The ''Sin-you'' (Jap. 神羊, shin'yō, also called Hiai Chai, Chiai Tung, or Kai Tsi) is a mythical creature known throughout various

East Asian East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...

cultures. The appearance of the Sin-you is similar to that of a

Qilin The qilin ( ; ) is a legendary hooved chimerical creature that appears in Chinese mythology, and is said to appear with the imminent arrival or death of a sage or illustrious ruler. Qilin are a specific type of the mythological family of o ...

, but more feral and imposing. It is a large quadruped with a feline or

ovine Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to dom ...

body, a shaggy mane, and is either depicted with hooves or feline paws (the latter often to stress its difference from the Qilin). It has a single, unbranching horn in the center of its head, like a western

unicorn The unicorn is a legendary creature that has been described since Classical antiquity, antiquity as a beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn (anatomy), horn projecting from its forehead. In European literature and art, the unico ...

. The Sin-you’s eyes are said to be very intense and imposing, figuratively burning into whomever it gazes at in a predatory fashion. The Sin-you is highly symbolic of justice, and is believed to have the power to know if a person is lying or know if they are guilty with a glance. It sometimes depicted at court beside the ruler or judge: if a person told a falsehood in its presence, it would leap forward and impale the perjurer though the heart with its horn. In other instances, the judge would put convicted murderers before the Sin-you, who would slay them in the same fashion if they were truly the perpetrator, but leave the innocent unharmed.

Gallery

File:Angkor.Wat.jpg, File:Sin-you.Angkor.jpg, File:Sin-you.ShwedagonPagoda.jpg, File:Sin-youYangon.jpg

References

* * * * * {{cite book , author=Conway, D. J. , title=Magickal Mystical Creatures: Invite Their Powers Into Your Life , publisher=Llewellyn Publications , location=Saint Paul , year=2001 , pages=25 , isbn=1-56718-149-X Japanese legendary creatures Legendary mammals