Chinese Mythology · Mythical Creature
麒麟 · qílín
A gentle chimera whose arrival heralds a sage — and the origin of the word "kirin."
麒麟
Gentle enough, legend says, to walk without crushing a blade of grass or harming an insect, the qilin is a benevolent omen-beast despite its fierce composite look — a deer's body, ox tail, hooves, scaled dragon-like skin, and one or two horns. Its appearance marks the birth or death of a sage; tradition links it to Confucius. It punishes only the wicked.
When Zheng He's 15th-century fleet brought back a giraffe, it was hailed as a living qilin — which is why the modern Japanese word for giraffe, "kirin," uses the very same characters (麒麟).
The "Chinese unicorn" nickname is loose — the qilin usually has two horns, not one. Japan's kirin and Korea's girin derive directly from it.
A common feng shui statue for protection and fertility (often placed in pairs), and a familiar figure in games under its Japanese reading, "kirin."
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