![]() ![]() Early on, they were usually made of wood and only used indoors. I found nothing to indicate whether the original source of their introduction was China or Korea. The haechi appears very lion-like, but often has a scaly body, a small horn on its head, and sometimes small wings.īy the Nara period (710-794), lion guardians had come to Japan as well. At some point between the third and seventh centuries, paired stone xiezhi also made their way to Korea, where the name was pronounced haetae or haechi. The Chinese word for lion (statues included) is shi 獅 or shishi 獅子, but there was another creature that appeared in China at around the same time called the xiezhi 獬豸. ![]() Here the history seems to become a bit unclear. “If it’s good enough for Buddha, it’s good enough for the emperor,” may have been the line of thought, for, over time, they also became protectors of imperial gates. In those times, the lion was a symbolic protector of the dharma (the teachings of Buddha). Lions appeared in Indian temple art and, as early as the third century, showed up in Chinese Buddhist art. There are also ancient lion statues in Middle Eastern countries, but India is the surest place to begin the lion statues’ path to Japan, for it seems to have moved along with the Buddhist faith. How then, did they come to be called dogs by some? We’ll come to that momentarily, but first we must look to India. I’ll refrain from thrashing about the shrubbery and say right away that these animals are in fact lions. All these different names beg the question, “What exactly are they?” Canine or Feline? Source: jpellgen In Japan they are called komainu 狛犬 ( こまいぬ ), and in Okinawa they are shīsā. They are variously known in English as lions, dogs, lion dogs, Fu dogs or Foo dogs. In fact you can see some variation on these creatures in China, Korea, Myanmar, Tibet, and other East Asian countries, or even at Chinese restaurants in the West. If you’ve been to Okinawa you’ve seen them just about everywhere. If you’ve ever been to a shrine in Japan, odds are you’ve seen a pair of dog-like lions flanking the entrance. ![]()
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