you're probably better off dying it black. it would go well with a red faced lion head. Kwan Kung colors.

but why do you need to use real fur? the whiskers and hairs on most lion heads now are made of a synthetic bristley material.

Dr. Doong Chang

by doing the Kei Lun (Unicorn) step in lion dancing don't mean that the lion is a unicorn. it's just a name for a stance and step. if you get into a horse stance, does that mean the lion head is a horse? because you get into a cat stance, does that mean the lion is a cat? i don't think so......

dr. doong chang

> Interesting.. is Kei Lin cantonese for unicorn? I think there are some
> steps in hung gar that are translated as unicorn steps or something like
> that.. but I'd have to drag out my old poster to double check. Does the
> 'kei lin' fit into lion dancing at all, or is it part of mythology elsewhere?

The kei lin is kind of, but not quite like the lion. I've seen pairs of statues of them the same way you might see pairs of lions at doors. There's a picture of one on a stone temple pilots album cover if I remember them correctly. And I believe that the unicorn steps are derived from kung fu.

Andy!

On Thu, 24 Feb 2000 Atown888@aol.com wrote:
> you're probably better off dying it black. it would go well with a red faced
> lion head. Kwan Kung colors.
> but why do you need to use real fur? the whiskers and hairs on most lion
> heads now are made of a synthetic bristley material.

I _am_ dyeing it black. I'm going to the trouble of dyeing it black because I don't have white eyebrows, eyelashes, or beard. If I did, I'd leave the white fur as white. I only have black eyebrows etc, so I need the fur to be black. The synthetics are the bristles, the fur I've only seen as real fur. In any case, I've not sen a good substitute, which I would probably use.

Bye for now,

Hugo

Hi,

Sorry, but most lions now are made with either real rabbit fur or synthetic fluffy fur. The bristley eye lashes are mustache lions are traditional and old school. You harly ever see any of thoes in competition... The only time you probably see thoes lions in use are either during a practice or on the streets.

Jason

Kei lun exists in different areas of China.  The one commonly played outside is the Hakka version.  There are also various styles of playing.  Some are played in an upright stance while others are played in a crouching stance(almost like a "duck-walk").  The head is moved in various circular patterns as well as a "jerky" side to side motion.  The kei lun does not use the same martial arts stance as the southern lion.  It does a lot of side to side steps as well as forward movement using the cat stance.  In the cat stance, one leg is raised on the toe and taps as if to test the ground for stability.  The kei lun is a very cautious animal and never boldly advances like the lion does.  It will usually advance a few steps and then step back in caution.  Unlike the head of the lion, the kei lun head is very narrow and does not go below the shoulders.  The kei lun is sometimes called "dragon-horse", "unicorn", or "rooster lion"(because of its long slender body).

Kei lun were traditionally not played by the kung fu organization.  The symbolism of the kei lun is that of knowledge and longevity.  It was typically played by scholars and musicians.  In some cases, the musical instruments differed - a drum with a small head, large cymbals, large gong, and a Chinese trumpet.

The head is shaped like a rooster with the forehead of the dragon.  Its body is like a deer.  Some times the horn is located near the nose like a rhinosaurus but most have the horn on top like the lion's topknot.

Thats most of the stuff I learned about the Keilun.  There's more info in Dr. Hu's Lion Dance Explained book.

Sherman

It's good to see the group active again, and good to see people clearing up all the tiny misunderstandings from these last few messages.

When I was talking about how kei lun step is used in hung gar, I was just saying that it is an imaginative step, like how other imaginary steps are created. Drunken step and plum flower step were just examples of creativity, I didn't say that they were similar at all.

Recently, I was told that those lion statues seen guarding doors are absolutely not lions. They are some magical beast called a "pei yau". Apparently, the pei yau is good for protection, and really good for luck, (something to do with the fact that it produces nothing negative at all..........even after eating it doesnt shit out the waste material). I've heard that lots of casinos use the pei yau in order to improve their feng shui, and make sure they get everyones money, hehe.

Thanks,

Paul Skrypichayko,
Edmonton, Canada,
http://www.oocities.org/Colosseum/Bleachers/1728/

Hi Everyone,

Sorry to change the subject since the background on the KeiLun is very interesting, but does anyone know of any upcoming lion dancing event withing the U.S. this year? How bout dragon dance related? I'm also still semi-following up on that one performance in Oakland since my friend put her project on the backburner for now...

I believe the creatures usually at two sides of the temple gates are either lions or "fu dogs".  In fact, their eyes are sometimes dotted in a kai kwang ceremony just as the southern lions are.  And therefore, as you approach the lions who have been "awakened", you should bow to them with respect, just as you would bow to another club's lion.

My interpretation of the pei yau is different.  The Pei yau, is sometimes above the main door or even on the main door.  However, the pei yau has a flat circular face like a Kung fu shield or Chinese wok.  It often has the character 'Wang' on its forehead.  It is considered a "closed-mouth" lion because the mouth does not operate like that of the southern lion.  The pei yau is often seen being played by children in Taiwan.  The round shape of the head is edged with long hair all around so as the kids play the head, they twist it clockwise and counterclockwise making the hair fan out just like the mane on the real lion.  Dr. Hu also has more info in his Lion Dance Explained book.

By the way, Dr. Hu's next book, after Lion Dance Explained, which was to be called Lion Dance Performed and was to feature various puzzles and lion dancing protocalls, has not come out yet and may take a while due to an unfortunate fire which damaged some of his manuscript.  My best regards to Dr. Hu and his continued efforts.

Sherman

Most people see the southern kei lun but like the lion, there is a northern version.  The northern version has a shorter body and the players are completely costumed just like the northern lion.  The northern kei lun is also more acrobatic and displays more real animal characteristics.  The body is narrower than a lion and the head player can actually make the kei lun appear to breath by flaring out his elbows as he holds the head, therefore making it look like its chest expanding.

Its really a neat animal to see.  I was fortunate to get a short video from Hong Kong which showed all the different lions and unicorns on stage a few years back.  Don't ask me where the video is now, its around somewhere, I just don't know where.

Sherman

> Its really a neat animal to see. I was fortunate to get a short video from Hong Kong
>which showed all the different lions and unicorns on stage a few years back.
>Don't ask me where the video is now, its around somewhere, I just don't know where.

Do you by any chance know where I or anyone else could get a video like that?

Andy!

Jason,

In case you need it, Kuen Way Martial Arts Supply's contact info. is:

28 E. Pender St.
Vancouver, B.C., V6A 1T1

Phone: (604) 682-3329
Fax: (604) 682-3351

I've never had the opportunity to check them out, so I can't attest to the quality of their equipment.

Whew...it's 4:30 in the morning and I'm supposed to be studying, but what did I spend the last 10 hours doing? Revamping the Lion's Den, of course! The bad news is that I lost the password for the original site, so I had to move it. The new address is: http://www.oocities.org/lionscave1 (I tried to get lionsden, but it was already taken.) I took out dead links and added a few new sections--like where to buy equipment, and a new list of groups broken down by country and region.

Over the next month I'm hoping to update the liondance list archives, and get more groups. That's where you can help! If you let me know your group's name/contact info/website address I'll add you in. Also if you can help with the section on where to buy equipment I'd really appreciate it.

Stop by and let me know what you think of it,

Chris

Hi Chris,

Thanks, I've already asked them to send me a catolog. They have an online price list, but they don't have any pictures on their page. The Url is http://www.freeyellow.com:8080/members/kuenway/ just in case anyone else was wondering.

Jason.

Does anyone know where one could purchase liondance equipment on MA? My group is based in Waltham (Brandeis University) and the head we have now came from New York. That's a little out of the way, so if anyone has any info on somewhere that may be more convenient I would appreciate it. Peace

Andy!

Andy,

Silky Way in Chinatown has them, however they're of really bad quality and the price has been marked up to around $675 (that can be talked down though ;)...and that only includes the lionhead and cape (no pants, shoes, or monk mask!). The style of the lion is also of the bristled, non-rabbit-fur kind, so that may be less desirable for the type of dancing you guys are doing.

You can ask around the martial arts schools to see if they are willing to let go of any of their lionheads. This seems to be the best approach if you want to stay local. I think there's a praying mantis school in Newton (right next to Waltham) that does liondance.

I remember a while back, someone on the list mentioned putting together a group buy for packages from Malaysia? That could still be an option, as well as having them shipped from California. I think that shipping actually doesn't cost THAT much. His name, and my spelling may be incorrect, is John Gallagher...still on the list John?

- Paul
Out of it, but still lurking.