QILIN
Chinese fabulous creature
Also known as Ch'i-Lin, Chi-Lin, Ki-Lin, Kirin, Ky-Lin, Qi-Lin
The Chinese Unicorn
Or is it? Despite what you might see in New Age stores, many Qilins have two or three horns, and sometimes even more. Not to mention scaly skin and hefty manes of hair. In fact most of them look more like dragons than unicorns.
And far from being pearly white like traditional Western unicorns, they are available in a range of colors including black, red and green. So let’s just drop the unicorn idea and call them Qilins, okay?
As one of the Four Fabulous Beasts of Chinese Mythology (Sì Xiàng), the Qilins represent all mammals and furry creatures, as well as the compass direction West. They symbolize purity, innocence, truth and justice, and if one of these rare beasts appears this is regarded as a very good omen.
Many traditional stories are told about the Qilin, and they are particularly good at sparing the innocent and spearing the guilty in courtroom dramas. See Gao Yao.
Qilin Facts and Figures
Name: Qilin
Pronunciation: Chee Leen
Alternative names: Ch'i-Lin, Chi-Lin, Ki-Lin, Kirin, Ky-Lin, Qi-Lin
Gender: Sorry, we don't know
Type: fabulous creature
Celebration or Feast Day: Unknown at present
Role: Unknown at present
Good/Evil Rating: Unknown at present
Popularity index: 6503
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Article last revised on April 21, 2019 by the Godchecker data dwarves.
Editors: Peter J. Allen, Chas Saunders
References: Coming soon.