse's hoofs, an oxtail, wolf's forehead and a colorful scute. It is lively, intelligent, and gentle, but valorous to ward off devils. The kylin is said to be an animal of longevity that could live for 2,000 years. It is also believed that the beast could spit fire and roar like thunder. The Kylin is one of the "Four Divine Creatures", the other three being the phoenix, the turtle and the dragon. In ancient times, it was regarded as a celestial animal, a benevolent animal, the mount for god and a symbol of auspiciousness. Of all animals, the kylin was ranked second only to the dragon.
The kylin is a carrier of profound cultural connotations. In ancient Chinese culture, there are lots of legends about the relations between kylin and emperors. It was widely believed that the animal would convey the will of Heaven and therefore dictate the rise and fall of a dynasty. In folk culture, there's a saying of "the kylin bringing a child". It is the custom in some regions for people to believe that the kylin will give them a son. It is said that Confucius was brought by a kylin. The animal is also used to describe a brilliantly talented person.
In traditional Chinese folk customs, various ornaments bearing kylin images are made and given to children as a talisman that could bring luck and protection. The images of the kylin can still be found today. The most famous ones are the auspicious guarding creatures in the imperial mausoleums of the Southern Dynasty located in Qixia Town of Nanjing. The images of these creatures are derived from kylins.
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