The three-legged (or tripedal) crow is a supernatural creature found in various parts of the world including Asia, Asia Minor, and North Africa.
It is believed by many cultures to inhabit and represent the sun.
This seems to vary depending on cultural folklore...
Some of the more common ones include:
Chinese:
The three-legged crow in Chinese folklore is called Sānzúwū.It dates back to the Zhou dynasty (11th to 3rd century BC), when it appeared as a decoration on formal imperial garments...
The earliest known depiction of a three-legged crow appears in Neolithic pottery of the Yangshao culture... Sanzuwu is referred to as Sun crow, and usually depicted as red rather than black...
It is responsible for the sun’s passage across the sky. There are many legends of this bird, e.g.:
The Chinese sun goddess was the mother to ten child-suns. Every day one of the children would be carried to the top of a mulberry tree on the back of a crow, and then fly into the sky to be the sun for each day.
Each child took turns each day so there was light during the days.
It is said that one day, all ten child-suns ascended to the sky on the same day and scorched Earth to drought.
The emperor, who also happened to be their father, tried to convince the child-suns to ascend one at a time, but after they did not listen, he ordered an archer to shoot them down.
It just happened that one of the child-suns was visiting the underworld that day and hence was not killed.
Folklore says this three-legged crow now lives inside the sun...
Japanese:
In Japan the tripedal crow is called Yatagarasu. This great crow was sent from heaven as a guide for Emperor Jimmu on his initial journey from the region which would become Kumano to what would become Yamato.
It is generally accepted that Yatagarasu is an incarnation of Taketsunimi no mikoto...
The word Yatagarasu has been translated as “eight-span crow” (i.e. giant crow) or and deemed to mean Supreme (or Perfect) Divine Crow (the number ‘eight’ in Japanese numerology having the meanings of ‘many’ or ‘a multitude’, or ‘perfect’ or ‘supreme’) or just “large crow”.
Although there is no description in the ancient historical chronicles stating that the Yatagarasu was specifically three-legged, the crow has been depicted as such at various shrine locations...
Shrine or temple traditions clearly state the crow is three-legged.
Korean:
During the period of the Koguryo Kingdom, the Samjok-o was a highly regarded symbol of power, thought superior to both the dragon and the Korean phoenix...
The three-legged crow was one of several emblems under consideration to replace the phoenix in the Korean seal of state when its revision was considered in 2008...
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