Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
Four Symbols (Chinese constellation)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Four Symbols (Chinese: 四象; pinyin: Sì Xiàng) are four mythological creatures in the Chinese constellations. They are:
- Azure Dragon of the East (青龍)
- Vermilion Bird of the South (朱雀)
- White Tiger of the West (白虎)
- Black Tortoise of the North (玄武)
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 myths and fiction, as well as modern Japanese comic books and animation.
These Four Symbols were given human names after Daoism became popular. Azure Dragon has the name Mang Zhang 孟章; Vermilion Bird is Ling Guang 陵光; White Tiger is Jian Bing 監兵; Black Tortoise is Zhi Ming 執明.
Contents |
Each of these mythological creatures has also been synthesized into the 5 element system:
- Azure Dragon of the East (青龍): Wood
- Vermilion Bird of the South (朱雀): Fire
- White Tiger of the West (白虎): Metal
- Black Tortoise of the North (玄武): 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. [1]
- ^ "A Brief History of Chinese and Japanese Civilizations: Third Edition.", Schirokauer, Brown, Lurie, Gay. (2006) ISBN 0-534-64307-8
| Chinese constellations |
|---|
| Three enclosures (三垣): |
| Purple Forbidden enclosure (紫微垣) | Supreme Palace enclosure (太微垣) | Heavenly Market enclosure (天市垣) |
| Four Symbols (四象) and Twenty-eight mansions (二十八宿): |
| East: Azure Dragon (青龍): Horn (角) | Neck (亢) | Root (氐) | Room (房) | Heart (心) | Tail (尾) | Winnowing Basket (箕) |
| South: Vermilion Bird (朱雀): Well (井) | Ghost (鬼) | Willow (柳) | Star (星) | Extended Net (張) | Wings (翼) | Chariot (軫) |
| West: White Tiger (白虎): Legs (奎) | Bond (婁) | Stomach (胃) | Hairy Head (昴) | Net (畢) | Turtle Beak (觜) | Three Stars (參) |
| North: Black Tortoise (玄武): Dipper (斗) | Ox (牛) | Girl (女) | Emptiness (虛) | Rooftop (危) | Encampment (室) | Wall (壁) |
 |
This article related to Chinese mythology is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
