Tiangou

Zhangxian shooting at a tiangou

The tiāngoǔ (Wade-Giles:T'ien kou; 天狗; "celestial dog") is a legendary creature from China. The tiāngoǔ resembles a black dog or meteor, which is thought to eat the sun during an eclipse. Tales explain that you must beat dogs and drive them away in order to ward off the tiāngoǔ. The dog god would then spit out the moon and flee back into the heavens.

Battle with Zhangxian

Zhang Xian is the enemy of the tiāngoǔ. It is said that he protects his children from the god with his bow and arrows. He is often depicted aiming at the sky, waiting for the beast to appear. He is the god of birth and the protector of male children. Many sought for him to give them male offspring and to protect their living children.

Deviations of the Tiāngoǔ

The tengu of japanese folklore was derived from the tiāngoǔ. The tengu is usually depicted as a bird, or man with a long nose and other bird-like characteristics, while the tiāngoǔ is a dog.

References

de Visser, M. W. (1908). "The Tengu". Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan 34 (2): pp. 25-99. Z. P. Maruya & Co.