In ancient China, the four most powerful beasts that frightened demons and evil spirits were the green dragon, the white tiger, the red bird, and the black basalt. Green Dragon is the God of the East; White Tiger is the God of the West; Suzaku is the God of the South; Xuanwu is the God of the North, a combination of tortoise and snake. Therefore, "the green dragon, the white tiger, the red bird, and the basalt, the four spirits of heaven, rectify the four directions, and the king controls the palaces, palaces, and pavilions to follow the law."
The green dragon controls the power of the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder (Heavenly Thunder Tribulation). It is blue in color and belongs to the wood. It is the guardian beast of the East and guards the stars in the East Palace.
The white tiger controls the power of the tornado and storm (summoning All beasts), white in color, belonging to gold, is the guardian beast of the west, guarding the stars in the West Palace
Suzaku controls the power of burning flames (the three absolute fires of heaven and earth), is red in color, belongs to fire, is the guardian beast of the south, guarding the south palace Xingxiu
Xuanwu controls the power of ice, wind and snow (dark ice poison), is black in color, belongs to water, is the guardian beast of the north, and guards the Beigong Xingxu
1. Qinglong’s legend about dragons There are many theories about the origin of the dragon. Some say it was introduced from India, and some say it was transformed from Chinese stars. India itself is said to be about the dragon god, but the status of the dragon in India is not high, and there is also a real thing - a python.
In the era when the Five Elements theory was popular, stories about the Green Dragon slowly began to spread; Five Elements masters assigned five colors to the southeast, northwest, and middle according to the yin and yang and the five elements, and each color was matched with the five elements. The previous mythical beast and a god; the east is cyan, with the dragon, the west is white, with the tiger, the south is vermilion, with the bird, the north is black, with the martial arts, and yellow is the central color. Divine beasts are among the gods in the four directions. According to the Book of Mountains and Seas, "Zhurong in the south has a beast body and a human face, riding two dragons." ’; ‘To the west, there is a snake in the left ear, riding on two dragons. '; 'There is Jumang in the east, with the body of a bird and the face of a human, riding on two dragons. ’; ‘In the Yu border in the north, a man with black body and limbs rides on two dragons. ', a more interesting point is that the dragons in the Classic of Mountains and Seas are all ridden, while the snakes of the same kind are held, manipulated or wrapped around the neck, showing the difference between the two; but in the Five The five gods of Fang are quite different from the four gods of Sifang, so I won’t go into details here. Suzaku, Xuanwu (black tortoise and snake, Wu means turtle and snake), Qinglong and White Tiger respectively represent the twenty-eight constellations in the four directions. The dragon represents the seven constellations in the east - Jiao, Kang, Di, Fang, Xin, Wei 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 that the horn is the horn of the dragon, the horn is the neck, the di is the base of the neck, the room is the shoulder and the side, and the heart is the base of the neck. The heart, the tail is the tail, and the Ji is the end of the tail.
Also in the part of the dragon’s heart, some people call it the ‘big fire’, which is related to sunshine and rain. And because Qinglong belongs to wood, it is also the year of Jupiter in that year. After the rise of Taoism, these four spirits were also given human names to make it easier for humans to call them. The green dragon was called "Mengzhang", the white tiger was called "Jianbing", the red bird was called "Lingguang", and the Xuanwu was called "Zhi Ming". Among the many dynasties, some monarchs took Qinglong as their reign name, such as Emperor Wei Ming of the Three Kingdoms. In the historical records, it is also said that the Xia Dynasty was a dynasty of Mu De, so it had the auspicious title of "Qinglong was born in the suburbs". Records of trillions. In ancient China, mythical beasts were called male dragons with horns; dragons with two horns, and dragons with one horn; chisels without horns. In ancient jade pendants, there were often two dragons, large and small, and they were still called mother and child chi; dragons The status is much higher than that of India. Because in China, the dragon is a divine creature, the supreme being, and the symbol of the emperor. It is also a representative of the East. Among the five elements, it belongs to wood. Because cyan belongs to wood, it is said that it is a green dragon on the left and a white tiger on the right.
Among the twenty-eight constellations, the seven constellations in the east are used - Jiao, Kang, Di, Fang, Xin, Wei and Ji. The ancients imagined them to be the image of dragons. Because they are located in the east, they correspond to the five elements of Yin and Yang. According to the theory of color matching for the five directions, the east is green, hence the name 'Green Dragon'.
There is also a folk saying that the dragon's nature is lustful. When it has sex with an ox, it will give birth to a unicorn, and when it has sex with a pig, it will give birth to an elephant.
The so-called dragon gave birth to nine sons, none of whom are like dragons. This is the saying -
The eldest son is called Prison Niu (qiú niú): he loves music all his life, so he always stands tall. On the headstock. Such as the Huqin of the Han people and the Sanxianqin of the Bai people. The Mongolian Morin Khuur may also be a variant of the Prison Niu.
The second son is yá zì: it loves to kill, so it is often placed on weapons to deter the enemy. At the same time, it is also used in ceremonies to appear more majestic.
The third child is cháo fēng: it is a beast-shaped dragon that looks a bit like a dog. It is good at looking out, so it is usually placed in the corner of the palace. It is said that it can deter demons and eliminate disasters.
The fourth child is Pulao (pú láo): it likes to roar, so people put it on the bell, mostly in the image of Pulao. It is said that it lives on the beach, but is very afraid of whales. Once a whale attacks, it will scream in fear. Therefore, people shaped the wooden pestle into the shape of a whale to make the copper bell extra loud.
The fifth child is suān ní: shaped like a lion. It is a foreign product that was introduced to China with Buddhism, so its personality is a bit like that of Buddha. It is so quiet and loves fireworks. Therefore, it is often placed on the Buddha's throne or on the incense burner to protect Buddhism.
The sixth son is Baxia (bà xià): also known as 豑屃 (bì xì), earthworm (should be Papi) (bāxià), and looks like a turtle. According to legend, in ancient times, it often carried three mountains and five mountains on its back to create trouble. Later, he was subdued by Xia Yu and made many great contributions to Xia Yu. After the flood control was successful, Xia Yu let it carry out its achievements. Therefore, most of China's stone monuments are carried on its back.
The seventh son is Bi Fan (bì’àn): looks like a tiger. According to legend, it upholds justice and can distinguish right from wrong. Therefore, the mythical beast is placed above and below the prison door, on both sides of the door lobby, and on the top of the sign that officials quietly avoid when they go on patrol to maintain the solemn atmosphere of the court.
The eighth child is fù xì: because it loves literature, it is placed on two sides of the stone tablet.
Mozi is Chiki (Chī wěn): also known as Chiwei (Chī wěi), a fish-shaped dragon. It is said that around the time of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the "Moji Fish" from India was introduced with Buddhism. It is the object under the seat of the rain god in Buddhist scriptures and can extinguish fire. Therefore, the chi kiss was transformed from this, so it is often placed at both ends of the roof ridge to eliminate disasters and extinguish fires.
2. White Tiger
Among the four sacred animals in China, another one that is often compared to the dragon is the 'white tiger'; the tiger is the leader of all beasts, and its power and legend The ability to subdue ghosts makes it become a yang mythical beast, and it often goes out with the dragon. "Yun follows the dragon and wind follows the tiger" becoming the best pair for subduing ghosts.
The white tiger is also the god of war and killing. The white tiger has many magical powers such as avoiding evil, warding off disasters, praying for prosperity and punishing evil, promoting good deeds, making wealth, and getting married. And it is one of the four spirits, and of course it is also made of stars. Among the twenty-eight constellations, there are seven in the west: Kui, Lou, Wei, Ang, Bi, Xi, and Shen. Therefore, it is the representative of the West, and its white color is because it is the West. The West belongs to gold among the five elements, and its color is white. So it is called White Tiger not because it is white, but because of the five elements.
In addition to the four spirits in Taoism, including the green dragon and white tiger, when Feng Shui masters explore cemeteries, the protruding terrain on the left and right in front of the terrain, which can be used as tombs, has a unique title. They are called green dragons on the left and white tigers on the right, taking the meaning of their protection. The same decoration is also found in the public hall, with green dragons and hundreds of tigers painted on the left and right pillars to suppress evil spirits. After the rise of Taoism, dragon and tiger were borrowed as the terminology of Taoist alchemy, which refers to the synonyms of "lead, mercury, Kanli, water, fire, yin and yang, etc." Taoist alchemy is divided into internal and external (inner elixir to refine qi, outer elixir to refine elixir, The author is not very knowledgeable and I am not sure). Neidan is based on the five elements of yin and yang. Dragon yang is born from Li, and Li belongs to fire, so it is said that "dragons come out of fire". Tiger yin is born from kan, and kan belongs to water, so It is said that "Tiger grows by the water". After the two are combined, one yin and one yang harmonize each other, which is called Taoben. They are both representatives of Yuan Shen and Yuan Jing. Another saying is that nature belongs to wood and wood represents it. East, in the hexagram, is Zhen, so it is compared to a green dragon; love belongs to gold, and gold represents the west. In the hexagram, gold is white, so it is called a white tiger.
In the minds of the ancients, tigers are scary things. , and it is a respectable thing. The scary thing is that it can eat humans and animals, but the respectable thing is that it is extremely powerful and can ward off evil spirits.
Therefore, Xuanniao became the ancestor of merchants. "Historical Records. Yin Benji" also records this period of history: "Yin Qi's mother was called Jian Di, and she had the daughter of Rong Di, who was the emperor's second concubine." The three of them were taking a bath and saw a black bird with its eggs. Jian Di took them and swallowed them, and they became pregnant. ’ In addition to the Yin and Shang Dynasties, the Qin Dynasty during the Warring States Period, the ancestors of the Manchu Qing Dynasty and the ancestors of the Korean Silla were also related to fairies swallowing black bird eggs. Regardless of whether it is a black bird or a phoenix, following the development of Taoism, it was transformed from a bird, peacock, pheasant, etc... first into a half-human, half-bird fairy who taught the art of war to a complete Human fairies all follow the development of Taoism.
In Beijing, there used to be three temples dedicated to Xuannv, called Jiutian Niangniang Temple and Xuannv Temple. There are also Xuannv temples in the north and south.
4. Xuanwu
Xuanwu is a spiritual creature composed of a turtle and a snake. The original meaning of Xuanwu is Xuanming, and the ancient sounds of Wushen beast and Ming are connected. Wu means black; Ming means yin. Xuan Ming 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 answers back, and show them to the world in the form of divination. Therefore, the earliest Xuanwu was the turtle. Later, the meaning of Xuan Ming continued to expand. Turtles live in rivers, lakes and seas (including sea turtles), so Xuan Ming became the water god; turtles live long, and Xuan Ming became a symbol of immortality; the original underworld was in the north, and the oracle bone divination of the Yin and Shang Dynasties said that "the divination must be northward", So Xuan Ming became the Northern God again.
Like the other three spirits, Xuanwu is also transformed from the twenty-eight constellations in the world: Dou, Ox, Female, Xu, Danger, Room, and Wall. People after ancient times have the following interpretations of Xuanwu. ‘Xuanwu’ means turtle. "Book of Rites. Qu Li Shang" says: "OK, the first is Zhuniao and then the Xuanwu" and "Xuanwu" are turtles and snakes. "Chu Ci. Yuan Yu" Hong Xingzu's supplementary note: "Xuanwu means turtle and snake." It is located in the north, so it is called Xuan. The body has scales and armor, so it is called Wu. ‘Xuanwu’ is the fusion of snakes, the intersection of turtles and snakes.
Zhang Heng's "Si Xuan Fu" in Volume 15 of "Selected Works" says: "Xuanwu lives in the shell, and the snake winds and corrects itself." ’ Li Shan noted: ‘The cross between a turtle and a snake is called Xuanwu. "Book of the Later Han Dynasty. Biography of Wang Liang": "Chifu Fu" says: "Wang Liang Zhuheng made Xuanwu." ’’ Li Xian noted: ‘Suwu, the god of the north, is a combination of a tortoise and a snake. 'Xuanwu' is the god of water and the god of the north. "Book of the Later Han Dynasty. Biography of Wang Liang": "Xuanwu, the name of the water god." ’ Volume 6 of "Revisiting the Collection of Weishu" "Hetu Emperor Lanxi": "Born from Xuanwu in the north,... controls the north and governs wind and rain." ’
But Xuanwu was upgraded by later Taoist priests to become the great emperor of the north, "Emperor Zhenwu". It is different from the other three spirits. The other Qinglong and Baihu only became the door gods of the mountain temple, while Zhuniao became Youtian Xuannv.
Xuanwu's status increased in the Song Dynasty and was personified. This is inseparable from the fact that the emperors of the Song Dynasty added fuel to the flames. At the time of Taizu in the early Song Dynasty, there were legends that Zhenwu, Tianpeng and others were the generals of heaven. In the first year of Tianxi reign of Emperor Wei Zhenzong, something happened in the military camp. In Volume 7 of "Shijiyuan": "If a soldier in the camp sees a snake, the sergeant will build a true martial arts hall because of it." In the leap month of the second year, a spring gushed down the side of the hall, and it was inexhaustible. People who were sick were healed by drinking more. ’ Zhenzong heard about this and issued an edict to build a temple on the spot and named it ‘Xiangyuan’. This is probably the earliest Zhenwu Temple in China.
The life experience of Emperor Zhenwu is mostly said by later generations to be during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui Dynasty. The Jade Emperor reincarnated one of his three souls into the Queen of Zhuole Kingdom. He hated the world and gave up his throne to practice on Mount Wudang. , successfully ascended and guarded the north, named Xuanwu.
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(4) Other mythical beasts
There are other mythical beasts, such as: Qilin, Kui, Yellow Bird, Candle Dragon, Taotie, Peng, Six-eared macaques, etc.
1. Spiritual beast Qilin
Qilin, phoenix, dragon, and turtle are called the "four spirits", and Qilin is the leader of the "four spirits". As early as the Zhou Dynasty, there was a legend of Qilin in our country. The most detailed record is the book "Mao Shi Zhengyi" which says: "Lin has the body of an elk, a horse's feet, an ox's tail, yellow hair, round hooves, and meat at the end of its horns ---" According to legend, the unicorn has a gentle personality and does not breed insects. Lin is a virtuous and benevolent beast with horns on its head and flesh on its horns. Therefore, emperors of all dynasties loved Lin and regarded its appearance as a national treasure to show their majesty and prominence. --- The Kirin in the mythical beast legend
Qilin: Originally a beast-like mythical beast.
Later, he succeeded Huang Long as the leader of the central guardian beast. Guard the middle palace and control the power of the earth. The color is yellow and its attribute is earth.
Qilin uses earth to make water (Xuanwu), Xuanwu uses water to make fire (Suzaku), Suzaku uses fire to make gold (White Tiger), White Tiger uses gold to make wood (Qinglong), Qinglong uses wood and earth ( Kirin)
2. The mythical beast Pixiu
Pixiu is also known as Tianlu and warding off evil spirits. It is a mythical beast in ancient Chinese myths and legends. It has a dragon head, a horse body, and lin feet. It is shaped like a lion, has gray hair, and can fly. Pixiu is a ferocious and powerful creature. It is responsible for patrolling the heavens and preventing demons, ghosts, plagues and diseases from disturbing the heavens.