I had completely forgotten about the chinese lions. This despite the fact that for a few years we tried to get lion up and running to make the traditional New Years challenge for prosperity. Unfortunately it all fell through because we couldn't get the drummers (who are the vitally important thing when actually making a challenge against another lion, since they control the dance). We had the acrobats/gymnasts, choreographer, and lion's head (a very well made homemade one).
Then again my natural inclination is Japanese mythology where they are referred to as Lion Dogs, or Temple Dogs, rather than actual Lions.
Or maybe it is because all 44 of the stone lions are dead.*
* One of my favourite tongue twisters to show that I am not drunk was "44 dead stone lions." Of course I used English, rather than Mandarin, but I could say it.
** si4 shi2 shi4 si4 shi2 (phonetically something like: sih shr shrh sih shr). Of course that is the simple one, the full tongue twister goes "4 is 4, 10 is 10, 14 is 14, 40 is 40, 44 illiterate stone lions are dead" which is "sì shí sì, shí shì shí, shísì shí shísì, sìshí shí sìshí, sìshísì zhi bùshízǐ zhi shíshīzǐ shì sǐ de."
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2011-01-22 06:26 pm (UTC)Thumps head.
I had completely forgotten about the chinese lions. This despite the fact that for a few years we tried to get lion up and running to make the traditional New Years challenge for prosperity. Unfortunately it all fell through because we couldn't get the drummers (who are the vitally important thing when actually making a challenge against another lion, since they control the dance). We had the acrobats/gymnasts, choreographer, and lion's head (a very well made homemade one).
Then again my natural inclination is Japanese mythology where they are referred to as Lion Dogs, or Temple Dogs, rather than actual Lions.
Or maybe it is because all 44 of the stone lions are dead.*
* One of my favourite tongue twisters to show that I am not drunk was "44 dead stone lions." Of course I used English, rather than Mandarin, but I could say it.
** si4 shi2 shi4 si4 shi2 (phonetically something like: sih shr shrh sih shr). Of course that is the simple one, the full tongue twister goes "4 is 4, 10 is 10, 14 is 14, 40 is 40, 44 illiterate stone lions are dead" which is "sì shí sì, shí shì shí, shísì shí shísì, sìshí shí sìshí, sìshísì zhi bùshízǐ zhi shíshīzǐ shì sǐ de."