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Chiwen (, Chi Wen) is a chinese dragon, and one of the 9 sons of the dragon in Chinese mythology. He is depicted in imperial roof decorations and other ornamental motifs in traditional Chinese architecture and art. This Chinese dragon name ''chiwen'' 螭吻 compounds ''chi'' 螭 "hornless dragon; young dragon" and ''wen'' 吻 "(animal's) mouth; lips; kiss". ''Chishou'' 螭首 and ''Chitou'' 螭頭 (both literally meaning "hornless-dragon head") are related architectural ornaments or waterspouts, comparable with Western gargoyles. Chiwen and Chishou are not the character in chinese mythology. ''Chiwen'' 螭吻 is alternatively written ''chiwen'' 鴟吻 ("owl mouth"), using the homophonous Chinese character ''chi'' 鴟 "owl; sparrowhawk; bird of prey". The ''chiwei'' 鴟尾 ("owl tail") and ''chimeng'' 鴟甍 ("owl roof-ridge") are additional birdlike roof decorations. The ''chiwen'' is listed second or third among the ''Long sheng jiuzi'' 龍生九子 ("dragon gives birth to nine young"), Nine Dragons (), which are tranditional mythology creatures and become traditional Chinese fengshui architectural decorations. Each one of those creatures have a protective function. The Nine dragon are also used in many place names, such as Kowloon (nine dragon in Cantonese), in Hong Kong, but also numerous lakes, rivers or hamlets in mainland China. According to the Ming Dynasty ''Wuzazu'' 五雜俎 (tr. Visser 1913:101), "The ''ch'i-wen'', which like swallowing, are placed on both ends of the ridgepoles of roofs (to swallow all evil influences)." Welch describes ''chiwen'' as "the dragon who likes 'to swallow things'". 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 book ''Su Shi Yan Yi'' (苏氏演义) by Su E (苏鹗) says that a mythical sea creature called the ''chi wen'' 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. (2008:122-3) In Fengshui theory, a ''chiwen'' or ''chiwei'' supposedly protects against not only fire, but also flood and typhoon. The Japanese language borrowed these names for architectural roof decorations as Sino-Japanese vocabulary. ''Shibi'' 鴟尾 "ornamental roof-ridge tile" is more commonly used than ''chifun'' 螭吻 or ''shifun'' 鴟吻. In Japanese mythology, the ''Shachihoko'' 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 a kokuji "Chinese character invented in Japan" that can also be read ''shachi'' for "orca". ==Gallery of Images== Image:Chishou.JPG|A ''chishou'' gargoyle Image:Nagoya Castle Golden Shachi-Hoko Statue01.jpg|A golden shachihoko on the roof of Nagoya Castle Image:KongmiaochishouTainanTaiwan.jpg|''chishou'' at Taiwan Confucian Temple. Image:Temple of Chukou 04- Dragons.jpg|Chiwen on the roof of Longyin Temple, Chukou, Taiwan 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「chiwen」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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