Top 9 Offspring of the Dragon in the legend Dragon begets nine children

Be Hi, also known as Ba Ha, Bat Phuc, Thach Long Quy, is the eldest son of the Dragon, a mythical creature with the body of a turtle and the head of a dragon, resulting from the union between the Dragon and the Turtle Deity. Be Hi possesses extraordinary strength and can withstand heavy loads, hence often carved and decorated as a pedestal for stone benches, columns, and steles.

Legend has it that Be Hi once carried the 'Three Mountains and Five Melodies' (here 'Three Mountains' refer to Bong Lai, Phuong Truong, Doanh Chau; 'Five Melodies' refer to Thai Son, Hoa Son, Hanh Son, Hang Son, Tung Son) on its back. Being fond of heavy labor, Be Hi carried the mountains around, causing earthquakes and creating huge waves and floods. The first king of the Ha dynasty, Ha Vu, subdued Be Hi and used it to control floods. Afterward, he had a large and heavy stele made to record Be Hi's contributions and placed it on its back, preventing Be Hi from freely roaming around and causing floods.

In Vietnam, the image of Be Hi carrying a heavy burden is often built under the columns of houses. Additionally, the image of a turtle carrying a stele in the Temple of Literature is also believed to be derived from Be Hi. However, unlike Be Hi, the turtle in the Temple of Literature does not symbolize 'striving for labor' but rather carries intellectual literature...

Bo Lao is the third child of the Dragon, born from the union of the Dragon and the Hồng. Bo Lao has a dragon-like shape and enjoys roaring, so it is often cast as a bell handle, with the desire for the bell to resonate loudly. Therefore, Bo Lao is also used to refer to the sound of temple bells.

This creature was also mentioned by a Tang dynasty scholar named Ly Thien (630-689) as follows: 'In the sea, there is a large fish called the kingfish, and on the shore, there is an animal called Bo Lao. Bo Lao is very afraid of the kingfish. When the kingfish attacks Bo Lao, it screams very loudly. Therefore, to make a loud bell, people place Bo Lao on top of the bell and the hammer used to strike the bell is carved with the image of the kingfish.'

In life, Bo Lao is often seen in ancient temples and pagodas. A statue of a Bo Lao (a Bo Lao has two heads facing both sides to form the bell handle) is placed above the bell (usually only the main bell has it) firmly attached to that bell. Striking it with a hammer carved with the image of the kingfish, the designers believe they are threatening Bo Lao, causing it to make the loudest ringing sounds they desire.

Li Vẫn, also known as Si Vẫn, is the second offspring of the Dragon, born from the union of the Dragon and the Carp Deity. Si Vẫn has a dragon head, fish body, long curved tail, and a loud roar; when it stomps its feet, it rains, and when it lashes its tail, floods ensue in the area. Being a marine creature, Li Vẫn enjoys admiring scenery and often assists people in extinguishing fires, hence being adorned on the roofs of ancient palaces, temples, shrines, symbolizing the extinguishing of fires and safeguarding peace for the structures.

The symbol of Li Vẫn has undergone various transformations in different periods. During the Ly - Tran dynasty, Li Vẫn was depicted with mustaches, horns, and a tongue but no body or tail; its mouth did not roar aggressively as in China but always held a fire pearl. That graceful and delicate artistic style partly reflected the talent of the Dai Viet people during that period. In the Le dynasty, Li Vẫn was influenced by the Ming dynasty style. By the Nguyen dynasty, Li Vẫn was 'dragonized' or 'beastified' to become a dragon-headed creature with four legs with sharp claws, sometimes with clouds emanating from its body and tail.

Thao Thiết - the fifth offspring of the Dragon, has large eyes, a wide mouth, and a strange appearance. Thao Thiết is gluttonous, excessively so, hence adorned on eating utensils (plates, cups) as a reminder for diners not to be greedy and become impolite.

Some believe that Thao Thiết has a goat-like body, long eyes under the armpits, tiger-like fangs, and a large mouth. Thao Thiết can live up to 10,000 years. Thao Thiết's gluttony is sometimes depicted as after swallowing everything, including itself, it turns into void, demonstrating excessive greed.

In Chinese mythology, Thao Thiết is classified as one of the Four Great Evil Beasts - the most evil creatures in the world (According to ancient Chinese mythology, there are also 3 other evil beasts yet to appear, namely Chaos, Dao Ngot, and Ky Together).

During the Ming dynasty, Thao Thiết was first listed as one of the nine offspring of the Dragon.

The fourth offspring is Bệ Ngạn, born from the union of the Dragon and the Divine Tiger. Bệ Ngạn is a creature with the head of a Dragon and the body of a Tiger, with long, sharp fangs and imposing authority. Due to its inclination towards justice and reasoning, it is often depicted on the gates of prisons.

Naturally abhorring evil and avenging wrongs, Bệ Ngạn enjoys participating in judgments and trials. Hence, upon encountering wrongdoers, it seeks punishment, while it staunchly supports those who stand for justice. With the penetrating gaze of its sharp tiger eyes, merely looking into the eyes of Bệ Ngạn seems to seal the fate of evildoers.

To harness the strength of Bệ Ngạn, its visage is carved onto the entrance of courthouses and even inside places of judgment, above the gates of prisons... symbolizing that once one enters the path of justice, there is no turning back.

Nhai Xế - the seventh offspring of the Dragon, born from the union of the Dragon and the Nine-Tailed Fox (also known as the maternal spirit wolf). Described in the Thăng Am Ngoại Tập, Nhai Xế resembles a wolf with dragon horns, sporting two horns on its back, fierce eyes, and a belligerent disposition. It is often wrathful, possessing a ferocious temperament prone to fits of rage and bloodlust. Hence, it is commonly engraved on the handles of knives, sword hilts, hammerheads, and spear tips... serving both decorative and symbolic purposes, representing its inherently aggressive and deadly nature, implying an increase in the lethality of weapons.

In Feng Shui, it embodies a fierce nature, highly conducive to gambling. Thus, avid gamblers or those seeking wealth find it appropriate to carry Nhai Xế with them or use it as household decoration. Due to its ferocious nature, it is advisable to place it alongside knives, hence, auspicious objects placed on knives, if not commonly encountered objects like Dragon symbols, are likely representations of Nhai Xế.

Công Phúc also known as Bat Phuc or Bat Ha, is the sixth offspring of the Dragon, born from the union of the Dragon and the carp spirit. Công Phúc has an affinity for water, thus often carved as a decorative element on bridges, waterways, and aquatic vehicles, with the desire for blessings and constant supervision to manage and regulate the water level for the people's benefit. Công Phúc bears the head of a Dragon, with four legs and a tail adorned with Dragon scales, and a wide mouth.

According to legend, it defied the heavens and was imprisoned within a heavy tortoise shell to guard river traffic for a thousand years before being released.

People remember its care for the rivers and streams, hence its image is carved on architectural structures or waterways such as bridge heads, piers, boats, canals, dams,... hoping Công Phúc continues to manage and regulate water, preventing floods. Therefore, besides decorative significance, it also conveys a message of peace.

Tiêu Đồ is the ninth offspring of the Dragon, a creature that lives very discreetly, lazily, preferring to curl up and sleep like a snail shell. It enjoys privacy, resembling a snail and dislikes others intruding into its territory.

Perhaps this image of Tiêu Đồ originates from the idea that a snail, once retracted into its shell, will tightly close the lid and no longer come into contact with the outside world. Therefore, it is often carved on doors or decorated on door handles, implying that the door should be concealed, preventing outsiders and safeguarding the owner's safety.

9. All-Guardian

All-Guardian is the eighth offspring of the Dragon, born of Dragon and Mountain Master Kim. All-Guardian has the head of a dragon, the body of a lion, and enjoys sitting quietly, admiring the scent of incense, often adorned on incense burners, symbolizing the desire for the fragrance of incense to always permeate.

Some opinions suggest that All-Guardian has the body of a dog, the head of a unicorn, and sharp claws. All-Guardian is often placed at the gates of temples, shrines, ancestral halls, village gates, and sometimes even at the gates of affluent households, with the meaning of protecting villagers, homeowners from evildoers, demons, and evil spirits.

According to legend, All-Guardian has been around since ancient times, around 3,000 BCE. This era corresponds to the late period of the Van Lang culture to the early Au Lac period. Legend has it that the Dragon gave birth to females, but the eighth offspring had a special form. It had no horns, lion-like feet, a long tail, and a fierce, terrifying appearance, capable of resisting various kinds of demons. The creature was called Kim Nghê.

From then on, the image of Nghê was cast into statues and placed at the gates of houses, temples, public offices, and shrines to ward off evil spirits. In some contexts, Nghệ symbolizes authority, class, and the status of the family in society. Perhaps that's why in the past, statues of Nghê were often placed in front of palaces, temples, public buildings, and shrines...