李鐵拐
Li Tie Guai

鐵拐李本是傳說人物，史傳並無其人。有一種說法，鐵拐李（或李鐵拐）被認為是傳說中的八仙之首。有關他的姓名和年代，眾說紛紜，沒有一致的說法。鐵拐李的仙號，其實就是他的綽號，源於其尊容；黑臉蓬頭，金箍束亂髮，捲鬚巨眼，跛右一足，鐵拐拄跛足。傳說他的這副容貌，並非其本容，他的改頭換面是得道的結果。

《列仙全傳》等說他本來長得十分魁梧，是一位相貌堂堂的偉丈夫，他在碣山洞中修行時，欲拜老子和宛丘仙人為師，前去修行，臨行時對徒弟道：「我欲從遊華山，倘遊魂七日不返，你就把我屍殼焚化。」據說他的魂藏於肝，魄藏於肺，元神出遊時魂一起去，只把魄留下守着屍殼。此即所謂「元神出殼」。

 於是李先生的元神赴華山從老子遊，徒弟日夜看守師父的軀殼。不料到了第六日，弟子家裡來人報信，老娘病危，徒弟坐臥不安，又堅守到第二天中午，見師父元魂還未歸，無奈燒了師父屍殼，回家盡孝道去了。不久李先生的元神趕回洞府，失其屍殼，真是喪魂落魄，也似孤鬼遊魂。他忽然發現林中有一餓殍，靈機一動，心想：「即此可矣！」馬上從其囟門而入，站起以後，才覺得不大對勁兒，他忙從葫蘆裡倒出老子所贈仙丹，葫蘆忽然起道金光，光中映出一人：「黑臉蓬頭，捲鬚巨眼，跛右一足，形極醜惡。」正在驚訝，身後忽然有人鼓掌道：「青脊茅檐，毀窗折柱，此室陋甚，何堪寄寓！」回頭一看，正是師父老子。

李先生一看改頭換面得來的尊容實在不像樣子，有些不高興，忙要把元魂跳出，老子急止曰：「道行不在於外貌，你這副模樣蠻好。我有金箍束亂髮，鐵拐拄汝跛足，只須功夫充滿，便是異相真仙！」於是依言結束，以手捫兩眼如環，遂自號「李孔目」──通俗的說法即「李大眼」（但此號並未流行）。這就是世稱為鐵拐李先生的來歷。

The Iron-Crutch Li
Because of his great skill at magic, Li Tie Guai, was able to free his soul from his body and aid and meet others in the celestial realm. Li Tie Guai, a good looking man used his skill frequently. Once, while his spirit was gone from his body, a disciple decided that Li Tie Guai was dead and burned his body as was traditional. When Li Tie Guai’s soul returned from its travels, he was forced to enter the body of a beggar.
He is represented as a lame beggar carrying a double gourd. The gourd, symbolising longevity and the ability to ward off evil, has a cloud emanating from it. The cloud represents the soul, depicted as a formless shape.
The gourd represents also helping the needy and relieve the distressed.
Sometimes Li Tie Guai is pictured riding the qilin.
Li Tie Guai is the emblem of the sick.