Page 388 - A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols BIG Book
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A-Z 381
The qi-lin brings the mother of Confucius a piece of jade on which the
destiny of the great sage is set out (16th century)
filial affection) and Meng Jiang (a woman and a model of conjugal fidelity).
Another legend has it that the qi-lin will not step on any living thing, not even on
growing grass. Along with the covered horn, this may have contributed to the fact that the
creature is also regarded as symbolising goodness. It appears when the land is well
governed or when a saint is present. But not always: it depends on the circumstances, and
in one of the Jia-yu stories ( Confucius’s ‘School Conversation Books’) we are told
that the master burst into tears on seeing a remarkable stag whose right foreleg has been
broken. Asked why he wept, Confucius answered: ‘The qi-lin appears when the prince is
wise and judicious; if it appears when this is not the case, it bodes ill. For this reason I am
distressed.’
In general, a picture of a unicorn expresses good wishes. The skirts of noble ladies
used to be adorned with pictures showing the other supernatural creatures paying homage
to the qi-lin as to their leader. Scenes showing men riding on a qi-lin usually refer to
episodes from the novel Feng-shen yun-yi (Ming Dynasty).
The expression ‘qi-lin horn’ refers to one of the 30 positions of sexual intercourse.
Urine
Urine
xiao bian

