The symbolic meaning of the phoenix:
1. The phoenix is ??a symbol of "luxury, majesty, progress and peace"
The phoenix is ??an auspicious bird in people's minds. A symbol of peace in the world. The ancients believed that when times were peaceful and prosperous, phoenixes would fly. The oracle bone inscriptions on wind are the same as the oracle bone inscriptions on phoenix, which means the omnipresence and spiritual power of wind; phoenix is ??the character for emperor, which means supreme.
2. Phoenix is ??a symbol of love
Phoenix can bring happiness and auspiciousness to people, which naturally also includes the happiness of love. Therefore, the phoenix has the meaning of symbolizing love. Later, it was used by people to congratulate a happy marriage and metaphorically describe the harmony between husband and wife. In the Tang Dynasty, there was a picture of a beautiful phoenix holding a knot in its mouth on a bronze mirror, which symbolized happy love and showed that the couple loved each other. It can be seen that during the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the concentric knot was more commonly used to symbolize the love between husband and wife. In the Northern Song Dynasty, it was also popular to give phoenix hairpins as gifts to express love, and phoenix hairpins were a kind of jewelry for women. When a man and a woman get engaged, the woman often gives the man a phoenix hairpin as a gift to express her love for him. "In the Ming Dynasty, when men and women got married, the dress worn by the woman was also equipped with a phoenix crown, which was decorated with phoenixes and hung with jewelry. In modern times, people still regard As a symbol of love, the phoenix is ??used to light phoenix and dragon candles, cut and paste phoenix-shaped patterns, etc. ?
3. The phoenix has the symbolic meaning of "harmony"
In Chinese culture, the image of the phoenix is. It not only represents the "harmony" of natural objects, but also the "harmony" of human society. The "five colors" of the phoenix were later regarded as a symbol of the five ethics of "morality, righteousness, propriety, benevolence, and trustworthiness" of ancient society. "Secondly, the phoenix has represented harmony, harmony and loyalty of love in the folk since ancient times. In addition, the phoenix serves as a spiritual and material carrier of the concept of harmony. From a development point of view, it is also a diversified product, which is based on witchcraft. On top of the combination of magic and bird totem, it integrates the totems worshiped by different eras and different tribes. Secondly, it is a "two-in-one" unity of opposites. At the same time, it can be said that the harmonious concept of Phoenix culture covers the society and life. In all aspects of material life, the use of the Phoenix image characteristic of "harmony" is also often used in idioms about the Phoenix?
4. The Phoenix is ??a symbol of "power"
In the pre-Qin period, the phoenix pattern appeared on jade and bronze ware, symbols of power. Later, it gradually became an exclusive royal decoration, appearing on various palace buildings and utensils, and in the form of etiquette and law.
5. The phoenix is ??the spiritual totem of the Chinese nation
Like the dragon, the phoenix is ??also an integral part of the long-standing Chinese traditional culture. The symbolic meaning of the phoenix has also changed accordingly. People no longer regard the phoenix as a symbol of autocratic imperial power, but as a symbol of national culture. In the primitive painted pottery culture of China about six or seven thousand years ago, it was The prototype of the phoenix image also appeared on the bronzes of the Shang Dynasty more than 3,500 years ago, and many artistic treasures with phoenix themes were created in the later Chinese decorative arts. Art works with phoenix patterns as the theme are representatives of traditional art and reflect the aesthetic taste of the Chinese nation. From the perspective of dragon and phoenix art, the artistic image of the phoenix gives people great spiritual power. Like the dragon, it is an important symbol of the Chinese nation. It can be said that the Chinese nation is also the descendant of the phoenix.
Legends and allusions
1. The phoenix lives in the phoenix tree
The phoenix tree is the king of trees. According to legend, it is a spiritual tree that can tell the time and order. "Wen Jian Lu" says: "The phoenix tree is the only place where all the birds dare not to rest, and only the phoenix can avoid it." "Wang Xie's Biography" "A phoenix cannot rest on a phoenix tree." The phoenix chooses a tree to rest on, and is later used as a metaphor for a talented person to choose a master to serve.
2. The image of the phoenix
It is said that the phoenix can know. The rise and fall of the world's order of chaos is the best embodiment of kingly benevolence in Chinese history. It is a barometer of the rise and fall of troubled times and has become the "image ambassador" of theology and politics. The ancients once divided into five levels and used the five behaviors of the phoenix to mark the political level. Since the Qingming Festival, emperors of all dynasties have regarded "the phoenix singing to the sun" and "a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix" as symbols of prosperity and peace.
"Ten Songs of Yongming Music" by Xie Zhao of the Southern Qi Dynasty: "The colorful phoenix sings in the morning sun, and the Yuan crane dances in the Qing Dynasty; this auspicious Yongming song will be the emperor for thousands of years."
3. The dragon gave birth to nine sons, and the phoenix gave birth to nine sons. Breed nine chicks.
"Nine Chu" comes from "Book of Jin·Eighth Chronicles·Eighth of Emperor Mu's Ai Emperor Deposed Emperor Haixi Gongji": "In February (the fourth year of Shengping), the phoenix saw Jiuchu in Fengcheng." Later, the "phoenix attracting nine young chicks" was regarded as a good omen for world peace and social prosperity. The specific category name and image of "Nine Young Girls" were not mentioned. Since then, with the continuous interpretation and integration of various religious beliefs and folklore, Jiu Chu's theory has been continuously enriched, but there is no final conclusion.
Reference materials Baidu Encyclopedia-Phoenix