The Dēnglóng (), or Wàngtiānhǒu (), Cháotiānhǒu (), or simply Hǒu () is a Chinese legendary creature.
History
Legend has it that Denglong is one of the sons of the
Dragon King
The Dragon King, also known as the Dragon God, is a Chinese water and weather god. He is regarded as the dispenser of rain, commanding over all bodies of water. He is the collective personification of the ancient concept of the '' lóng'' in ...
, and has the habit of guarding. Used on
Huabiao
Huabiao () is a type of ceremonial column used in traditional Chinese architecture. ''Huabiao'' are traditionally erected in pairs in front of palaces and tombs. The prominence of their placement have made them one of the emblems of tradition ...
s, it symbolises sending the will of heaven to humans, and delivering the conditions of the people to the heavens. There is also legend that says
Avalokiteśvara
In Buddhism, Avalokiteśvara (meaning "the lord who looks down", International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ), also known as Lokeśvara ("Lord of the World") and Chenrezig (in Tibetan), is a Bodhisattva#Bhūmis (stages), tenth-level bodhisattva associ ...
rides on a Denglong, thus the name Chaotianhou. In
Accounts of Marvels ({{Zh, c = , s = 述异记, t = 述異記), it recounts Denglong as a creature from
East China Sea
The East China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China. China names the body of water along its eastern coast as "East Sea" (, ) due to direction, the name of "East China Sea" is otherwise ...
, it can eat the brains of
dragon
A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...
s, hover in mid-air, and is very fierce. When it is in a fight with a dragon, it spews flames for few dozens of feet, and defeats the dragon. In the 25th year of
Kangxi, during the summer, 3
Jiaolong
''Jiaolong'' () or ''jiao'' (''chiao'', ''kiao'') is a dragon in Chinese mythology, often defined as a "scaled dragon"; it is hornless according to certain scholars and said to be aquatic or river-dwelling. It may have referred to a species of cr ...
and 2 dragons were sighted fighting one Denglong, and after killing a dragon and two Jiaolong, the Denglong was killed and fell to a valley. It was ten or twenty feet long, resembled a horse, and had scales. After it died, the scales went up in flames, and thus was a Denglong.
Characteristics
The Denglong has ten characteristics that resembles animals: horns like a deer, head like a camel, ears like a cat, eyes like a shrimp, mouth like a donkey, hair like a lion, neck like a snake, belly like a
Shen, scales like a koi, front paws like an eagle, and rear paws like a tiger.
Symbolism
For status, Denglong resides up on the centre of the universe, where there is two lotuses, right-side-up and upside down, where there are
Sumeru with Buddhist prayers beads, thus Denglong is considered the master of all.
For righteousness, Denglong brings celestial phenomena portending peace and prosperity, thus is paid service by many Emperors in history. By having Denglong at their side, Kings can be helped distinguish the righteous and the evil, ensure the country is prosperous, and the kingdom long-lasting. After the Emperor has died, Denglong stays by his side and helps the communication between the living and the dead, helping the Emperor to pass on to another reincarnation. Therefore, Denglong is considered a model for the righteousness and moral.
For function, Denglong is worship as the greatest creature in China because it helps to drive away evil from its master, defend against ill-meaning wishes, takes away bad fortune, gathers and guards money. That is why Denglong is on the
Huabiao
Huabiao () is a type of ceremonial column used in traditional Chinese architecture. ''Huabiao'' are traditionally erected in pairs in front of palaces and tombs. The prominence of their placement have made them one of the emblems of tradition ...
in
Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square or Tian'anmen Square () is a city square in the city center of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen ("''Gate of Heavenly Peace''") located to its north, which separates it from the Forbidden City. The square contains th ...
, and worship alongside the spirits of the world and ancestors of people of all generations
See also
*
Buraq
The Buraq ( "lightning") is a supernatural equine-esque creature in Islamic tradition that served as the mount of the Islamic prophet Muhammad during his Isra and Mi'raj journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and up through the heavens and back by ...
*
Vahana
''Vāhana'' () or ''vahanam'' () denotes the being, typically an animal or mythical entity, a particular Hindus, Hindu deity is said to use as a vehicle. In this capacity, the vāhana is often called the deity's "mount". Upon the partnership b ...
Buddhist legendary creatures
Chinese legendary creatures