From: Per Kristiansson SE PACKARDBELL ORG> Date: 11 nov 1999 Subject: SV: Chu pieces Found at http://www2.gol.com/users/ericv/pers/qrnNmne.html. '"Kirin" is also a word in Japanese; it even has several meanings, of = which two are part of everyday life: it is the Japanese word for = "giraffe", and it is a brand of beer and soft drinks. Strange as it may = sound, there is a relationship between those meanings.=20 Chinese mythology knows an animal called the "Kylin", whose appearance = tends to presage the coming of a holy person. The Kylin moreover does = not eat any living creatures and does not even tread on grass; it is in = other words a "good" beast. This mythological creature shows some = similarities with the giraffe (see also further down) and that is = probably the reason that the Japanese have borrowed his name for that = strange and exotic creature that they had probably never seen in the = flesh either. The relation with the beer is that the brewer has simply chosen the = Kylin as its logo; after all it is a "good", luck-giving symbol. The = brewer is called Kirin Beer (one of the big four in Japan) and indeed a = picture of a Kylin graces their cans and bottles. The underlying idea is = probably that if you drink a lot of Kirin beer you will end up seeing = holy people appear -- or pink giraffes?' Also there is a picture of Kylin shaped handles of a vase at: = http://www.inna.net/imc/1298/1298222.html So, since this mythological animal is unknow in Sweden i think we should = either pcik "Giraffe" or some of our own mystical animals, such as = "Skvader". /Per