Shachihoko
A shachihoko (鯱鉾 / 鯱) – or simply shachi (鯱) – is an animal in Japanese folklore with the head of a tiger and the body of a carp.[1] It was believed that this animal could cause the rain to fall, and as such, temples and castles were often adorned with roof ornaments (shibi) crafted in the form of a shachihoko, in order to protect them from fire. Those buildings were often made of wood, rendering them flammable.
Dating from as early as the Han dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD), a similar creature known as the Chiwen, one of the Nine sons of the dragon, serves a roughly equivalent function in Chinese architecture and mythology.
鯱 is a kokuji character; when pronounced shachi (鯱), it also means "orca".[2]
See also
- Gargoyle
- Grotesque (architecture)
- Makara (Hindu mythology)
- Onigawara
- Shibi (roof tile)
- Team Shachi (originally Team Syachihoko), a J-pop idol group which formerly used the animal in its name and logo
References
External links
Media related to Shachi at Wikimedia Commons
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