Ki Lin Research

however this horn was not ever used as a weapon. South (1987) supplements this statement by describing the horn as fleshy and soft, and therefore, incapable of causing harm. According to both South (1987) and Nigg (1995), the two scholars who describe the Chinese unicorn in great detail, the gentle, benevolent, and attractive qualities of the Ki’lin have given it a role in Chinese culture as a source of goodness and wisdom. The Ki’lin is also said to have resembled many different animals (South 1987). Nigg states that the Ki’lin had the body of a deer, hoofs of a horse, and the tail of an ox (Nigg 1995). The Ki’lin is said to be found near the Yellow River (“Chinese Unicorns”).
The Ki’lin originates in the legend of Fu Hsi. As the legend goes, …show more content…
According to Nigg (1995), the Ki’lin was known for appearing occasionally in the courts of emperors. However, when the Middle Kingdom fell into evil ways, the Ki’lin was no longer seen. Then, sometime around the sixth century BC, the Ki’lin appeared again. There was a good, kind, dutiful woman who lived at the base of the sacred mountain Tai Shan. This woman was happy, yet she had one sorrow: she had not provided her husband with a son. Wanting to make one last appeal to the gods, the woman made a pilgrimage to a distant temple on the Tai Shan mountain. On her way there, she came across a Ki’lin. The Ki’lin immediately kneeled before the woman and dropped a jade tablet into her hand, which read “thy son shall be a ruler without a throne” (Nigg 1995:90). The son, this tablet referred to was Confucius: one of the most influential philosophers in the past and present Chinese society. There are still people today who follow his teachings. Confucius was known for his wisdom, even from his earliest days (Nigg 1995). Confucius is one of the most prominent figures in Chinese history, and the Ki’lin is credited for his existence. This example further describes the historical role of the unicorn in Chinese