Xiaotian Quan

Xiaotian Quan
Relief of Erlang Shen and Xiaotian Quan.
Creature information
Other name(s)Xiàotiān Quǎn, 哮天犬, or 嘯天犬
Origin
First attestedIn Search of the Supernatural
Known forattacking demons, protecting pet health
CountryChina

Xiaotian Quan (Chinese: 哮天犬 or 嘯天犬; pinyin: Xiàotiān Quǎn; lit. 'Howling/Barking Celestial Dog') is a Chinese mythological beast and companion of the Chinese god Erlang Shen. Depicted as a black dog, it assists Erlang Shen in battle by using its powerful bite and howl to attack, maul, or subdue demons. Xiaotian Quan appears in Journey to the West, Fengshen Yanyi, and other legends about Erlang Shen, such as Lotus Lantern and several Chinese folktales.[1][2]

Origin

Many identify Xiaotian Quan with the mythological Tiangou. Consequently, the cultural idiom describing a solar eclipse as the 'heavenly dog eating the sun' is often interpreted as an allusion to Xiaotian Quan.[3]

The dog is also identified with the hunting hound of the legendary archer Hou Yi.[3]

Some claims connect the Tibetan Mastiff to Xiaotian Quan, while other scholars believe that Xiaotian Quan belongs to the Chinese Xigou (slender dog) breed.[3] According to Chinese historian Zhang Zhenglang's research, the prototype of Xiaotian Quan is the divine rat who assisted Dujian, the second son of the Northern Heavenly King Vaishravana. Dujian is identified with Erlang Shen by a later Buddhist source.[4]

Legends

Xiaotian Quan appears in many folkloric and cultural works. The dog first appeared in Gan Bao's In Search of the Supernatural.[5] It prevents Liu Chenxiang from splitting Mount Hua to rescue his mother Huayue Sanniang in the Chinese folktale of Lotus Lantern.[6] Yang Jian, assumed to be Erlang, sometimes sends his dog to bite his enemies in the novel Investiture of the Gods.[7][8] In the novel Journey to the West, Xiaotian Quan helps fight Sun Wukong and later the Nine-Headed Prince Consort (九頭駙馬).[9] Xiaotian Quan features in legends about lunar and solar eclipses.[10]

In one version of the legend, after Hou Yi’s wife Chang'e stole his elixir of immortality and fled to the moon, the loyal dog chased after her and swallowed the moon in an attempt to bring her back. The Queen Mother of the West, moved by the dog's devotion to its master, spared it from punishment and granted it the title of "Tiangou", appointing it as guardian of the Southern Heavenly Gate. The dog later released the moon and eventually entered the service of the deity Erlang Shen, where it became known as Xiaotian Quan.[3]

According to one legend, Xiaotian Quan was once a woman whose extreme wickedness led the Jade Emperor to transform her into a dog and imprison her in the depths of hell. Her devoted son later attained immortality in order to break into the underworld and rescue her. After her release, she sought revenge against heaven and attempted to swallow the sun and the moon, plunging the world into darkness. This story is commonly cited as the origin of the custom of beating gongs and drums during solar and lunar eclipses.[3]

He is also a character featured in Peking Opera.[11]

Worship

Many temples dedicated to Erlang Shen to also enshrine Xiaotian Quan and in modern times it is suggested that people with sick pets pray to it.[12] In a temple in Malaysia, the statue of Xiaotian Quan closely resembles that of a German shepherd, which caused people to make jokes.[13]

The Yang Qiaotou Hall Temple in Haichang, Penang Island, is the only temple dedicated to Xiaotian Quan as a main deity.[14]

The Yingyuan Temple in Taiwan enshrines a statue of Xiaotian Quan under the title "General Tiangu".[15]

The Song and Jin dynasties coins depict Xiaotian Quana, alongside his lord Erlang Shen.[16]

Proverb

Xiaotian Quan is the origin of a Chinese proverb called "狗咬呂洞賓——不識好人心" ("A dog bites Lü Dongbin—to fail to see the heart of a good person; to bite the hand that feeds you"). Loyalty to a master's vendetta is central to this tale. Despite Lü Dongbin intervening to rescue Xiaotian Quan from a dog meat vendor in the mortal world, the animal refused to show gratitude. The dog's aggression toward Lü was rooted in a previous argument between the Immortal and the dog's master, Erlang Shen. Consequently, the hound bit his savior, prioritizing past animosity over present safety.[17]

Film and TV series

References

  1. ^ 陜西民間故事集 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 遠流出版. 1989. ISBN 978-957-32-0066-6.
  2. ^ 八仙得道傳 (in Chinese). 飛翔時代. 1 January 1931.
  3. ^ a b c d e 哮天犬食日天狗 二郎神神獸 - 大公報. Hong Kong Ta Kung Wen Wei Media Group (in Chinese). 29 September 2009.
  4. ^ 第四部分 二郎传说头绪多（3）. Sohu Book. 張政烺. 18 December 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-12-18.
  5. ^ 中国戏曲志: 黑龙江卷 (in Chinese). 中国 Isbn 中心. 1994. ISBN 978-7-5076-0052-0.
  6. ^ 神话传奇 (in Chinese). 青苹果数据中心. 27 January 2014.
  7. ^ 封神演义 (in Chinese). Beijing Book Co. Inc. 1 September 2019. ISBN 978-7-5455-4857-0.
  8. ^ 封神演义（中国古典文学名著） (in Chinese). 青苹果数据中心. 20 December 2013.
  9. ^ 嬉戲西遊 (in Chinese). 博益出版集團有限公司. 1983.
  10. ^ 玉皇大帝的传说 (in Chinese). 花山文艺出版社. 1995. ISBN 978-7-80611-252-6.
  11. ^ 學京劇‧畫京劇：百變臉譜 (in Chinese). 崧燁文化. 8 December 2022. ISBN 978-626-332-972-0.
  12. ^ Yifang, Lian (8 November 2019). 寵物開刀別擔心！到廟裡找哮天犬求平安. Now News (in Chinese).
  13. ^ "小狗斗"神兽"？雪纳瑞犬狂吠哮天犬". 中國報 China Press (in Chinese (China)). 13 April 2024.
  14. ^ "檳姓楊橋頭會堂宮供奉 哮天犬號斬妖除魔". 光明日报 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 14 February 2018.
  15. ^ "番仔寮應元宮天狗將軍 毛孩守護神 | 中華日報". China Daily News (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 8 January 2021.
  16. ^ 二郎神在历史演变中不是特定人. Sina Collect (in Chinese). 6 April 2016.
  17. ^ 台灣俗語諺語辭典(精) (in Chinese). 五南圖書出版股份有限公司. 1 July 2022. ISBN 978-626-317-913-4.
  18. ^ 宝莲灯前传 的全部演职员. Douban.
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