Denglong (mythology)
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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 C ...
, 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 traditional ...
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 (Sanskrit: अवलोकितेश्वर, IPA: ) is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. He has 108 avatars, one notable avatar being Padmapāṇi (lotus bearer). He is variably depicted, ...
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, it can eat the brains of dragons, 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 The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 1654– 20 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, born Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1661 to 1 ...
, 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 c ...
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 Mount Meru (Sanskrit/Pali: मेरु), also known as Sumeru, Sineru or Mahāmeru, is the sacred five-peaked mountain of Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist cosmology and is considered to be the centre of all the physical, metaphysical and spiritu ...
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 passed away, 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 traditional ...
in
Tiananmen Square Tiananmen Square or Tian'anmen Square (; 天安门广场; Pinyin: ''Tiān'ānmén Guǎngchǎng''; Wade–Giles: ''Tʻien1-an1-mên2 Kuang3-chʻang3'') is a city square in the city center of Beijing, China, named after the eponymous Tiananmen ...
, and worship alongside the spirits of the world and ancestors of people of all generations


See also

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Buraq The Buraq ( ar, الْبُرَاق "the lightning") is a heavenly equine or chimeral beast in Islamic tradition that notably served as the mount of the Islamic prophet Muhammad during his Isra and Mi'raj journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and up ...
*
Vahana ''Vahana'' ( sa, वाहन, or animal vehicle, literally "that which carries, that which pulls") denotes the being, typically an animal or mythical, a particular Hindu God is said to use as a vehicle. In this capacity, the vahana is often ...
Chinese legendary creatures Buddhist legendary creatures