The number 3 has various meanings within Chinese numerology:

1. Relating to three stages of life: birth, adulthood, old age
2. Symbolizing the three pillars of reality: the Heavens, Earth, and Humans
3. The character for 3 sounds similar, when spoken, to the character for birth
4. Representing the past, present, and future
5. Odd numbers typically represent the spiritual, as opposed to even numbers, representing the terrestrial

While there is no consensus amongst scholars as to the origin of this myth, eastern numerology helps us to glean its meaning. The three-legged crow is often a messenger, as Yatagarasu was to Amaterasu, the sun goddess of Japanese mythology. With 3 representing multiple stages of life and being, it is able to commune with both the divine and the mortal. In Chinese legends, the three legged crow Jīnwū often travels from the heavens to the earth, again reinforcing this theme of transcendence between worlds.

This article expands on the sun motif, as well as offers possible explanations of how the three-legged crow's motif and legends were influenced by various cultures.