Chinese Mythical Creatures

By Helen Li

龙 (lóng) – Dragon

Place Collected: Telephone conversation

Date Collected: May 17, 2014

Genre: Myth (oral)

Informant Information:

Name: Juhong Zhu (my grandmother)

Age: 73

Gender: Female

Born/Raised: Shanghai, China

Current Residence: Wayland, MA and Nanjing, China

Ethnicity: Chinese

Background: My grandmother was born in Shanghai, China and lived there until the age of 38 when she moved to Nanjing, China. Today her family is largely split between Shanghai and Nanjing; however, she splits her time between Wayland, MA and Nanjing, China. In Wayland, she lives with my family and in Nanjing she lives with my uncle’s (her son’s) family. She spent the majority of my childhood living with my family in the US so that she could help my parents take care of my brother and me. She doesn’t speak English – only Mandarin.

Description:

Dragons come in many forms and variations but are most commonly depicted as snake-like creatures with antlers and four legs. They are often associated with water and in many stories they are rulers of seas and other bodies of water. They have special powers that include flying and shape-shifting (it is said that they can become as small as a needle and as big as the sky). Dragons are a masculine symbol; there is even an idiom in Chinese, 望子成龙 (wàngzichénlóng), that roughly translates to “hope your sons become dragons” to represent the hope for your sons to become as successful and powerful as dragons are. The Dragon was the symbol of the Emperor of China and often decorated his robes and his kingdom. Today, they are a national symbol of China and are commonly used as decorations and are featured in parades, dances, and thousands of idioms and stories throughout China.

Text: 四龙的故事 – The Tale of the Four Dragons

Translated from Mandarin

“Once upon a time there were four dragons that lived in the sea: the Yellow (Huáng) Dragon, the Black (Hēi) Dragon, the Long (Cháng) Dragon, and the Pearl (Zhū) Dragon. They all lived under the rule of the Jade Emperor, who lived in the sky and oversaw the world.

One day, the four dragons were flying around and noticed that the humans below them were kneeling and praying to the skies. When they looked closer, they found out that the people of the Earth were starving due to a long draught that had killed all of their crops. The dragons pitied the humans and decided to go to the Jade Emperor to ask him to shed rain. The Jade Emperor, being very busy, was annoyed by the dragons’ request and promised them the rain they asked for to appease them.

Days passed and still no rain had fallen. The humans continued to suffer and the four dragons decided to take matters into their own hands. “If we take the water from the sea and spray it into the sky, it must fall down as rain!” the Long Dragon suggested. The dragons agreed and each took mouthfuls of seawater and sprayed it into the sky until dark clouds formed and it began to rain. The people below were very happy and celebrated the end of the draught.

However, the Sea God was upset that the dragons took his seawater and complained to the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor was furious that the dragons had given the humans rain without his permission and ordered the dragons to be exiled. The Mountain God raised four large mountains, where the four dragons were imprisoned for all of eternity.

The four dragons continued to do good for the humans even from their prisons and took the form of four large rivers that flowed from the mountains throughout the land, providing the people of China with water and fertility. Thus, China’s four main rivers were created: the Yangtze River (长江 – Chángjiāng), the Yellow River (黄河 – Huánghé), the Heilong River (黑龙江 – Hēilóngjiāng), and the Pearl River (珠江 – Zhūjiāng).”

Context:

This story was a story my grandmother told me to entertain me when I was a small child. She used this story to teach me about the four largest rivers in China and as an example of why dragons are so important in Chinese culture.

Interpretation:

This story is a myth that explains the origin of China's four largest rivers. It also showcases the good qualities of the dragon. In this myth, the dragons defy the Jade Emperor in order to help the people of China and continue to do so even when they are punished and imprisoned – one example of why the Chinese people honor and respect the dragon so highly even today.

凤凰 (fènghuáng) – Phoenix

Place Collected: Telephone conversation

Date Collected: May 17, 2014

Genre: Animal Folktale (oral)

Informant Information:

Name: Li Li (my mother)

Age: 47

Gender: Female

Born/Raised: Shanghai, China

Current Residence: Wayland, MA

Ethnicity: Chinese

Nationality: American

Background: My mother was born in Shanghai, China and lived there until the age of 14 when she moved to Nanjing, China. Throughout her childhood, she spent significant amounts of time in both Nanjing and Shanghai. She and my dad got married and moved to America when she was 23 so that they could attend graduate school at Syracuse University.

Description:

Fenghuang are immortal birds that are similar to the phoenix in Western culture. In physical appearance they are a combination of various birds – most notably the peacock and the pheasant. They have long tail feathers (like a peacock) and are very colorful. Technically, Feng is male and Huang is female but the Fenghuang has become a feminine entity that is paired with the dragon (which is male). Similarly to how the dragon symbolizes the Emperor of China, the Fenghuang symbolizes the Empress of China. Fenghuang only appear in times of peace and prosperity and are often used in wedding decorations because the Dragon/Fenghuang pairing symbolizes a successful relationship.

Text: 孔雀和凤凰 – The Peacock and the Phoenix

Translated from Mandarin

“In ancient times the peacock was the most beautiful bird in the forest. The other birds respected him and made him King of the Birds. However, the peacock became arrogant and began talking down to his companions and they became annoyed with him.

One day, a kitten was cooking and the peacock laughed at him, boasting, “Look how comfortable I am! I never have to cook for myself – I have other birds do my bidding!” and used his wings to fan the flame, hoping to spill ash on the kitten. His wings caught on fire and the peacock ran around in a panic. He ran to the forest and the fire spread through the forest.

The forest animals stopped what they were doing and worked together to quickly put out the fire. All of the peacock’s feathers burned off and so had the firebird’s. The animals were unwilling to help the proud peacock, and instead ran to help the firebird.

To recognize the firebird’s role in helping put out the fire, all of the birds contributed their own most beautiful feather to create a new pair of wings for the firebird. They appointed him King of the Birds to replace the peacock and renamed him Fenghuang.

The burnt, dark peacock was eventually forgotten and could only call out all day with his scratchy throat. From then on he was called “crow.”

Context:

This is a story my mother used to tell me before I went to sleep as a child. It was fitting for children because of all the animals it featured and the lesson it imparted: don’t be too proud.

Interpretation:

This story explains how the Fenghuang became the King of the Birds and also explains the origin of the crow. In addition, it also imparts a lesson on children to be humble and not too proud for fear of social exile from their peers.

麒麟 (qílín) – Chinese Unicorn

Place Collected: Baker library

Date Collected: May 21, 2014

Genre: Legend (oral)

Informant Information:

Name: Lily Ma, Dartmouth ‘17

Age: 18

Gender: Female

Born/Raised: Weston, MA

Current Residence: Weston, MA

Ethnicity/Nationality: Chinese-American

Background: Lily was born in Boston, MA and has lived in Weston, MA since she was ­­­­­­­­­eight years old. She and I both went to Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge, MA for high school and our families have been close for years. We were both members of Angel Dance Company, a Chinese dance company, since 2005.

Description:

Qilin are mythical creatures that are similar to the unicorn in Western culture. Qilin have the head of a dragon, the body of a deer, hooves, and are horned and covered in scales. Qilin are associated with fire, much like how dragons are associated with water, and are sometimes depicted on fire. They are said to appear before the arrival or death of a great leader. Qilin are peaceful creatures, so much so that they harm not even the grass they step on when they walk. However, they have the ability to judge whether a person is bad or good and are known to punish people they deem bad. They are seen only in “good times” and the absence of Qilin sightings is supposedly an indicator of “bad times.”

Text: 孔子和麒麟 – Confucius and the Unicorn

“My dad owns a Chinese antique shop and is very interested in history and would always tell me historical stories when I was younger. I especially liked this story because it had a unicorn in it and wasn’t completely based on fact.

The story is about Confucius’s birth. When Confucius’s mom was pregnant, a Qilin appeared to her the night before her son was born. In its mouth it held a jade that had a message inscribed on it that foretold that even though the woman’s son would not be king, he would be great. Confucius was born and was, as the Qilin predicted, great.

Seventy-something years later, a Duke encountered a strange animal he had never seen before and killed it while he was out hunting. Confucius heard this news and went to check out what the animal was. He instantly recognized the creature as the Qilin and in despair never wrote another word. He died soon afterward.”

Context:

“My dad loves history and likes to think of himself as a teacher so he would always tell us [Lily and her younger brother] stories about China’s history. This story was one of our favorites because of the unicorn and the magic aspect. My dad liked it too because it had Confucius in it and showed how great Confucius was.”

Interpretation:

This story emphasizes how sacred of a being the Qilin is. It also demonstrates how important and highly respected Confucius is in Chinese culture. Qilin are said to only appear for great and benevolent leaders and the two appearances of the Qilin before Confucius’s birth and death cements him as one of China’s greatest figures. The death of the Qilin causes Confucius to stop producing his works and also marks his death. This emphasizes the how highly the Qilin was revered by the Chinese people as a symbol of hope and prosperity.

白蛇 (báishé) – White Snake

Place Collected: Telephone conversation

Date Collected: May 18, 2014

Genre: Legend (oral)

Informant Information:

Name: Yi Li (my father)

Age: 48

Gender: Male

Born/Raised: Nanjing, China

Current Residence: Wayland, MA

Ethnicity: Chinese

Nationality: American

Background: My father was born in Nanjing, China, where he lived for most of his life until he went to college at Jiangsu University. He married my mother at the age of 24 and immigrated to the United States to attend graduate school at Syracuse University.

Description:

The White Snake is a regular white snake that is transformed into a girl in the following legend.

Text: 白蛇穿 – The Legend of the White Snake

Translated from Mandarin

“There was once a White Snake that practiced magic in the mountains for a thousand years with its friend the Green Snake. After a thousand years, they were finally able to transform into beautiful human girls named Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing. They came down from the mountain and Bai Suzhen met a man named Xu Xian and they fell in love. They got married and had a son, but a monk named Fahai discovered Bai Suzhen’s secret and did not like the idea of a snake creature living with a human man. He told Xu Xian that his wife was a snake demon and to give her wine to reveal her true form if he didn’t believe it.

Xu Xian did not believe the monk, but gave Bai Suzhen the wine, which turned her into her original form of a big white snake. Xu Xian saw the snake and fainted from fright. Bai Suzhen found some curing herbs and fed it to her husband to revive him. Determined to break the couple apart, Fahai took Xu Xian and imprisoned him in the Jinshan Temple. Bai Suzhen enlisted Xiaoqing’s help and together they used their magic to flood the temple and rescued Xu Xian. However, God was angered by all the innocent people Bai Suzhen hurt in the flood and allowed Fahai to imprison her in the Leifeng Pagoda. Bai Suzhen is trapped there until years later when her grown-up son rescues his mother.”

Context:

My dad never told me this tale as a child – it is not necessarily meant for children.The tale is infamous, with many variations and adaptations, and has been passed down for thousands of years. It is meant to entertain its audience in the same way literature does today. In this way it is similar to an epic, although it is not as long in length and not as exaggerated in scale.

Interpretation:
The Legend of the White Snake is a story of love, adventure, and courage. It also emphasizes familial duty and loyalty in the way that Xu Xian remains devoted to his wife despite her being a snake and the way Bai Suzhen's son rescues her in the end.

Conclusion

One thing I noticed while interviewing informants about Chinese mythical creatures is that the majority of the widely known creatures are "good." In fact, the dragon, the Fenghuang, and the Qilin are three of four creatures known as 四灵 (sìlíng), which roughly translates to "Four Spirits" and are referred to in English as the "Four Benevolent Animals" of Chinese mythology (the fourth animal is the 玄武 (xuánwü) or Black Tortoise). While there also exist "bad" creatures, they are, for the most part, grouped together and collectively referred to by the vague term 妖怪 (yāoguài), or monsters. Many of the most famous creatures in Chinese mythology represent positive qualities or ideas that are important to Chinese people. For example, the dragon represents success and power, the Fenghuang represents peace and prosperity, and the Qilin represents justice (in the way it can judge a person's character). The stories about these creatures give Chinese people hope: hope for whether their child will succeed in the future, hope for whether we are in "good times", hope for whether there will be great leaders in the future as there were in the past. In this way, I've come to the conclusion that these mythical creatures help Chinese people stay optimistic about the future, especially in times of adversity.