What does Qinglong White Tiger Suzaku Xuanwu mean and where does it come from?
Green Dragon, White Tiger, Suzaku, and Xuanwu are also called the Four Symbols. They are the gods of the four directions in Chinese mythology. They represent the four directions of east, west, south, and north respectively. They originate from ancient Chinese star beliefs. During the Han Dynasty He was absorbed into Taoism and became the Four Spirit God King. Another important manifestation of the Four Gods in ancient China was in the military. During the Warring States Period, the marching formations included "suzaku in front and Xuanwu in the back, green dragon on the left and white tiger on the right."
The green dragon is wood, the white tiger is gold, the red bird is fire, the black dragon is water, and the yellow dragon in the center is earth. Ancient Chinese astronomers divided the stars in the sky into seven star regions: "Three Yuan" and "Four Symbols". There are "four elephants" distributed around the "Three Walls": "East Canglong, West White Tiger, South Suzaku, and North Xuanwu".
Extended information
Blue dragon, white tiger, red bird, and Xuanwu respectively represent the twenty-eight stars in the four directions. For example, the dragon is the seven stars in the east - Jiao, Kang, Di, Fang, Heart, tail, and Ji, and the shape of these seven constellations is very similar to the shape of a dragon. It can be seen from the meaning of their words: Jiao is the horn of the dragon, Kang is the neck, Di is the root, which is the root of the neck, and Fang is the shoulder. It is the flank, the heart is the heart, the tail is the tail, and the Ji is the tip of the tail.
Qinglong originates from ancient star worship. Since the pre-Qin era, the green dragon has been a mythical beast representing Taihao and the seven stars in the east. When the Five Elements theory began to rise in the Han Dynasty, its symbolic meanings also included armor and spring.
Among the Four Sacred Beasts of China, another one that is often compared to the dragon is the tiger; the tiger is the leader of all beasts. Its might and legendary ability to subjugate ghosts make it a It has become a divine beast belonging to the yang zodiac, and often goes out with the dragon. "The clouds follow the dragon, the wind follows the tiger" and become the best partners for subduing ghosts.
Suzaku does not belong to the Phoenix but is one of the Four Spirits and Four Symbols. Like the other three, it comes from the stars and is the general name of the seven stars in the south: Well, Ghost, Willow, Star, Zhang, and Wing. , Zhen. When I think of it, it's Suzaku. Zhu is red, like fire, and the south belongs to fire.
Xuanwu is a spiritual creature composed of a turtle and a snake. The original meaning of Xuanwu is Xuanming, and the ancient sounds of Wu and Ming are connected. Xuan means black; Ming means yin. Xuanming originally described turtle divination: the back of the turtle is black, and turtle divination is to ask the turtle to go to the underworld to ask the ancestors, bring the answer back, and show it to the world in the form of divination.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Qinglong White Tiger Suzaku Xuanwu