Kirin may refer to:

• The recurring summon.
• An boss from Final Fantasy IV: The After Years.
• An enemy from Final Fantasy XI.
• The boss from Crystal Defenders.

EtymologyEdit

Kirin is the Japanese and Korean name for the Qilin, a giraffe-like creature from Chinese mythology. It is generally considered to be a good omen and a punisher of the wicked. Some stories rate the Qilin as a sacred pet of the deities, below only the Dragon and the Phoenix in rank. According to legend, a giraffe was once given to the Emperor of Japan, leading him to believe he actually received a Kirin instead.

In Chinese folklore, the Qilin has the body of a deer, head of a deer/dragon (Chinese mythology shows it more as a dragon's head, Japanese mythology shows it more as a deer's head), an ox's tail, a horse's hooves, a body covered in a fish's scales, and a single horn on its forehead. Legend states the Qilin only appears at the birth or death of a great wise person. The Qilin lives in paradise for the rest of the time. It can live to be 1,000 or more years old and is considered the embodiment of everything that is good and pure. In Japan, the Kirin was an animal-god who punished evildoers and the wicked with its horn and protected the just and good, granting them good luck. To see a Kirin was considered the most auspicious of omens, the best luck possible.

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