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A qilin, also spelled kylin and qilin (麒麟 pinyin: qi2 lin2; Cantonese:
kay-lun), is a mythical horned Chinese deer-like creature that is said to
appear only when a sage has appeared. It is a good omen that brings Rui4 (瑞
roughly translated to serenity and prosperity). It is often depicted with
what looks like fire all over its body. In most drawings, its head looks
like that of a Chinese dragon. The qilin is sometimes translated as unicorn
in English, because it is superficially similar to the unicorn in being a
hooved imaginary beast having a single horn on its head. It was also the
animal of the ancient emperor Yao's minister of justice, Gao Yao. The Qilin
could recognise whether a person was guilty or not.
Although it looks fearsome, the Qilin only punishes the sinners; when it
walked on grass, it could not trample it. Being a peaceful creature, its
diet did not include flesh.
In Japanese, the qilin is called a kirin. Japanese art tends to depict
the qilin as more deerlike than in Chinese art. The word kirin has come to
be used in modern Japanese for a giraffe.
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