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Shang Yang

The Shang Yang is a bird from Chinese Mythology. This bird is a rain bird that obviously makes rain. Sometimes its depicted as an averaged sized bird and warns of disasterous rain. In other cases its a large heron that drinks from rivers or lakes and sprays water out as rain. Even though its depicted in diffrent sizes, the Shang Yang only has one leg. Children would often mimic the Shang Yang, hopping up and down on one leg, trying to get the bird to appear or to honor it while it rained. (Demonica)

The Chinese farmers would often call the bird to get it to water their fields. One version of what children would say while they hopped on their foot is, "It will thunder, it will rain because the Shang Yang is here again." It is said that this bird once hopped on it's single leg in front of the throne of the Prince of Ch'i. The prince didn't know what it meant so he sent ministers to see Confucius and ask him what it had ment. Confucius told them that the Shang Yang was going to bring heavy rain and it would flood the area. He told the prince that he should build dykes and repair the channels at once. The prince did so and the flood was avoided. (Rosen 164-165)

“At the time when Hsüan-ming Ta-jên instructed Fei Lien in the secrets of magic, the latter saw a wonderful bird which drew in water with its beak and blew it out again in the shape of rain. Fei lien tamed it, and would take it about in his sleeve. Later on a one-legged bird was seen in the palace of the Prince of Ch’i walking up and down and hopping in front of the throne. Being much puzzled, the Prince sent a messenger to Lu to inquire of Confucius concerning this strange behavior. “This bird is a shang yang” said Confucius; “its appearance is a sign of rain. In former times the children used to amuse themselves by hopping on one foot, knitting their eyebrows, and saying: ‘It will rain, because the shang yang is disporting himself.’ Since this bird has gone to Ch’i, heavy rain will fall, and the people should be told to dig channels and repair the dykes, for the whole country will be inundated.” Not only Ch’i, but all the adjacent kingdoms were flooded; all sustained grievous damage except Ch’i, where the necessary precautions had been taken. This caused Duke Ching to exclaim: “Alas! How few listen to the words of the sages!” (Werner)

“In another form [the Lord of Rain] was conceived of as a silkworm chrysalis with a black-faced concubine who has a serpent in each hand and red and green serpents in her right and left ears. With him was a magic bird, shang yang, which had only one leg. Once it appeared at the court of the Prince of Chhi. Descending from the roof where it had perched, it entered the reception court, where it was observed to spread its wings and to dance upon its one leg. The prince sent an embassy to Lu to enquire from Confucius the meaning of this apparition. The sage replied that the bird was a shang yang whose appearance who foretold rain: In former times youths used to amuse themselves by hopping on one food with hunched shoulders saying: it will rain because the shang yang is disporting himself, dancing to his own drum. Now that the bird is in Chhi, heavy rain will fall. The people must dig ditches and repair the dykes or all the land will be inundated. The rains came, and only Chhi escaped damage, a fact which led the ruler of a neighbouring state to remark sadly on the fact that people seldom listened to the words of sages.” (Christie 75-78)

Bibliography

Christie, Anthony. Chinese Mythology. Italy, 1968. Print.

Demonica, Regina. “Monster of the Week #2-Shang Yang.” Reginademonica. Wordpress.com, 5 May, 2011. Web. 11 Oct. 2012.

Rosen, Brenda. The Mythical Creatures Bible: The Definitive Guide to Legendary Beings. New York: Sterling, 2009. Print.

Werner, Edward T.C. “Chaper IV. Myths of Thunder, Lightning, Wind, and Rain. One-legged Bird.” 2011. Web. 11 Oct. 2012.