Say a few ancient beasts of China.
White tiger (báihǔ incarnation)
In the ancient mythology of China, the white tiger was the patron saint, the god of war and the god of war in the west. Tigers have many magical powers, such as avoiding evil, avoiding disasters, praying for blessings, punishing evil and promoting good, getting rich, getting married and so on. In the traditional culture of China, it is one of the four images of the seven western stars of Taoism, which consists of seven western stars out of 28: Kui, Lou, Wei, Chang, Bi, Dog and Shen. According to the theory of five elements, it is a spirit beast representing the west. Because the west is golden and white, it is called white tiger. The representative season is autumn. According to the traditional concept in ancient China, autumn is the season of killing people, and the execution of prisoners is mostly arranged in autumn, which is often called "after autumn". Therefore, the White Tiger is regarded as the god of war, and many heroic generals are said to be the embodiment of the White Tiger Star, such as Luo Cheng and Xue's son in the Tang Dynasty. Many military-related places and things are named after the white tiger, such as the tiger symbol symbolizing the command of the army, the white tiger flag symbolizing power, and the White Tiger Festival Hall, a military place that Lin Chong mistakenly entered in the Water Margin.
(Xu × Northwest incarnation)
Xuanwu is a spiritual thing composed of turtles and snakes. Xuanwu originally meant Xuanming, and the ancient sounds of Wu and Ming are interlinked. Xuan means black; Ghost means yin. At first, Xuan Ming described the tortoise divination as follows: the tortoise's back is black, and the tortoise divination is to let the tortoise go to the underworld to ask his ancestors, bring back the answers and show them to the world in the form of divination. Therefore, the earliest Xuanwu is the tortoise. Since then, the meaning of Xuanming has been expanding. Turtles live in rivers, lakes and seas (including turtles), so Xuan Ming became a water god; The tortoise lives long, and Xuan Ming has become a symbol of immortality; The first underworld was in the north, and Oracle Bone Inscriptions's divination in the Shang Dynasty meant "divination must go north", so Xuan Ming became a northern god again.
rosefinch
rosefinch
Suzaku is also a mysterious bird. Suzaku is one of the four spirits, and it is the general name of the seven nights in the south. Well, ghosts, willows, stars, Zhang, wings and birds are connected into a bird shape, which is also called a mysterious bird. Zhu is red, like fire, and the south belongs to fire, hence the name Suzaku. In modern times, influenced by the myth of the rebirth of the western fairy bird Phoenix and Japanese popular culture, Chinese people sometimes regard the fairy bird as suzaku in translation and cognition. In fact, there is no saying in the ancient myths and legends of China that Suzaku will be reborn from the fire. The phoenix nirvana is just a poem created by Mr. Guo Moruo based on the legend of western fairy birds. Similarly, Suzaku is not a phoenix.
Xuanniao's statement is recorded in the Book of Songs. Ode to Shang Dynasty. Xuanniao:' Xuanniao's life, born in Shang Dynasty, is full of gloomy soil. The ancient emperor ordered martial arts soup, and appropriate sites were everywhere. "That is, the descendants of the Shang Dynasty said that their ancestor, the contractor, was born of the mysterious bird and established a powerful Shang Dynasty, so the mysterious bird became the beginning of the merchants." Historical records. Yin Benji also recorded this history: "Yin Qi's mother's name is Judy, and she has a velvety daughter. She is the second princess in Di Ku ...' When the three of them took a shower, they saw the mysterious bird and its egg, and Judy took it and swallowed it, and gave birth to a contract because she was pregnant.' In addition to Shang Dynasty, the origin of Qin, Manchu and Silla in Warring States was also related to the fairy swallowing the eggs of the mysterious birds. Whether it is a mysterious bird or a phoenix, with the development of Taoism, it has evolved from a bird, peacock or pheasant ... to a fairy who is half human and half bird, and to pass on the art of war to a fairy who is completely human.
In Beijing, there were three temples dedicated to Xuan Nv, namely Jiutian Niangniang Temple and Xuan Nv Temple. There are also Xuan Nv temples in the north and south.
Qinglong (Kowloon and Kowloon)
In China, the status and achievements of dragons are much higher than those of Indians. Because in China, the dragon is sacred, supreme and a symbol of the emperor. It is also the representative of the east, and the five elements belong to wood. Because cyan belongs to wood, there is the saying of Zuo Qinglong and you Bai Hu.
Among these 28 stars, seven stars in the east-Jiao, Kang, Bian, Fang, Xin, Wei and Ji-are used as stars. The ancients imagined them as Jackie Chan. Because it is located in the east, the five elements are colored according to yin and yang, and the east is blue, hence the name "Qinglong". There is also a saying that dragons are promiscuous, having sex with cows gives birth to unicorns, and having sex with pigs gives birth to elephants. Another dragon gave birth to nine sons, unlike the dragon. The eldest son is called prison cow: he loves music all his life, so he often stands on the piano head. Such as Hu Qin of Han nationality and Qin Sang of Bai nationality. Ma Touqin in Mongolia may also be a variant of prison cattle. The second son's name is Chipi: He loves to kill people all his life, so he is often put on weapons to intimidate the enemy. At the same time, it is used in ceremonial ceremonies to appear more solemn. The third son's name is Mo Chifeng: it is an animal-shaped dragon, which looks a bit like a dog. It is good at viewing, so it is often placed in the corner of the temple. It is said that it can deter demons and eliminate disasters. The first Si Er is not old: people like to growl, so they put it on the clock, mostly the image of not old. It is said that it lives by the sea, but it is very afraid of whales. Once a whale attacks, it screams in fear. Therefore, people make the wooden pestle into the shape of a whale, which makes the bronze bell particularly loud. The fifth son is a sister-in-law: shaped like a lion. It's imported, and it was introduced to China with Buddhism, so it's a bit like Buddha. It is so quiet and likes fireworks. Therefore, it is often placed on the Buddha's seat or incense burner to protect Buddhism. Liuzi is a bully: also called tortoise, he looks like a tortoise. Legend has it that in ancient times, it often carried three mountains and five mountains to make waves. After being appeased by Yu Xia, he made many contributions to Yu Xia. After the success of water control, Yu Xia attributed the credit to himself. So China's stone tablets are mostly carried by it. The seventh son is an armadillo: also known as the Charter, it looks like a tiger. According to legend, it upholds justice and can distinguish right from wrong, so it is placed on the top of the sign of silence and avoidance when officials patrol, so as to maintain the awe-inspiring atmosphere of the court. The eighth son is a burden: because he loves literature, he put it in two stone tablets. Jiuzi is a kiss: also known as tail, fish-shaped dragon. According to legend, it was introduced from India with Buddhism around the Northern and Southern Dynasties. It is something under the rain god in Buddhist scriptures, which can put out fires. So the kiss was changed, so it was placed at both ends of the roof to eliminate disasters and put out fires.
Longsheng Jiuzi:
Prison cow
The leader of a gang
Qi ú niú, the eldest brother in Kowloon Middle School, loved music all his life and was the most docile of all dragons. He is neither murderous nor cruel, and specializes in temperament. Legend has it that the prisoner's ear of the bibcock snake has a wonderful sound, which can distinguish the sounds of everything. It often squats on the piano head to enjoy the music played by plucking the strings, so its statue is carved on the piano head. This kind of decoration has been used up to now, and some precious huqin heads are also engraved with the image of the dragon head, which is called "the dragon head huqin". This musical dragon son not only appeared on the Hu Qin of the Han nationality, but also on the Qin Yue of the Yi nationality, the three-stringed Qin of the Bai nationality and some Qin of the Tibetan and Mongolian nationalities.
An angry stare
penis
The second son, Yazi, is said to have been born a leading jackal. He has a strong and aggressive personality all his life, and is the god of war in Zi Long. Yazi's fierce eyes staring up when she was angry were also used by the ancients to describe "glaring". Sima Qian's evaluation of "Fan Ju's revenge" in Historical Records is that "the virtue of a meal will be repaid, and the hatred of Yazi will be repaid", so "Yazi's revenge will be repaid" was born. It's easy to kill, so the ancients often carved it at the throat of the joint between the blade and the handle, adding awesome power. It is not only decorated on the weapons of famous soldiers in the battlefield, but also widely used in ceremonial weapons and court guards, making it more dignified and solemn. Because the emperor believed that Yazi could suppress all evil.
Laugh at the wind
Old three
The third child, cháo fng, is doing well and has good hopes. There is a statue of him at the corner of the temple. Standing in a single line at the front end of the vertical ridge, the leader is a "fairy", followed by: dragon, phoenix, lion, Tianma, hippocampus, lynx, lynx, bullfighting and what to do. Laughing wind is the second place. They are placed in a strict hierarchy, and only the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City in Beijing can have all kinds of things. This 10 supernatural creature means "perfection", and the number of deputy halls should be reduced accordingly. Mocking the wind not only symbolizes auspiciousness, beauty and majesty, but also means to deter demons and eliminate disasters. The placement of Mockingwind makes the shape of the whole palace rigorous and changeable, achieving the harmony of solemnity and vividness, and the unity of grandeur and exquisiteness, adding a mysterious atmosphere to the towering palace.
Legend has it that mocking the wind is Pangu's heart. Its shape is often used as a decoration in the corner of a temple. Four quotes from Li Jielong () and Qian Shu: "The dragon gave birth to nine children, ... it was a close call to ridicule, right on the corner of the temple."
Pulau
Laosi
Panlong Pú láo, ranked fourth, has a good voice and a good roar all his life. The dragon button on the Hong Zhong is its statue. According to its "good singing" characteristics, people cast cloth wheels into bell buttons, making them "sound into the sky" and "sound alone" Today, almost every ancient clock in the country has Bran's figure.
A kind of intense
five
Sister-in-law (suān ní), also known as Jin Heling, looks like a lion, ranking fifth. Although he looks fierce, he likes to be quiet, sit well and like fireworks all his life, so the foot ornaments on the Buddha's seat and incense burner are his statues. According to legend, this kind of robe decorated on the Buddha's seat was introduced to China by Indians in the Han Dynasty. By the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it had been widely used in Buddhist art in China. This shape was created by China folk artists, making it have the traditional style of China. Later he became the fifth son of the dragon. Most of the places where it is arranged are in front of Buddha and Bodhisattva sitting cross-legged or cross-legged. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the dragon-shaped decoration in the middle of the collar of the stone lion or bronze lion is also an image of the lion entering the tiger's mouth, which makes the traditional China gate lion more powerful. Sister-in-law is also the mount of Manjusri Bodhisattva. Today, in Wutai Mountain, the Dojo of Manjusri Bodhisattva, there is still a temple dedicated by the ancients, which is also called "Wu Ye Temple" because it ranks fifth.
Baxia
Pacha, also known as bx, looks like a turtle.
Liu
He is an old six. He has a good burden and great strength all his life. The tortoise under the pedestal is his statue. The first legend is that in ancient times, Ba Xia often carried three mountains and five mountains on his back and made waves in rivers, lakes and seas. Later, Dayu subdued it when he was controlling the water. It obeyed Dayu's command, pushed mountains and dug ditches, dredged rivers and made contributions to water control. After the flood was defeated, Dayu erected a monument to commemorate the feat of water control. The image of water control is shaped below, which shows that water control is the foundation of water control. Without water control, there would be no feat of water control. The dam is very similar to the tortoise, but there is still a difference when you look closely. Bazaar has a row of teeth, but the tortoise doesn't. The number and shape of nail plates under the dam and on the tortoise shell are also different. Bullies, also known as stone turtles, are symbols of longevity and good luck. The pedestals of some famous stone tablets in China are carried by Ba Xia, which can be seen in the forest of steles and some historical sites.
According to the second legend, the dragons came to earth to help Zhu Yuanzhang lay Daming Mountain, but when they wanted to return to heaven, Zhu Yuanzhang's fourth son Judy, later Ming Chengzu, didn't want them to go, so he said to Ba Xia, "If you can carry the merit tablet of Emperor Mao, I will let you go back." I didn't know if I had a plan, so I agreed. I didn't know I couldn't play anymore until I lifted it-I was crushed under the merit monument because of my boundless merits. The bully left the body and returned to heaven, but Judy only got nine statues. Judy regrets that this backfired. In order to warn future generations and avoid using those self-deception practices, it is counterproductive, and it is too late to regret.
The legendary beast resembling a tiger, whose image was once painted on the prison door.
Laoqi
An armadillo (bàn), also called Charter, looks like a tiger and is the old seven. It has been litigating all its life, but it is very powerful. The tiger head decoration on the upper part of the prison door is its statue. Legend has it that armadillos not only yearn for public interests and justice, but also dare to speak out, distinguish right from wrong and judge impartially. In addition, its image is majestic, so it is not only decorated on the prison door, but also crouched on both sides of the lobby of the official residence, which is very shocking to the criminals. Whenever the yamen chief is in court, there is an image on the title card and the silence card of the chief. It looks around and looks around, maintaining the solemnity and righteousness of the court. In ancient times, the head of an armadillo was engraved on the gate of the prison, so the prison was also commonly known as "Tiger Head Prison".
burden
Old eight, the streamer of sunflower
(fu xing) He is the eighth oldest and has a good life, with a body like a dragon and a head like a lion. He is another elegant man in the dragon-he loves calligraphy. The stone tablets on both sides of Longwen are its statues. China's inscriptions have a long history and rich contents. Some shapes are simple, smooth and bright, and light can be used as a guide. Some are exquisitely carved, with elegant words and vivid pens; There are also some famous poems and stone carvings, which are well-known throughout the ages. But she loves this inscription with artistic brilliance, and she is willing to turn it into a dragon pattern to set off these literary treasures handed down from generation to generation and decorate the pedestal more elegantly and beautifully. They are intertwined with each other and seem to be creeping slowly, which is more spectacular in coordination with the base.
kiss
Number nine in a group/gang
Chρwěn, also known as Wei Wei, is said to be a leading fish. Its form first appeared in the "Bailiang Hall" built by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. At that time, a minister suggested that there was a fish in the sea, and its tail looked like an owl. It can spray waves and rain, so it may be better to shape its image on the temple, which can prevent fire. Emperor Wu agreed. After the completion of the hall, ministers scrambled to ask what was on the ridge of the hall. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty didn't know how to answer it, so he named it "the owl's tail" and gradually evolved into a homophonic "kiss". It is also said that it was introduced from India with Buddhism in the Northern and Southern Dynasties. It is something under the rain god in Buddhist scriptures, which can put out fires. So the kiss was changed, so it was placed at both ends of the roof to eliminate disasters and put out fires. Kissing mouth is wide and noisy, which is easy to swallow in life. The bibcock at both ends of the temple ridge is its statue. "Taiping Yu Lan" has the following description: "After the disaster of the Liang Temple in the Han Dynasty, the witch said,' There are fish in the sea, and the tail is like a owl, and the waves are like rain', so it is like a tail and Tired Ofthe Fire is auspicious." The "witch" mentioned in the article is the alchemist and the "fishbone" is the predecessor of kissing. Kissing is water-based and an evil thing to avoid fire.