What kind of creature is the unicorn? What do you think?

The unicorn is a unique creature in Chinese culture, and has been the subject of many hopes and imaginations of countless Confucian scholars, emperors and generals, artists, and laborers throughout the ages. However, no one can tell what kind of creature it is? Does it really exist?

The image of the unicorn appeared in ancient times, and its original image was like a deer, with a yellow body, a single horn on its head, and flesh on the end of the horn. The further back in time, the richer the imagination of the unicorn, it is said that the unicorn deer body, ox tail, horse feet, yellow, round hooves, born with a horn, horn end with meat. Its call is like Zhonglu, and its behavior must be disciplined. Each travel tour must be carefully selected and examined before daring to travel. It does not step on insects, does not walk on raw grass, comes alone, does not live in groups, does not travel in different lines, does not enter traps, does not fall into the net.

The Warring States period hunting pattern copper beans, appeared earlier unicorn decoration

Ancient doctrine of celestial induction that the human world, there are virtuous love of the people's benevolence of the ruler of the saint appeared, naturally, the sense of auspiciousness, such as the wild jiahe, the ground gushing river spring, the appearance of the yellow dragon, the unicorn appeared, the unicorn is visible in the Confucian scholars have been the unicorn sent to the many beautiful imagery, not only has its own legacy and abide by the rites of the law of virtue, every time it comes into the world, it has been a good idea to go out and see the unicorn. Not only does the unicorn itself possess the virtues of independence from the world and observance of etiquette and law, but its every appearance also symbolizes the great rule of the world. In the Spring and Autumn Period, the Duke of Lu captured a deer with horns, and when Confucius heard about it, he cried out, thinking that the unicorn had been captured and that it was impossible for a benevolent ruler to come out of the world, and that the Spring and Autumn Period was over in grief.

Ming Thirteen Mausoleum Shinto Kirin stone

From the archaeological artifacts, the Kirin has always been depicted with long fleshy horns of the image of a deer, which is consistent with the documentary records, so historians believe that the Kirin should be a kind of imagined creatures based on a deer, the Kirin heard by Confucius may have been just a deformed deer with long horns. Historical records show that a unicorn was also hunted during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty, but the records show that it was also a beast with horns.

After the Song Dynasty, a new image of the unicorn appeared, and at this time some people called the monstrous fetus born to a cow a lin. Historical records, this period there are cattle calves, the surface of the birth of the Lin, hairless, the whole body color green and yellow, and the legend of the unicorn, visible at this time the focus became the Lin A. Ming Dynasty Jiajing Wanli years, local records in the relevant records are very much, until the early Qing Dynasty still appear from time to time.

Paintings of giraffes as unicorns in the Ming Dynasty

In addition to this, from the Ming Dynasty onwards, there was another saying that the giraffes imported from Africa were unicorns. In the early years of the Southern Song Dynasty, when foreign trade was developed, some people came into contact with Arab and Persian traders, and recorded giraffes based on what they heard, before they were called unicorns. Ming Dynasty, Yongle years, three treasures eunuch Zheng He led a fleet of three trips to the West China Sea, imported a live giraffe, called the unicorn to the outside world, which is naturally to exaggerate the merits of the next sea.

The giraffe was imported into China as a unicorn got extremely generous treatment, the Yongle Emperor Zhu Di personally ordered people to raise and paint, and thereafter also the giraffe as a unicorn to be raised, the court ceremony will also be the giraffe placed on the side of the shengzhi, in order to symbolize the emperor's benevolence and virtue, can invite the unicorn to appear. Many literati have written in their notes and novels that they have seen the unicorn. Kirin? , it is the giraffe. Although the giraffe is rare and like a deer, but it is a mute beast, and live in groups, and the legend of the unicorn is far from it.