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Kirin

Kirin is a legendary hooved creature known in many East Asian cultures. It originated in China as qilin (麒麟; pronounced chee-leen). The appearance of a qilin is an auspicious sign, signaling the reign of a wise ruler. One qilin appeared to the mother of Confucius as a sign he was to become "a king without a throne". Qilin is one of four spiritual animals, along with the dragon, the phoenix and the tortoise. It has extremely pacifistic disposition, refusing to bend even one blade of grass. Some depictions have qilins breathe fire and bring "rui" (serenity, prosperity) to the people.

Kirin is described as having the body of an elk, the tail of an ox and a single horn on the head. Artistic depictions are often inspired by the appearance of the dragon and include body covered in scales and two antlers instead of one horn.

Physical features

• Body of a deer or horse, usually covered in scales
• Cloven hooves
• Head similar to a dragon
• One or two antlers
• Long tail with a small tuft of hair on the end

See also

Qilin in Wikipedia