Basic Information
Alternative names: Ai-hwa
Alternative spellings: Ya Zi, Yazhai
Type/Species: Long
Origin: Taoist Mythology, Chinese Mythology
About Yazi
Yazi was the seventh of the nine sons of the dragon. People complained openly about him, as he bellowed all day, and he scared them. When his father received news of these complaints, [5] he recognized that Yazi was a warrior [4] and would be excellent at military work, [5] especially as this dragon enjoyed killing. [2]
The image of Yazi is now engraved on weapons that strike fear in the country's enemies, [6] including sword blazes, [1] sword grips, [3] hilts, and halberds of axes. [2] The Yazi's image has been found on ancient Japanese samurai swords. [2] Additional Chinese examples can be found on jade scabbards, chapes, slides, and sword guards. [2]
Physical Description
Yazi, as a decorative motif, was often depicted with just a head with a wide-open jaw engulfing the weapon from the hilt. [2] When the dragon's full body was present, he had four legs, a long tail, long horns, and usually had a bowed head. [2]
Quick Facts
- Yazi was a warrior. [4]
- He spent all day roaring, and people feared him for it. [5]
- Yazi's image is used to adorn weapons [2] that strike fear in the country's enemies. [6]
- He had four legs, a long tail, and long horns. [2]
Related Articles
- The Dragon Kings
- The Nine Dragon Scroll
- Beixi
- Baxia
- Haoxian
- Bian
- Bixi
- Chaofeng
- Chiwen
- Jiaotu
- Pulao
- Qiuniu
- Suanmi
- Taotie
- Zhayu
Footnotes
For more information on footnotes and references, please see the bibliography.
