Chinese mythological beast
A
nian
beast (
traditional Chinese
:
年獸
;
simplified Chinese
:
年?
;
Hanyu Pinyin
:
Nian shou
;
Tongyong Pinyin
:
Nian shou
;
Wade?Giles
:
Nien
2
shou
4
;
Cantonese Yale
:
Nihn sau
;
Zhuyin Fuhao
:
???? ???
) is a beast in
Chinese mythology
. According to Chinese mythology, the
nian
lives under the sea or in the mountains. The
Chinese character
nian
more usually means "year" or "new year". The earliest written sources that refer to the
nian
as a creature date to the early 20th century. As a result, it is unclear whether the
nian
creature is an authentic part of traditional folk mythology, or a part of a local
oral tradition
that was recorded in the early 20th century.
Nian
is one of the key characters in the
Chinese New Year
. Scholars cite it as the reason behind several practices during the celebration, such as wearing red clothing and creating noise from drums and
fireworks
.
[1]
[
failed verification
]
Modern legends
[
edit
]
Once every year at the beginning of Chinese New Year, the
nian
would come out of its hiding place to feed, mostly on people and animals. During the winter, when food was scarce, it would raid villages, eating the crops and sometimes the villagers themselves - particularly their children. Several accounts describe its appearance, with some claiming that it resembles a flat-faced lion with the body of a dog and prominent incisors.
[2]
Other authors described it as larger than an elephant with two long horns and many sharp teeth.
[3]
The weaknesses of the
nian
are purported to be a sensitivity to loud noises, fire, and a fear of the color red.
Some local legends attribute the
Chinese lion dance
(
舞獅
) to the
nian
. The tradition has its origins in a story of a
nian's
attack on a village. After the attack, the villagers discussed how to make the
nian
leave them in peace. Since it was discovered that the beast was afraid of the color red, people put red lanterns and spring scrolls on their windows and doors.
[4]
They would also leave food at their doorstep in a bid to divert it from eating humans. Other sources say that an old man who came to visit actually informed the villagers of the
nian'
s weaknesses.
[5]
The traditions of firecrackers, red lanterns, and red robes found in many lion dance portrayals originate from the villagers' practice of hitting drums, plates, and empty bowls, wearing red robes, and throwing
firecrackers
, causing loud banging sounds to intimidate the
nian
. According to this same myth, it was captured by
Hongjun Laozu
, an ancient
Taoist
monk, and became his mount.
Ancient sources
[
edit
]
Various aspects of cultural practices relating to Chinese New Year are part of the
nian
legend. These cultural practices are recorded in ancient texts, though none of them refer to a creature called
nian
.
The
Erya
records that the character
nian
(
年
) was first used to mean "year" during the
Zhou dynasty
,
[6]
replacing terms
[
which?
]
used in previous eras. The
Shuowen Jiezi
records that the character
nian
meant "ripeness of grains" and was composed of the character "
he
" (
禾
, rice plant) and "
qian
" (
千
, indicating the sound) and quotes the
Chunqiu
,
which uses it in the sense of a great harvest.
[
citation needed
]
The attributes of the
nian
creature in the modern legend, of fear of noise and fire, correlate with ancient legends relating to the use of firecrackers to drive off ape-like creatures in the mountains called
shanxiao
(
山?
), first recorded in the
Shanhaijing
.
The practice of sweeping and cleaning at the start of the year is recorded in Zhou dynasty sources as intended to ward off plague spirits, and the practice of using
music and drama
to receive gods and ward off plague spirits is recorded from the same era. The creature's role in the celebration of the Chinese New Year is highlighted by the way the Chinese call this holiday
Guo Nian
, which means "pass over
nian
" or "overcome
nian
."
[7]
See also
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References
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