Four Symbols (Chinese constellation)
The Four Symbols (Chinese: 四象; pinyin: sì xiàng) are four mythological creatures in the Chinese constellations. They are:
- Azure Dragon (simplified Chinese: 青龙; traditional Chinese: 青龍; pinyin: qīnglóng) of the East
- Vermilion Bird (Chinese: 朱雀; pinyin: zhūquè) of the South
- White Tiger (Chinese: 白虎; pinyin: baíhŭ) of the West
- Black Tortoise (Chinese: 玄武; pinyin: xuánwŭ) of the North
Each one of them represents a direction and a season of the year, and each has its own individual characteristics and origins. They have been portrayed in many historical Chinese and Korean myths and fiction, and also appear in many modern Japanese comic books and animation.
These Four Symbols were given human names after Daoism became popular. Azure Dragon has the name Meng Zhang (孟章); Vermilion Bird is Ling Guang (陵光); White Tiger is Jian Bing (監兵); Black Tortoise is Zhi Ming (執明).
The origin of those 4 symbols are from China. In the 1987, a tomb was found at Xishuipo (西水坡) in Puyang, Henan Province. There were some clam shells and bones forming the images of the Azure Dragon, the White Tiger and the Northern Dipper. It is believed that the tomb belongs to the Neolithic Age, about 6,000 years ago.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Correspondence with the Five Elements
Each of these mythological creatures has also been synthesized into the 5 element system:
- Azure Dragon of the East: Wood
- Vermilion Bird of the South: Fire
- White Tiger of the West: Metal
- Black Tortoise of the North: Water
Additionally, there is a fifth legendary beast, Huáng-lóng (黃龍), or the Yellow Dragon of the Center. The cardinal direction associated with this animal is "center," and its element is Earth.[2]
[edit] Correspondence with the Four Seasons
The four legendary beasts (excluding Huáng-lóng; see above) represent a season each. The seasons they represent are as follows:
- Azure Dragon of the East: Spring
- Vermilion Bird of the South: Summer
- White Tiger of the West: Autumn
- Black Tortoise of the North: Winter
[edit] See also
- Four benevolent animals
- Chinese constellations
- Chinese astrology
- Four Saint Beasts (Vietnam)
- Purple Forbidden enclosure
[edit] References
- ^ 孙德萱. "濮阳西水坡蚌壳龙虎图案研究述评" (in Chinese). XinHuaNet. http://www.ha.xinhuanet.com/xhzt/2007-05/25/content_10127699.htm. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
- ^ "A Brief History of Chinese and Japanese Civilizations: Third Edition.", Schirokauer, Brown, Lurie, Gay. (2006) ISBN 0-534-64307-8
[edit] External links
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
.svg){kind=small} |
This East Asia-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 |
This article related to Chinese mythology is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 |
This article relating to Japanese mythology is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
