The nine-headed bird (九頭鳥), also called the "Nine Phoenix" (九鳳), is one of the earliest forms of the
fenghuang
''Fènghuáng'' (, ) are mythological birds found in Sinospheric mythology that reign over all other birds. The males were originally called ''fèng'' and the females ''huáng'', but such a distinction of gender is often no longer made and ...
, worshiped by ancient natives in
Hubei Province
Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...
, which during the
Warring States period
The Warring States period () was an era in History of China#Ancient China, ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded ...
was part of the kingdom of
Chu (楚).
Due to the hostile relationship between the Kingdom of Chu and its former overlord, the reigning
Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou dynasty ( ; Old Chinese ( B&S): *''tiw'') was a royal dynasty of China that followed the Shang dynasty. Having lasted 789 years, the Zhou dynasty was the longest dynastic regime in Chinese history. The military control of China by th ...
, the nine-headed bird, being the totem creature of the Chu people, was demonised as a result.
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 is an example of a real type of bird with my ...
References
Mythological and legendary Chinese birds
Mythical many-headed creatures
Yaoguai
Phoenix birds
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