A dragon has nine sons. Why are some of them lions and some are snails?

The dragon, one of the "Four Spirits" in Chinese mythology, has a wealth of derivative legends, and "The Dragon Gives Birth to Nine Sons" is one of them.

In Journey to the West, the Dragon King of the West Sea introduced his nine nephews to Sun Wukong: Little Yellow Dragon, Little Black Dragon, Green-backed Dragon... Some guard the rivers, some serve the gods and Buddhas, and only the youngest nephew, the Crocodile Dragon, is a demon that harms people in the Black Water River. When Sun Wukong heard that these nine dragon brothers were so different, he asked, "How can one man and one wife give birth to these hybrids?" The Dragon King of the West Sea replied, " Dragons give birth to nine kinds, and each kind is different ."

Nine Dragon Screen, Beihai Park, Beijing | Gisling / Wikimedia Commons

However, in the Ming Dynasty when Journey to the West was written, “nine kinds of dragons” did not refer to all nine kinds of dragons, but a group of magical animals with their own characteristics .

Where did the saying that a dragon gave birth to nine sons come from? What were the prototypes of these nine sons?

Dragon statue in the Forbidden City | artzhangqingfeng / pixabay

How can a dragon be so blessed with so many children?

In the eyes of the ancients, it was not strange that the dragon gave birth to nine sons. The Huainanzi even believed that the phoenix, unicorn, and turtle among the "four spirits" were all descendants of different types of dragons, and the ancestors of all kinds of birds and beasts (feathers, fur, scales, and shells) could be traced back to the dragon.

In other legends, a dragon can give birth to a unicorn with a cow, an elephant with a pig, a dragon with a horse, and a dragon with a pheasant, without considering the impact of reproductive isolation . This leads to the fact that in some folk legends, the mothers of the nine sons range from cows to frogs .

Although the saying "A dragon gives birth to nine sons" is well-known, this saying actually did not appear very early , and the names of the "nine sons" were not uniform.

Li Dongyang , the chief minister of the Ming Dynasty, mentioned in his Huailutang Collection that Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty once asked him about the story of "a dragon giving birth to nine sons". Li Dongyang remembered that he had seen this saying in some miscellaneous books before, but he could not explain it in full at the moment, so he asked other ministers and finally came up with the "nine sons":

Qiuniu, Yazi, Chaofeng, Pulao, Suanni, Bashang, Bi'an, Bixi, and Chiwen.

Li Dongyang's Nine Sons Profile

However, Yang Shen, a student of Li Dongyang, recorded a slightly different story about the nine sons of the dragon:

Bixi, Chiwen, Pulao, Bi'an, Taotie (tāo tiè) [Chongba] [Chongxia] (bā xià), Yazi, Jin Ni, and Jiaotu.

It is not difficult to find that there are certain overlaps in the two versions, such as Ya Zi, Pulao, and Bi'an; although the names of some dragon sons are slightly different, it can be known from the description that they are referring to the same strange beast , such as Chiwen and Chiwen (the two have the same pronunciation), Suan Ni and Jin Ni; and some dragon sons, although the names are the same, refer to different strange beasts , such as in Li Dongyang's version, Bixi refers to the strange beast at the head of the stele, while in Yang Shen's version, Bixi refers to the strange beast at the base of the stele.

Yang Shen's version of Nine Sons

In fact, in addition to these two versions, there are some other versions about the "Nine Sons" of the dragon in ancient books. However, because these two versions come from the works of famous writers, they are the most widely circulated.

Although at first glance, it feels like a lot of garbled characters, the origin of the title and characteristics of the "Nine Sons" is actually not mysterious. They are basically strange beasts that have appeared in ancient books or used as auspicious decorations on buildings and daily necessities . For example, Qiuniu, Yazi, Pulao, Chongba, Chongxia, Chaofeng, Chiwen, etc. are in the shape of dragons or close to dragons. Before the legend of "dragon gave birth to nine sons", they may have appeared on related objects.

The dragon-shaped "Qiuniu" decoration on the head of the zither | smartneddy / Wikimedia Commons

When the ancients designed these images of strange beasts, they just made some appropriate processing based on the images of real animals . It is precisely because of this that we can find the prototypes for these legendary images.

Chiwen: The beasts at both ends of the roof

Chiwen is an important component on the roof of ancient buildings, usually written as "Chiwen". We can easily find it on the roofs of palaces and temples with a long history - there is a dragon or other mythical beast's head at each end of the main ridge, with a big mouth "biting" the roof ridge , a short body, and an upturned tail. There is also an image of " being stabbed in the back ", with a hilt of a sword exposed on the back, which is "Chiwen", formerly known as "Chiwei".

Modern Chiwen | xiquinhosilva / Wikipedia Commons

According to legend, when Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty built the Jianzhang Palace, someone suggested that a device in the shape of a "chiwei" be installed on the ridge of the palace. This shape comes from "there is a fish in the sea, with a tail like an chiwei, and when the waves are stirred, it rains." People believe that it can call the wind and rain and has the effect of warding off fire . From the Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, the components at both ends of the roof ridge were usually in the shape of a fish tail . There is no clear record of the prototype of this "fish" with a "tail like an chiwei", perhaps it was a dolphin jumping in the wind and waves.

The dolphin's fan-shaped tail swings longitudinally, which does look a bit like a bird's wings. | StockSnap / pixabay

After the Tang Dynasty, the shape of this component was fixed as a beast head with its mouth open biting the roof ridge. This shape is more harmonious with the overall building and highlights the snout (i.e. mouth) of the mythical beast, so the name was changed from "tail" to "snout".

In order to show authority, the chiwen in the royal palace was in the shape of a dragon head , the chiwen in the government office was in the shape of an animal head , and the chiwen in ordinary people's houses was only made into a fish tail shape ; the chiwen in the houses of Shanxi merchants were made into the shape of a giant ao fish, which means "to be the best". Among them, the dragon-shaped chiwen in the imperial palace was named after the homonymous character "Chi" in the dragon family in order to reflect the characteristics of "dragon", so it was also called "Chiwen".

Chiwen-shaped device | Popolon / Wikimedia Commons

The ridge is not only for decoration, but also for strengthening the roof.

On large buildings in ancient China, the highest horizontal ridge on the roof is called the "main ridge", and the ridge extending from both ends of the main ridge to the four corners of the eaves is called the "vertical ridge". The intersection of the main ridge and the vertical ridge is at the greatest risk of leaks or damage. Installing a chiwen can fix and support the connection of the ridge, helping to reduce the risk of leakage . There are also rows of ridge beasts of different shapes sitting on the vertical ridge, which can also play a role in reinforcing the vertical ridge.

These ridge beasts have other names, but they also play the role of strengthening the vertical ridge | ARWBR /pixabay

The shape of the sword on the back of the Chiwen originated in the Yuan Dynasty. It is said that it is to prevent it from escaping after becoming a spirit . In fact, it also serves to further strengthen the structure. The Beijing dialect " five ridges and six beasts " is used to describe an indescribable feeling of discomfort. It is probably inspired by seeing these small beasts that cannot move no matter how strong the wind and rain are.

The shape of a Chiwen with a sword on its back | Yongxin Pavilion/Wikipedia

The Chiwen itself is mostly made of colored glaze or bricks, and its tongue is made of metal. As the commanding height of the roof, it can also serve as a lightning rod . The Chiwen in the Forbidden City in the Ming Dynasty was damaged by lightning six times.

The tongue can be used as a lightning rod | Peggy_Marco / pixabay

The Nine Sons of Bixi: Modeled after a giant turtle

Li Dongyang and Yang Shen's Nine Sons versions both mention Bixi, but the two Bixi refer to different beasts. The "Bixi" in Li Dongyang's text refers to the dragons on both sides of the stele, and the beast that carries the stele is called "Bashang" ; but except for him, the " Bixi " in other ancient books refers to the beast that carries the stele , and the dragons on both sides of the stele are called " Chi ". "Chi" means a hornless dragon. The Sui Dynasty stipulated that "for those above the third rank, a stele with a Chi head and a tortoise base should be erected."

Chishou Stone Stele | Zidi/Wikimedia Commons

"Bixi" was originally used as an adjective. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Heng's "Fu of Western Capital" recorded "a huge Bixi with high palms and far feet", which means strong and powerful. Later, it was also used to describe the state of carrying weight and exerting force, and gradually evolved into a synonym for a powerful mythical beast that can carry weight . It is just right to use it to name the base of the monument.

In ancient times, because tortoise shells could be used in divination ceremonies, "divination was done with yarrow and tortoise shells", there was a tradition of "princes regarded tortoise shells as treasures". In the Zhou Dynasty, there was a special official position called "Turtle Man" who was responsible for managing the six tortoise shells used in sacrifices.

Turtles were once regarded as long-lived magical animals. "Baopuzi" records: "A thousand-year-old magical turtle has all five colors. It is like jade and stone, and its changes are unpredictable." The Northern Wei Emperor Xiaoming, Yuan Xu, once set the reign title as "Divine Turtle" (no ninja).

Image | Comba / pixabay

The ancients mistakenly believed that " turtles are purely female and have no males , and they give birth to offspring by having intercourse with snakes", so the image of "Xuanwu" which is a combination of a turtle and a snake appeared.

Ancient people mistakenly believed that "turtles are all female and have no males, and they give birth to offspring by mating with snakes" | Sanlie/Wikimedia Commons

The prototype of Bixi, combined with the legend that "there are five mountains to the east of Bohai Sea, and the roots of the five mountains are not connected... let the giant turtle raise its head to carry it", may be the red turtle (Caretta.caretta) in the sea. Its name in Chinese comes from the "Classic of Mountains and Seas": "蠵, a big turtle, with patterns on its shell." It is the largest hard-shelled turtle in the world , distributed in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean. The weight of an adult turtle is between 80-200 kg, and the heaviest can reach 545 kg.

Loggerhead sea turtle | Brian Gratwicke / Wikipedia

The loggerhead sea turtle can be the prototype of the Bixi because it is distributed in my country's waters and its survival period overlaps with human history. But if we extend the coordinates of time and space, we can find that there are other "giant turtles" in the world.

The largest freshwater turtle in the world is the alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) distributed in North America. Its distinctive features are the three rows of sharp spines and raised bone plates on its carapace. It can weigh up to 113 kilograms. The Stupendemys, which lived in the Miocene 13-5 million years ago, is the largest freshwater turtle known to have ever existed in the world. The carapace of the fossils discovered so far is more than 2 meters long, and it is estimated to weigh more than 1,000 kilograms.

Snapping turtle | LA Dawson / Wikipedia

Fossil of a giant turtle | Ryan Somma / Wikimedia Commons

Suanni and Bi'an: Derived from lions and tigers

"Suanni" was originally another name for lion . "Er Ya" records that "Suanni eats tigers and leopards", and notes that "it is the son of a lion, from the Western Regions". The lion is not an animal native to China, but its image is regarded as the embodiment of majesty and has gradually become well known to the Chinese people.

Tang Dynasty Suanni grape mirror | Daderot / Wikimedia Commons

Lions are often carved on the base of Buddha statues, or lion sculptures are placed in front of doors, and are regarded as guardian beasts. The Buddhist scriptures say that "the place where the Buddha sits, whether it is a bed or the ground, is called the lion seat", and "Nixia" has also become a respectful title for eminent monks .

The lion sculpture is erected in front of the door and is regarded as a guardian beast | LalouBLue / pixabay

"Jin Ni" usually refers to a lion-shaped incense burner . The combination of lion and incense and fireworks may also be influenced by the incense offering in temples.

Incense burner, showing the golden lion shape on the supporting structure | DradeKite / pixabay

After Suanni was included in the "Nine Sons", people began to distinguish between the images of "Suanni" and "lion" in paintings and sculptures . The hair behind the lion's head curls like a snail, while Suanni has shoulder-length mane.

There is another one among the nine sons named "Bi'an". "Bi'an" was originally a synonym for prison , not a particular animal. "An" and "Yu" are sometimes used together, "Yu" refers to the prison set up by the court, and "An" refers to the prison set up at the township level, which may be similar to a modern detention center.

"Bi'an" was originally a synonym for prison | shizhao / Wikimedia Commons

In order to highlight the severity and terror of the prison, the prison gates were often decorated with tiger-like animals, and the "Silence and Stay" signs in government offices also had similar animal heads. This type of tiger-shaped mythical animal gradually became synonymous with the prison "Bi'an". After being included in the scope of "dragon sons", Bi'an was artificially given the characteristic of "loving to litigate", and people believed that it had an overflowing sense of justice.

Pepper map: Reference from snail

In ancient times, there must be a pair of door knockers on the front door. The base is called "Poushou", which is round and convex. It is said that its design was based on the image of the round field snail (Cipangopaludina chinensis) commonly seen in various parts of China.

Round snail | Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife / Wikipedia

Ancient people believed that snails are good at keeping their mouths shut, so decorating them on doors can make them tight. It is said that this method originated from the famous craftsman Lu Ban. Since most of the door knockers are made of copper, they will oxidize into blue after a long time of use, and are also known as "Canglanggen".

Oxidized door knocker turns blue | ysen / pixabay

Later, the shape of the door knocker became more and more complicated. It no longer looked like a snail, but turned into a tiger head or a dragon head holding a door knocker in its mouth. Some of them only had decorative functions. The "Jiaotu" in the Nine Sons of the Dragon is actually another name for the base of the dragon-shaped door knocker , which was abstracted to the point that only the head remained.

Tiger head shop | LoggaWiggler / pixabay

Dragon head shop | Dimhou / pixabay

There are also several other exotic animals listed as "dragon sons", such as Taotie, Pixiu, and Hou, but in fact, they had little to do with dragons for a long period of time in ancient times. Looking at the various origins of "Nine Sons", it is not difficult to see that the "nine" in "Nine Sons" is probably a virtual reference , rather than a fixed number of nine. This is reasonable: in ancient times, nine was a traditional auspicious number and could also represent a very large number.

"Nine Dragons" was originally a symbol of the royal family. The imperial court of the Zhou Dynasty used nine dragons as decorations. "There were three copper pillars on the door, and three dragons were entangled on the pillars, so it was called nine dragons." Since the Ming Dynasty, the popularity of the legend of "the dragon gave birth to nine sons" reflects that the legend of dragons has gradually become secularized . From being unattainable and mysterious, it has become common in ordinary people's homes, serving as roof components, bridge pillars, and monument bases... The complementary relationship between legends and real objects has provided soil for the widespread spread of the legend of the dragon giving birth to nine sons.

Author: Yaohua

Edit: Thoughts

This article comes from the Species Calendar, welcome to forward

If you need to reprint, please contact [email protected]