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| Nian | |||||||||||||||||||||
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 Southern Chinese lion dance is said to relate to driving away the Nian | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 年獸 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 年兽 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Anian beast (traditional Chinese:年獸;simplified Chinese:年兽;Hanyu Pinyin:Nián shòu;Tongyong Pinyin:Nián shòu;Wade–Giles:Nien2 shou4;Cantonese Yale:Nìhn sau;Zhuyin Fuhao:ㄋㄧㄢˊ ㄕㄡˋ) is a beast inChinese mythology. According to Chinese mythology, thenian lives under the sea or in the mountains. TheChinese characternian more usually means "year" or "new year". The earliest written sources that refer to thenian as a creature date to the early 20th century. As a result, it is unclear whether thenian creature is an authentic part of traditional folk mythology, or a part of a localoral tradition that was recorded in the early 20th century.Nian is one of the key characters in theChinese New Year. Scholars cite it as the reason behind several practices during the celebration, such as wearing red clothing and creating noise from drums andfireworks.[1][failed verification]
Once every year at the beginning of Chinese New Year, thenian would come out of its hiding place to feed, mostly on people and animals. During the winter, when food was scarce, it would raid villages, eating the crops and sometimes the villagers themselves - particularly their children. Several accounts describe its appearance, with some claiming that it resembles a flat-faced lion with the body of a dog and prominent incisors.[2] Other authors described it as larger than an elephant with two long horns and many sharp teeth.[3] The weaknesses of thenian are purported to be a sensitivity to loud noises, fire, and a fear of the color red.
Some local legends attribute theChinese lion dance (舞獅) to thenian. The tradition has its origins in a story of anian's attack on a village. After the attack, the villagers discussed how to make thenian leave them in peace. Since it was discovered that the beast was afraid of the color red, people put red lanterns and spring scrolls on their windows and doors.[4] They would also leave food at their doorstep in a bid to divert it from eating humans. Other sources say that an old man who came to visit actually informed the villagers of thenian's weaknesses.[5]
The traditions of firecrackers, red lanterns, and red robes found in many lion dance portrayals originate from the villagers' practice of hitting drums, plates, and empty bowls, wearing red robes, and throwingfirecrackers, causing loud banging sounds to intimidate thenian. According to this same myth, it was captured byHongjun Laozu, an ancientTaoist monk, and became his mount.
Various aspects of cultural practices relating to Chinese New Year are part of thenian legend. These cultural practices are recorded in ancient texts, though none of them refer to a creature callednian.
TheErya records that the characternian (年) was first used to mean "year" during theZhou dynasty,[6] replacing terms[which?] used in previous eras. TheShuowen Jiezi records that the characternian meant "ripeness of grains" and was composed of the character "he" (禾, rice plant) and "qian" (千, indicating the sound) and quotes theChunqiu, which uses it in the sense of a great harvest.[citation needed]
The attributes of thenian creature in the modern legend, of fear of noise and fire, correlate with ancient legends relating to the use of firecrackers to drive off ape-like creatures in the mountains calledshanxiao (山魈), first recorded in theShanhaijing.
The practice of sweeping and cleaning at the start of the year is recorded in Zhou dynasty sources as intended to ward off plague spirits, and the practice of usingmusic and drama to receive gods and ward off plague spirits is recorded from the same era. The creature's role in the celebration of the Chinese New Year is highlighted by the way the Chinese call this holidayGuo Nian, which means "pass overnian" or "overcomenian."[7]
