Tiangou 天狗

Tiangou (天狗), the “Heavenly Dog,” is a cosmic entity from Chinese mythology that represents the chaotic power of the stars and is traditionally blamed for the disappearance of the sun and moon during eclipses.

Meaning and Origin

The name means Tian (Heaven) and Gou (Dog). It translates to “The Celestial Dog.”

Its origin is tied to ancient Chinese astronomy and the Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shan Hai Jing). In the Chinese worldview, astronomical events were often explained through the actions of giant, mythological beasts. The Tiangou was the personification of a Solar or Lunar Eclipse. The term “Heavenly Dog” was also used to describe meteorites and shooting stars, which were seen as the dog’s fiery descent to earth. While it shares the same name and kanji as the Japanese Tengu, they are very different; the Chinese Tiangou remained a “dog-beast,” while the Japanese Tengu evolved into a bird-like humanoid.

Characteristics

Tiangou is most often depicted as a massive, black dog with a fiery tail, resembling a comet. In some artistic traditions, it is shown as a white-headed fox with a black body, which was considered an omen of peace.

Its primary characteristic is its Insatiable Hunger. It is a creature of “Devouring.” During an eclipse, it was believed that the Tiangou was literally eating the sun or moon. This was seen as a terrifyingly bad omen for the Emperor. To combat the beast, ancient Chinese citizens would pour into the streets during an eclipse, beating drums, clanging gongs, and lighting firecrackers to create as much noise as possible to “scare” the dog into spitting the sun back out.

Legends

One of the most popular legends involves the archer Hou Yi and his wife Chang’e. After Chang’e stole the elixir of immortality and fled to the moon, Hou Yi’s loyal hunting dog licked up the remaining drops of the potion.

The dog grew to a gargantuan size and flew into the sky, chasing Chang’e. In his fury, he swallowed the moon whole, including his master’s wife. However, the Queen Mother of the West recognized the dog and ordered him to release them. He spat out the moon and was appointed as the “Gatekeeper of Heaven.” Since then, whenever the Tiangou tries to take another bite out of the moon, humans must make a noise to remind him of his duty. This legend explains why the Tiangou is both a Protector of the Gates and a source of cosmic terror.