View source for Three-legged crow

{{short description|Mythical bird}}
[[File:太阳神鸟金饰_Golden_Sun_Bird.png|thumb|[[Golden Sun Bird|Sun and Immortal Birds Gold Ornament]] by ancient Shu people. The center is a sun pattern with twelve points around which four Three-legged crows fly in the same counterclockwise direction, [[Shu (kingdom)|Ancient Kingdom of Shu]].]]
The '''three-legged''' (or '''[[tripedalism|tripedal]]''') '''crow''' is a [[Legendary creature|mythological creature]] in various [[mythology|mythologies]] and arts of [[East Asia]]. It is believed to inhabit and represent the [[Sun]].

Evidence of the earliest bird-Sun motif or totemic articles were excavated around 5000 BCE in China. This bird-Sun totem heritage was observed in later [[Yangshao culture|Yangshao]] and [[Longshan culture]]s.<ref>[http://www.imperialchina.org/Pre-history.html Chinese Prehistory]</ref> Also, in Northeast Asia, artifacts of birds and phoenix observed to be a symbol of leadership was excavated from around 5500 BCE in [[Xinle culture|Xinle]] culture and later [[Hongshan culture|Hongshan]] culture from Liao river basin.<ref>{{cite book|title=Shamanism and the Origin of States: Spirit, Power, and Gender in East Asia |author=Sarah Milledge Nelson |date=2019}}</ref>

The Chinese have several versions of crow and crow-Sun tales. But the most popular depiction and myth of the Sun crow is that of the Yangwu or Jinwu, the "'''golden crow'''".<ref>[https://heritageofjapan.wordpress.com/2011/08/22/yatagarasu-the-three-legged-crow-and-its-possible-origins/ Yatagrarasu: The three-legged crow and its possible origins]</ref> It has also been found figured on ancient coins from [[Lycia]] and [[Pamphylia]].<ref name="Volker, T. 1975 39">{{cite book|author=Volker, T. |title=The Animal in Far Eastern Art and Especially in the Art of the Japanese |publisher=Brill |year=1975|page=39}}</ref>

==China==
[[File:Douze_emblemes_des_rites_memoires_historiques_V3c23_205.PNG|thumb|The sanzuwu in a disc representing the sun (top row: right) is one of the ''twelve ornaments'' which decorates the Imperial garments in China.]]
In [[Chinese mythology]] and culture, the three-legged crow is called the '''sanzuwu''' ({{zh|s=三足乌|t=三足烏|p=sān zú wū}}; [[Cantonese]]: ''saam<sup>1</sup>zuk<sup>1</sup>wu<sup>1</sup>''; [[Shanghainese]]: sae tsoh u) and is present in many myths. It is also mentioned in the [[Shanhaijing]]. The earliest known depiction of a three-legged crow appears in [[Neolithic]] pottery of the [[Yangshao]] culture.<ref name="Turtle">{{citation|title=The shape of the turtle: myth, art, and cosmos in early China |first=Sarah |last=Allan |publisher=SUNY Press|year=1991|isbn=0-7914-0460-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LqBHRAoO0qQC&dq=three-legged+bird+sunbird&pg=PA31|page=31}}</ref> 
[[File:Threeleggedbird han dynasty.jpg|thumb|Mural from the [[Han dynasty]] (206 BCE – 220 CE) found in [[Henan]] province depicting a three-legged crow]]

The sanzuwu in a disc represents the sun and is also one of the ''[[Twelve Ornaments]]'' that is used in the decoration of formal imperial garments in ancient China.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Welch |first=Patricia Bjaaland|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/893707208|title=Chinese art : a guide to motifs and visual imagery |date=2012|publisher=Tuttle Publishing |isbn=978-1-4629-0689-5|location=Boston, US |pages=164|oclc=893707208}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|author=Yuan Zujie |date=2007|title=Dressing for power: Rite, costume, and state authority in Ming Dynasty China|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11462-007-0012-x|journal=Frontiers of History in China |volume=2|issue=2|pages=181–212|doi=10.1007/s11462-007-0012-x|s2cid=195069294|issn=1673-3401|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Wen |first=Benebell |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/939277861 |title=The Tao of Craft: Fu Talismans and Casting Sigils in the Eastern Esoteric Tradition |date=2016 |isbn=978-1-62317-067-7 |publisher=[[North Atlantic Books]] |location=Berkeley, California |page=343 |oclc=939277861 }}</ref>

===Sun crow in Chinese mythology===
The most popular depiction and myth of a ''sanzuwu'' is of a sun crow called the '''Yangwu''' ({{zhi|c=陽烏}}), more commonly referred to as the '''Jinwu''' ({{zhi|c=金烏|l=golden crow}}) or "golden crow". Even though it is described as a corvid, it is usually coloured red instead of black.<ref name="Animal">{{cite book|title=Animal Motifs in Asian Art: An Illustrated Guide to Their Meanings and Aesthetics |author=Katherine M. Ball  |publisher=Courier Dover Publications |year=2004|isbn= 978-0-486-43338-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LqBHRAoO0qQC&dq=three-legged+bird+sunbird&pg=PA31|page=241}}</ref>  A silk painting from the [[Western Han]] excavated at the [[Mawangdui]] archaeological site also depicts a "golden crow" in the sun.<ref name="hunan museum">{{cite web |url=http://61.187.53.122/Collection.aspx?id=1348&lang=en |title=T-shaped painting on silk from Xin Zhui's tomb |work=Hunan Museum }}</ref>
In ancient Chinese depictions, the Chinese god of creation, [[Fuxi]], is often depicted carrying the sun disk with the {{zhl|c=金烏|p=jīnwū |l=golden crow}} while the Chinese goddess of creation, [[Nüwa]], holds the moon disk which contains a gold-striped toad.<ref>{{Cite book|author=Ma Boying |title=History Of Medicine In Chinese Culture, A (In 2 Volumes)|publisher=World Scientific Publishing Company |year=2020|isbn=9789813238008|pages=108}}</ref>

According to folklore, there were originally ten sun crows which settled in 10 separate suns. They perched on a red [[mulberry tree]] called the [[Fusang]], literally meaning "the leaning mulberry tree", in the East at the foot of the Valley of the Sun. This mulberry tree was said to have many mouths opening from its branches.<ref name="Turtle2">{{harvnb|Allan|1991|p=27}}</ref> Each day one of the sun crows would be rostered to travel around the world on a carriage, driven by [[Xihe (deity)|Xihe]], the 'mother' of the suns. As soon as one sun crow returned, another one would set forth in its journey crossing the sky. According to the ''[[Shanhaijing]]'', the sun crows loved eating two grasses of immortality, one called the Diri ({{zhi|c=地日|p=dìrì|l=ground sun}}), and the other the Chunsheng ({{zhi|c=春生|l=spring grow}}). The sun crows would often descend from heaven on to the earth and feast on these grasses, but Xihe did not like this; thus, she covered their eyes to prevent them from doing so.<ref name="Handbook">{{cite book|title=Handbook of Chinese mythology|author1=Lihui Yang|author2=Deming An|author3=Jessica Anderson Turner|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2005|isbn=978-1-57607-806-8|url=https://archive.org/details/handbookofchines0000unse/page/95|pages=[https://archive.org/details/handbookofchines0000unse/page/95 95–96]}}</ref> Folklore also held that, at around 2170 BC, all ten sun crows came out on the same day, causing the world to burn; [[Hou Yi]], the celestial archer, saved the day by shooting down all but one of the sun crows.
[[File:Chengdu_2007_341.jpg|thumb|The [[Queen Mother of the West]] sits upon a throne, flanked by Tiger (west, autumn, yin) and Dragon (east, spring, yang). She is surrounded by a nine-tailed fox, two seated women, a leaping frog, a male attendant, and a three-legged crow, Eastern Han dynasty, 25{{snd}}220 CE.]]
The ''sanzuwu'' is also depicted with the [[Queen Mother of the West]] who are believed to be her messengers.<ref name=":0" />

===Other tripedal creatures in Chinese mythology===
In [[Chinese mythology]], there are other three-legged creatures besides the crow, for instance, the ''[[Wangliang#Lunheng|yu]]'' {{linktext|lang=zh|魊}} "a three-legged tortoise that causes malaria".<ref>[[Wolfram Eberhard]] (1968), ''The Local Cultures of South and East China'', E.J. Brill, 193-195.</ref>

The three-legged crow symbolizing the sun has a [[yin yang]] counterpart in the ''chánchú'' {{lang|zh|蟾蜍}} "[[Jin Chan|three-legged toad]]" symbolizing the moon (along with the [[moon rabbit]]). According to an ancient tradition, this toad is the transformed [[Chang'e]] [[lunar deity]] who stole the [[elixir of life]] from her husband [[Hou Yi|Houyi]] the archer, and fled to the moon where she was turned into a toad.<ref>Wolfram Eberhard (1986), ''A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols: Hidden Symbols in Chinese Life and Thought'', Routledge, 292.</ref>

The ''[[Fènghuáng]]'' is commonly depicted as being two-legged but there are some instances in art in which it has a three-legged appearance.<ref>[http://www.avians.net/paragon/fenghuang.htm Feng Huang, Emperor of Birds]</ref><ref>[http://www.ancientspiral.com/phoenix.htm Ancient Spiral: The Phoenix] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517083532/http://ancientspiral.com/phoenix.htm |date=2008-05-17 }}</ref>

[[Xi Wangmu]] (Queen Mother of the West) is also said to have three '''[[qingniao|green birds]]''' ({{zh|labels=no|c=青鳥|p=qīngniǎo}}) that gathered food for her and in Han-period religious art they were depicted as having three legs.<ref name="Beastiary">{{cite book|title=A Chinese Bestiary: Strange Creatures from the Guideways Through Mountains and Seas |author=Richard E. Strassberg |publisher=University of California Press|year=2002|isbn= 978-0-520-21844-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e-NEfzqA4pUC&q=A+Chinese+bestiary&pg=PA196|page=195}}</ref><ref>[http://www.bookrags.com/Xi_Wangmu Xi Wangmu Summary<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In the Yongtai Tomb dating to the [[Tang dynasty]] Era, when the Cult of Xi Wangmu flourished, the birds are also shown as being three-legged.<ref>[http://www.eskimo.com/~webguy/china99/721tang.htm China 1999 – Tang Dynasty Day<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

{{Clear}}

==Japan==
{{Main|Yatagarasu}}
 [[Image:Tennō Jimmu.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Yatagarasu guides legendary [[Emperor Jimmu]] towards the plain of [[Yamato Province|Yamato]].]]
In [[Japanese mythology]], this flying creature is a [[raven]] or a [[Large-billed crow|jungle crow]] called [[Yatagarasu]] {{Nihongo||八咫烏||"eight-span crow"}}<ref>{{harvp|Ponsonby-Fane|1953| pp=143-152}}</ref> and the appearance of the great bird is construed as evidence of the will of Heaven or divine intervention in human affairs.<ref>{{harvp|Ponsonby-Fane|1963|p=11}}</ref>

Although Yatagarasu is mentioned in a number of places in [[Shintō]], the depictions are primarily seen on Edo wood art, dating back to the early 1800s wood-art era. Although not as celebrated today, the crow is a mark of rebirth and rejuvenation; the animal that has historically cleaned up after great battles symbolized the renaissance after such tragedy.

Yatagarasu as a crow-god is a symbol specifically of guidance. This great crow was sent from heaven as a guide for legendary [[Emperor Jimmu]] on his initial journey from the region which would become [[Kumano Region|Kumano]] to what would become [[Yamato Province|Yamato]], ([[Yoshino, Nara|Yoshino]] and then [[Kashihara, Nara|Kashihara]]). It is generally accepted that Yatagarasu is an incarnation of [[Kamotaketsunumi no Mikoto]], but none of the early surviving documentary records are quite so specific.<ref>{{harvp|Ponsonby-Fane|1953|p=147}}</ref> 
 
In more than one instance, Yatagarasu appears as a three legged crow not in ''[[Kojiki]]'' but in ''[[Wamyō Ruijushō]]''.

Both the [[Japan Football Association]] and subsequently its administered teams such as the [[Japan national football team]] use the symbol of Yatagarasu in their emblems and badges respectively.<ref>[http://www.jfa.or.jp/eng/general_info/index.html Organisation｜JFA｜Japan Football Association<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The winner of the [[Emperor's Cup]] is also given the honor of wearing the Yatagarasu emblem the following season.

Although the Yatagarasu is commonly perceived as a three-legged crow, there is in fact no mention of it being such in the original ''[[Kojiki]]''. Consequently, it is theorised that this is a result of a later possible misinterpretation during the Heian period that the Yatagarasu and the Chinese ''Yangwu'' refer to an identical entity.

==Korea==
[[Image:Korean three-legged bird mural.jpg|thumb|right|Three-legged crow flanked by dragon and phoenix. Mural from the Korean [[Goguryeo]] period, Ohoe Tomb nº 4, 6th – 7th century, Ji'an, China.]]

In [[Korean mythology]], it is known as '''Samjok-o''' ({{Korean|hangul=삼족오|hanja=三足烏}} – literally "three-legged crow"). During the [[Goguryeo]] period, the ancient Korean people thought the Samjok-o to be a symbol of the sun and of great power, often representing the Taewang ({{Korean|hangul=태왕|hanja=太王|lit=Emperor; Greatest of Kings|labels=no}}) and Goguryeo's sovereignty. It was also believed that the three-legged crow lived in the sun while a toad lived in the moon. The Samjok-o is such a highly respected symbol of power, even superior to both the [[Korean dragon|dragon]] and the Korean [[fenghuang|bonghwang]], that it carried into [[Silla]], [[Goryeo]], [[Joseon]], and modern Korea.

Samjok-o appeared in the story Yeonorang Seonyeo.  A couple, Yeono and Seo, lived on the beach of the [[East Sea (Chinese literature)|East Sea]] in 157 (King Adalala 4), and rode to Japan on a moving rock. The Japanese took two people to Japan as kings and noblemen. At that time, the light of the sun and the moon disappeared in Silla. King Adalala sent an official to Japan to return the couple, but Yeono said to take the silk that was made by his wife, Seo, and sacrifice it to the sky. As he said this, the sun and moon were brighter again.<ref>{{Cite web|title=삼족오|url=http://folkency.nfm.go.kr/kr/topic/detail/5550|website=[[Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Culture]]}}</ref>

In modern Korea, Samjok-o is still found especially in television dramas such as ''[[Jumong (TV series)|Jumong]]''. The three-legged crow was one of several emblems under consideration to replace the ''[[bonghwang]]'' in the Korean seal of state when its revision was considered in 2008.<ref>[http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200601/200601160004.html "Three-Legged Bird to Replace Phoenix on State Seal,"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060118055234/http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200601/200601160004.html|date=2006-01-18}} ''Chosun Ilbo'' (Seoul). January 16, 2006.</ref> The Samjok-o appears also in [[Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC]]'s current emblem. There are some Korean companies using Samjok-o as their corporate logos.

==See also==
*[[Birds in Chinese mythology]]
*[[Three-legged turtle]]
*[[triskelion]]

==References==

===Citations===
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Sources===
*{{cite book |last=Ponsonby-Fane |first=Richard Arthur Brabazon |author-link=Richard Ponsonby-Fane |date=1953 |title=Studies in Shintō and Shrines: Papers Selected from the Works of the Late R.A.B. Ponsonby-Fane, LL. D. |volume=1 |series=Dr. Richard Ponsonby-Fane Series |oclc=374884 |publisher=Ponsonby Memorial Society |location=Kyoto |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tjEvAAAAYAAJ&q=Studies+in+Shinto+and+Shrines}}
*{{cite book |last=Ponsonby-Fane |first=Richard Arthur Brabazon |author-link=Richard Ponsonby-Fane |date=1963 |title=The Vicissitudes of Shinto |volume=5 |series=Dr. Richard Ponsonby Fane Series |oclc=36655 |publisher=Ponsonby Memorial Society |location=Kyoto |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IGkrAAAAIAAJ&q=Vicissitudes+of+Shinto}}

{{Chinese mythology}}
{{Japanese mythology}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Three-Legged Crow}}
[[Category:Chinese legendary creatures]]
[[Category:Japanese legendary creatures]]
[[Category:Korean legendary creatures]]
[[Category:Legendary creatures with supernumerary body parts]]
[[Category:Mythological corvids]]
[[Category:Birds in Chinese mythology]]
[[Category:East Asian mythology]]
[[Category:Yangshao culture]]