#erlangshen

His tale is often thought to have began as a mortal named Yang Jian, child of Princess Yunhua and a mortal named Yang Tianyou, which was considered forbidden. As a result she was imprisoned under Mount Tao, however her quickly growing son, raised by the Queen Mother of the West, rescued her by splitting the mountain in half with an ax. In another possible origin he is Li Erlang, son of an engineer, who subdues a river dragon and prevents the Min River from flooding. In all of his incarnations he is hailed as a hero, sometimes even elevated to the status of one of the most powerful warriors in the Jade Emperor's army. He possesses a powerful three-pronged spear to slay his enemies, is accompanied by his hunting dog Xiàotiān Quǎn, and has several supernatural powers including the Jiǔzhuǎn Xuángōng or Nine Turns Divine Skill which renders him invincible, and has the power to shapeshift in equivalence with his rival Sun Wukong. He appears in the Fengshen Yanyi, the tale of the Bao Lian Deng (Lotus Lantern), and most famously in the Journey to the West which has been adapted countless times in media. He is one of the premier warriors and heroes of Chinese mythology.

Pantheon: Chinese, Taoism

Domain or Function: Divine warrior of the heavenly armies, mortal hero who aids in flood prevention.

Alternate Names: Most alternately known as Yang Jian (楊戩) or Li Erlang (李二郎), but also known as Chuānzhǔ (川主), Guànkǒu Èrláng (灌口二郎), Xiǎnshèng Èrláng Zhēnjūn (二郎真君), and more.

Character Traits: Seen as one of the most mighty, righteous, and divine warrior heroes.

Visual Traits: Usually clothed in regal armor and robes. In Journey to the West he is described as having long earlobes, dressed in goose-yellow robes and gold, and bejeweled. His most common visual trait is the third eye on his forehead.

Symbolism: His three-pronged spear (Sānjiān Liǎngrèn Qiāng), his third eye, and his hunting dog (Xiàotiān Quǎn).