What Animal Is the Pixiu? A Detailed Explanation of the Pixiu's Real Prototype
The Pixiu is a fierce auspicious beast recorded in ancient Chinese books and folk myths and legends, and is considered an auspicious creature that turns misfortune into good fortune. Legend has it that in addition to the effects of boosting fortune and warding off evil, the Pixiu also has functions such as guarding the home, resolving the Tai Sui, and promoting marriage. Chinese tradition includes the custom of decorating and wearing “Pixiu”.
I. The Historical Origin of the Pixiu
The Pixiu, also known as Tianlu, Bixie, and Baijie, has four names in total. It is a mythical beast in ancient Chinese mythology and legend, with a dragon's head, a horse's body, and qilin's feet, resembling a lion, with grayish-white fur, and it can fly. The Pixiu is fierce and mighty, and in heaven it is responsible for patrol work, preventing demons, monsters, plagues, and diseases from disrupting the heavenly court.
In ancient times, people also often used Pixiu as a name for the army. Legend has it that the Pixiu violated heavenly law, and the Jade Emperor punished it by allowing it to feed only on wealth from all directions, swallowing all things without excreting, able to attract wealth and gather treasures, only taking in and never letting out, with extraordinary powers. After this story spread, the Pixiu was regarded as an auspicious beast that attracts wealth and brings in treasures. Many Chinese people wear jade Pixiu ornaments precisely because of this story.
II. The Appearance and Form of the Pixiu
The Pixiu has a body like a tiger or leopard, a head and tail resembling a dragon, a color that is both gold and jade, a pair of feathered wings on its shoulders that cannot spread, and a single horn on its head that tilts backward. Many people believe that the Pixiu is the present-day giant panda. According to the Records of the Grand Historian: Annals of the Five Emperors, more than 4000 years ago, the Yellow Emperor tamed tigers, leopards, Pixiu (giant pandas), and other mighty animals as an army to charge into battle, and defeated the Yan Emperor at Banquan (present-day Zhuolu County, Hebei Province).
There is also another saying that in ancient times there were two kinds of Pixiu, namely the single-horned Pixiu and the double-horned Pixiu. Some say the single and double horns distinguish male (called Pi) and female (called Xiu), while others say they distinguish good and evil. In any case, single-horned Pixiu do exist, and today most are single-horned Pixiu, and double-horned Pixiu are already very hard to see.
Because mythical beasts are animals from mythology, there is no real image to serve as a basis, and they can only be imagined by painters and artists, so mythical beast images vary and are endlessly diverse. After changes through the dynasties, the Pixiu's form became relatively uniform, such as having short wings, double horns, a curled tail, and mane whiskers often connected to the front chest or back ridge, with protruding eyes and long fangs.
The more popular shapes have one or two horns on the head, with long mane curling over the whole body, some with double wings, and curled tail hair. Jade-carved Pixiu generally adopt a lying posture, some holding a jade coin in the mouth, and some lying on top of a jade coin. People like to tie the jade coin in the Pixiu's mouth with a red thread, or tie a string to the Pixiu's tail, for wearing and handling.
The Pixiu is a symbol of auspiciousness. Many people today still buy Pixiu ornaments to wear. From ancient times to the present, there has been the custom of wearing Pixiu, and if you want to change your luck, you can buy a Pixiu ornament and give it a try.