Kwai Chang Caine -
On the western adventure KUNG
FU/ABC/1972-75 David Carradine played Kwai Chang
Caine, an orphaned boy (of a Chinese mother and
Caucasian father) who was adopted into the
Shaolin temple in the Hunan Province of China.
When Caine graduated from the monastery, he,
like the other monks, had to brand his forearms
to show he was a Shaolin Master.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Kwai Chang
Caine puts his arms against hot cauldron |
The branding procedure was
simple but quite painful. Each monk positioned
their forearms alongside a ceremonial urn filled
with red hot coals. As they gripped and lifted
the urn, the images of a Tiger and Dragon
protruding from the urn permanently burned into
their skin.
Scriptwriter
Herman Miller penned this description of the
brands "for seared into his flesh are the signs
that must inevitably identify him before the
world; on his left forearm, the sign of the
Tiger; on his right, the sign of the Dragon. The
Marks of Caine."
External Links
Back to Top
