夔
one-legged mountain demon of Chinese mythology; Chinese mythical figure who invented music and dancing; Chinese rain god; surname Kui
Closest English meanings
mythical beast·one-legged monster·Kui
The Calligrapher — Jiāng Kuí 姜夔
Song calligrapher and theorist famed for his script treatise.
Song calligrapher (), master of regular script/running script — known for 《续书谱》. Song dynasty
Cultural Story
夔 is a one-legged mountain beast in the 山海经 (Classic of Mountains and Seas); the 尚书 says 夔 made music for the sage king 舜 (Shun) with a drum. As a place it names 夔州 (Kuizhou), where 杜甫 wrote his exile poems, and 夔门 (Kuimen), the gate of the 三峡 (Three Gorges). 夔龙 is an ancient bronze dragon motif. The character is myth and gorge at once.
Common words & phrases
- 夔州 Kuizhou · place name
- 夔门 Kuimen · gorge gate
- 夔龙 Kui-dragon · ancient pattern
Read the story behind the character
Tour boats pass 夔门 (Kuimen) at the entrance to the Three Gorges; 夔州 (Kuizhou) is a stop on heritage river routes. 夔龙 (Kui-dragon) patterns decorate museum bronzes from the ritual age; the myth of the one-legged 夔 appears in children's picture books. The word ties a river gate to a beast that once drummed for an emperor.
Own this character
Purchase delivers the original SVG of this glyph, brushed by Jiāng Kuí 姜夔, ready to place on skin, paper, or screen.