The Qilin, also known as the Chinese unicorn, is a mythical hooved Chinese chimerical creature known throughout various East Asian cultures. It is said to appear with the imminent arrival or passing of a sage or illustrious ruler. Newt, on the other hand, is a common name for various semi-aquatic salamanders in the family Salamandridae. At first glance, it may seem odd to ponder why a mythical beast would not bow to a humble amphibian. However, closer examination reveals insights into the symbolism and legends surrounding both creatures.
What is a Qilin?
The Qilin has a long and storied history in Chinese mythology and folklore. Some key facts about this fantastical creature include:
- It is a hybrid animal with the body of a deer, the head of a dragon, an ox’s tail, fish-like scales, and a single horn.
- The earliest recorded mention of the Qilin dates back to the 5th century BCE.
- The Qilin was considered a symbol of good fortune, prosperity, wisdom, harmony and benevolence.
- It was believed to appear only during the reign of virtuous rulers or to mark momentous occasions.
- Killing a Qilin was considered an omen predicting the fall of the ruling dynasty.
- The Qilin walks so lightly as to not disturb even a single blade of grass.
In many ways, the Qilin symbolized perfection, wisdom and enlightenment in Chinese culture. Its likeness was often etched into ornaments, featured in paintings and integrated into temple and palace architecture. While fanciful, this mythical beast held profound meaning.
The Legends of Newt
In contrast to the Qilin, newts are entirely real aquatic amphibians belonging to the Salamandridae family of salamanders. Some quick facts about newts:
- There are over 60 known species of newts found in North America, Europe, North Africa and Asia.
- Newts are characterized by their lizard-like bodies, tiny legs, long tails and gilled aquatic larval stage.
- They inhabit ponds, lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands.
- Newts are valued for their ability to regulate insect and snail populations.
- Despite their modest appearance, newts have amazing regenerative abilities – able to regrow limbs, organs, and even a lens and retina of the eye.
- The name “newt” comes from the Middle English “efete” meaning lizard.
While newts lack the legendary status of the Qilin, they do have one famous literary representative. In the Harry Potter series, wizard Newton (“Newt”) Scamander lends his name to these creatures, which feature heavily in the fictional Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them textbook that Scamander authors. So newts do have one claim to fame from modern fantasy fiction!
Examining the Symbolism
Now we arrive at the question – why would the exalted Qilin not bow to a mere newt? This query reveals the deeper symbolic relationship between the two creatures.
The Qilin’s Significance
The Qilin was a figure of immense mythical prestige in ancient Chinese culture. As a chimera embodiment of Confucian ideals, the Qilin stooping to acknowledge an unremarkable amphibian would be viewed as incongruent with its status as a paragon of wisdom and enlightenment. The Qilin’s bowing to a newt could imply:
- A lowering of the Qilin’s high stature
- Confusion of the cosmic order in which the Qilin outranks mundane creatures
- Flaws in the Qilin’s perfection if it defers to the common newt
In short, the Qilin bowing to a newt upends the hierarchy in Chinese mythological cosmology that establishes the Qilin’s supremacy. This act does not align with the Qilin’s paramount symbolic role.
The Newt’s Humility
Meanwhile, the newt represents the opposite extreme as a modest, unassuming creature often overlooked by humans. The newt accepts its lowly status and is content not attracting attention or acclaim. Given this, a newt would have no expectation of receiving a venerating bow from the esteemed Qilin. A newt does not aspire to such lofty heights and recognition.
So a newt bowing to a Qilin would be understandable. But a Qilin humbling itself before a newt unravels the ingrained social order between beings of mythic renown and secular commonness. The Qilin acknowledges enlightened rulers, not inconsequential swamp-dwellers. Hence the question at hand reflects the perplexing paradox of two creatures occupying vastly different rungs on the symbolic hierarchy.
Parallels in Human Society
While the Qilin and newt scenario is fanciful, it has parallels to status perceptions in human societies. Consider how different groups are elevated or denigrated based on arbitrary social and cultural beliefs. Some examples:
Royals and Commoners
European monarchies establish royalty as possessing an inherent higher status than the masses. The expectation is that common people bow before kings, not vice versa. A royal bowing to a commoner disturbs engrained notions of societal rank.
Upper and Lower Castes
The Indian caste system codifies a social hierarchy that places Brahmins at the head and “untouchables” at the bottom. Adherence to caste order is deemed proper. A Brahmin deferring to an untouchable challenges the caste organization framework.
Elites and Working Classes
Capitalist societies have elite classes possessing disproportionate wealth, power and influence compared to working-class majorities. The elite expect deference from below and may offer patronizing “noblesse oblige” to working people. But they would likely balk at reversing this arrangement.
Celebrities and Non-Famous
Celebrities attain exalted status and recognition in popular culture above ordinary people. A celebrity bowing to a random person undermines the unspoken hierarchy between the famous and non-famous.
So just as the Qilin bowing to a newt upends ingrained notions in Chinese mythos, analogous disruptions to human social order also feel transgressive or unsettling. This reflects how hierarchies become deeply embedded into cultures, even when arbitrary and unjust.
Conclusion
In the end, the puzzling question about the Qilin’s bow reveals deeper insights. It highlights how societies construct symbolic hierarchies that elevate certain beings or groups and denigrate others based on limited cultural beliefs. These entrenched social pyramids are not wisdom but artifice. True enlightenment recognizes the equal dignity and worth of all living beings – whether mythical Qilin, humble newt or any member of humanity. Perhaps the real question is not why the Qilin didn’t bow to the newt, but rather why neither bowed to the other in mutual respect.