The Bifang () is a mythological bird, encountered in
Chinese mythology
Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature throughout the area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology encompasses a diverse array of myths derived from regional and cultural tradit ...
. The Bifang is thought to have one leg. However, sources vary in terms of its description.
''Hanfeizi''
Han Fei dates back to the third century BCE.The Bifang bird is described by
Han Fei
Han Fei (233 BC), also known as Han Feizi, was a Chinese Legalist philosopher and statesman during the Warring States period. He was a prince of the state of Han.
Han Fei is often considered the greatest representative of Legalism for th ...
, in his work ''
Hanfeizi
The ''Han Feizi'' () is an ancient Chinese text attributed to the Legalist political philosopher Han Fei. It comprises a selection of essays in the Legalist tradition, elucidating theories of state power, and synthesizing the methodologies of ...
''. According to the ''Hanfeizi'' the Bifang is an auspicious bird which was a companion to Huangdi (the "
Yellow Emperor
The Yellow Emperor, also known as the Yellow Thearch, or Huangdi ( zh, t=黃帝, s=黄帝, first=t) in Chinese, is a mythical Chinese sovereign and culture hero included among the legendary Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. He is revered as ...
") (Strassberg 2002, 110).
''Shanhaijing''
The ''
Shanhaijing
The ''Classic of Mountains and Seas'', also known as ''Shanhai jing'' (), formerly Wade-Giles, romanized as the ''Shan-hai Ching'', is a Chinese classic text and a compilation of mythic geography and beasts. Early versions of the text may hav ...
'' also known as the ''Classic of Mountains and Seas'' is of indeterminate age, yet a perennial favourite. The commentary by
Guo Pu
Guo Pu (; AD 276–324), courtesy name Jingchun (), was a Chinese historian, poet, and writer during the Eastern Jin period, and is best known as one of China's foremost commentators on ancient texts. Guo was a Taoist mystic, geomancer, collec ...
is subsequent. The Bifang bird is item sixty-nine. The Bifang is described here as one-legged, crane-like, red markings on green, white-beaked, named by
onomatopoiesis by the sound it makes, and an omen of fire (Strassberg 2002, 110–111). According to the ''Shanhaijing'' and it's commentaries, the Bifang can be found on Mount Zhang'e and/or east of the Feathered People (Youmin) and west of the Blue River (Strassberg 2002, 110 and 163).
''Huainanzi''
The Bifang bird is described in the ''
Huainanzi
The ''Huainanzi'' is an ancient Chinese text made up of essays from scholarly debates held at the court of Liu An, Prince of Huainan, before 139 BCE. Compiled as a handbook for an enlightened sovereign and his court, the work attempts to defi ...
'', developed by various persons associated with the circle around
Liu An
Liú Ān (, c. 179–122 BC) was a Chinese cartographer, monarch, and philosopher. A Han dynasty Chinese prince, ruling the Huainan Kingdom, and an advisor to his nephew, Emperor Wu of Han (武帝). He is best known for editing the (139 BC) ''Hu ...
, ruler of
Huainan
Huainan () is a prefecture-level city with 3,033,528 inhabitants as of the 2020 census in north-central Anhui province, China. It is named for the Han-era Principality of Huainan. It borders the provincial capital of Hefei to the south, Lu' ...
, dating back to the second century BCE. ''Huainanzi'' associates the Bifang bird with the
Wu Xing
Wuxing may refer to:
Places in China Counties and districts
* Huzhou, formerly Wuxing County, Zhejiang, China
* Wuxing District (吴兴区), central district of Huzhou
Subdistricts (五星街道)
* Wuxing Subdistrict, Mudanjiang, in Dong'an Dis ...
element Wood (Strassberg 2002, 110–111)
See also
*
Birds in Chinese mythology
Birds in Chinese mythology and legend are of numerous types and very important in this regard. Some of them are obviously based on real birds, other ones obviously not, and some in-between. The Crane in Chinese mythology, crane is an example of a ...
*
Chinese mythology
Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature throughout the area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology encompasses a diverse array of myths derived from regional and cultural tradit ...
*
Crane in Chinese mythology
Cranes () are an important motif in Chinese mythology. There are various myths involving cranes, and in Chinese mythology cranes are generally symbolically connected with the idea of longevity. In China, the crane mythology is associated with th ...
*
Shangyang (rainbird)
The Shangyang (), (or shang yang) in Chinese mythology was a rainbird (i.e. it could predict rain). It was one of several important mythical birds in this tradition. The Shangyang was particularly associated with the Lord of Rain, Yu Shi. Once the ...
References
*Strassberg, Richard E., editor, translator, and comments. 2002
018 018 may refer to:
*Air Canada Flight 018, an airline flight from Hong Kong to Vancouver, Canada, illegally boarded by a Chinese man wearing a disguise in 2010
*Area code 018, a telephone area code in Uppsala, Sweden
*BMW 018, an experimental turboj ...
''A Chinese Bestiary: Strange Creatures from the GUIDEWAYS THROUGH MOUNTAINS AND SEAS''. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.
{{Chinese mythology
Birds in Chinese mythology
Yaoguai
Legendary creatures with absent body parts
Creatures described in the Classic of Mountains and Seas