China Mural from the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD) found in Henan province depicting a three-legged crow.  In Chinese mythology and culture, the three-legged crow is called the sanzuwu (; Cantonese: sam1zuk1wu1; 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. The sanzuwu is also of the Twelve Medallions that is used in the decoration of formal imperial garments in ancient China. 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. Each day one of the sun crows would be rostered to travel around the world on a carriage, driven by 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 Shanhaijing, the sun crows loved eating two grasses of immortality, one called the Diri (), or "ground sun", and the other the Chunsheng (), or "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. Folklore also held that, at around 2170 BC, all ten sun crows came out on the same day, causing the world to burn; Houyi, the celestial archer saved the day by shooting down all but one of the sun crows. (See Mid-Autumn Festival for variants of this legend.)  Other tripedal creatures in Chinese mythology In Chinese mythology, there are other three-legged creatures besides the crow, for instance, the yu "a three-legged tortoise that causes malaria".Wolfram Eberhard (1968), The Local Cultures of South and East China, E.J. Brill, 193-195. The three-legged crow symbolizing the sun has a yin yang counterpart in the chánchú "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 Houyi the archer, and fled to the moon where she was turned into a toad.Wolfram Eberhard (1986), A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols: Hidden Symbols in Chinese Life and Thought, Routledge, 292. The Fènghuáng is commonly depicted as being two-legged but there are some instances in art in which it has a three-legged appearance.Feng Huang, Emperor of BirdsAncient Spiral: The Phoenix Xi Wangmu (Queen Mother of the West) is also said to have three green birds () that gathered food for her and in Han-period religious art they were depicted as having three legs.Xi Wangmu Summary In the Yongtai Tomb dating to the Tang Dynasty Era, when the Cult of Xi Wangu flourished, the birds are also shown as being three-legged.China 1999 - Tang Dynasty Day
China Mural from the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD) found in Henan province depicting a three-legged crow. |left 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 (; Cantonese: sam1zuk1wu1; 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. 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. 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. Each day one of the sun crows would be rostered to travel around the world on a carriage, driven by 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 Shanhaijing, the sun crows loved eating two grasses of immortality, one called the Diri (), or "ground sun", and the other the Chunsheng (), or "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. Folklore also held that, at around 2170 BC, all ten sun crows came out on the same day, causing the world to burn; Houyi, the celestial archer saved the day by shooting down all but one of the sun crows. (See Mid-Autumn Festival for variants of this legend.) The Queen Mother of the West sits upon a throne, flanked by Tiger (east, spring, yang) and Dragon (west, autumn, yin). 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 AD - 220 AD. The sanzuwu is also depicted with the Queen Mother of the West () who are believed to be her messengers. Other tripedal creatures in Chinese mythology In Chinese mythology, there are other three-legged creatures besides the crow, for instance, the yu "a three-legged tortoise that causes malaria".Wolfram Eberhard (1968), The Local Cultures of South and East China, E.J. Brill, 193-195. The three-legged crow symbolizing the sun has a yin yang counterpart in the chánchú "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 Houyi the archer, and fled to the moon where she was turned into a toad.Wolfram Eberhard (1986), A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols: Hidden Symbols in Chinese Life and Thought, Routledge, 292. The Fènghuáng is commonly depicted as being two-legged but there are some instances in art in which it has a three-legged appearance.Feng Huang, Emperor of BirdsAncient Spiral: The Phoenix Xi Wangmu (Queen Mother of the West) is also said to have three green birds () that gathered food for her and in Han-period religious art they were depicted as having three legs.Xi Wangmu Summary In the Yongtai Tomb dating to the Tang Dynasty Era, when the Cult of Xi Wangu flourished, the birds are also shown as being three-legged.China 1999 - Tang Dynasty Day
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|left The sanzuwu in a disc representing the sun (top row: right) is one of the twelve ornaments which decorates the Imperial garments in China.
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The sanzuwu is also
The sanzuwu in a disc represents the sun and is also one
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Medallions
ornaments
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The Queen Mother of the West sits upon a throne, flanked by Tiger (east, spring, yang) and Dragon (west, autumn, yin). 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 AD - 220 AD. The sanzuwu is also depicted with the Queen Mother of the West () who are believed to be her messengers.