Chiwen (Chinese:蚩吻;pinyin:chīwěn;Wade–Giles:ch'ih-wen;lit. 'hornless-dragon mouth') is a roof ornamental motif in traditionalChinese architecture andart.Chiwen is also the name of aChinese dragon that mixes features of a fish, and inChinese mythology is one of thenine sons of the dragon, which are also used asimperial roof decorations.As architectural ornaments or waterspouts, they are comparable with Westerngargoyles, but are not related to the mythological character.
The name for this dragon ischīwěn (蚩吻), whichcompoundschī (蚩; 'hornless dragon', 'young dragon') andwěn (吻; '[', 'animal's]', 'mouth').Chīshǒu (螭首) andChītóu (螭頭), both literally meaning "hornless-dragon head".
Chiwen is alternatively written鴟吻; 'owl mouth', using the homophonouscharacterchī (鴟; 'owl/bird of prey'). Thechīwěi (鴟尾; 'owl tail') andchīméng (鴟甍; 'owl roof-ridge') are additional birdlike roof decorations.
The origin of the roof decoration ofchiwen can be traced to the roof decoration alternatively named aschiwei (鸱尾), the earliest visual examples found in theHan dynasty on many ceramic architectural models,que-towers, and tomb murals and stone-reliefs.[a 1]
Thechiwei were shaped like wings, associated with theZhuque, also a commonly used as a roof ornamental motif during the Han dynasty.Chiwei was adopted as roof ornaments on palaces, temples and official buildings throughout theThree Kingdoms toNorthern and Southern dynasties, later expanded to be used by private manors of nobility in theTang dynasty. With the appearance and formal use ofglazed roof tiles in the Tang dynasty,chiwei were also often glazed in green and blue colors, as seen often in the murals ofMogao Grottoes. Over the course of the mid-Tang dynasty, the fish-likechiwen became another prevailing ornamental motif alongside thechiwei.[a 2]
In theSong dynasty,chiwen fully replaced thechiwei and adopted a more dragon-like appearance while also retaining some of their predecessor's bird-like features such as wings or bird's head.The technical treastiseYingzao Fashi details the proper elements and terminology of thechiwen and formalises their construction and measurements.[a 3]
By theMing andQing dynasties, thechiwen was widely used in traditional architecture, their bodies and tail turning more inwards and became very ornate in appearance, with many variations based on regional styles and colors.
Thechiwen is listed second or third among theLóng shēng jiǔzǐ (龍生九子; 'dragon gives birth to nine young'),Nine Dragons (九龍;jiǔlóng), which are traditional mythological creatures that have become traditional Chinesefeng shui architectural decorations. Each one of the nine dragons has a protective function. The Nine dragons are also used in many place names inHong Kong, such asKowloon, literally meaning "nine dragons" in Cantonese (Chinese:九龍;Jyutping:gau2 lung4;Cantonese Yale:Gáulùhng), as well as numerous lakes, rivers and hamlets inmainland China.
According to theMing DynastyWuzazu (五雜俎) "Thech'i-wen, which like swallowing, are placed on both ends of the ridgepoles of roofs (to swallow all evil influences)."[1]
Welch describeschiwen as "the dragon who likes 'to swallow things'".[2]
This is the fish-like, hornless dragon with a very truncated body and large, wide mouth usually found along roof ridges (as if swallowing the roof beams). His presence on roofs is also said to guard against fires. A paragraph in the Tang dynasty bookSu Shi Yan Yi (蘇氏演義) by Su E (蘇鶚) says that a mythical sea creature called thechi wen [sic] was put on the roofs of buildings during the Han dynasty to protect the structures from fire hazards. This dragon is still found on the roofs of traditional Chinese homes today, protecting the inhabitants from fires.
InFengshui theory, achiwen orchiwei supposedly protects against not only fires, but also floods and typhoons.
TheJapanese language borrowed these names for architectural roof decorations asSino-Japanese vocabulary.Shibi鴟尾 "ornamental roof-ridge tile" is more commonly used thanchifun蚩吻 orshifun鴟吻. InJapanese mythology, theShachihoko鯱 (a mythical fish with a carp's arched tail, tiger's head, and dragon's scales) roof decoration is believed to cause rain and protect against fire. This鯱 is akokuji "Chinese character invented in Japan" that can also be readshachi for "orca".
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