Four Spiritual Beasts:
White Tiger (báihǔ)
In ancient Chinese mythology, the white tiger is the protector, war and killing god of the West. Tiger has many magical powers such as avoiding evil, warding off disasters, praying for prosperity, punishing evil and promoting good, making wealth, and getting married. In traditional Chinese culture, it is one of the four images of the Western Seven Constellations of Taoism. It is composed of the Western Seven Constellations of the twenty-eight constellations: Kui, Lou, Wei, Pleiades, Bi, Gong, and Shen. According to the Five Elements theory, it is a spiritual animal representing the West. Because the West belongs to gold and is white in color, it is called the White Tiger. The representative season is autumn. According to ancient Chinese traditional concepts, autumn is the season of killing, and executions of prisoners are mostly scheduled in autumn, which is often called the post-autumn execution. Therefore, the white tiger is the main killer and is considered the god of killing. Therefore, many fierce generals are said to be the reincarnations of the white tiger star, such as: Tang Dynasty generals Luo Cheng, Xue Rengui and his son. Many military-related places and things are named after white tigers, such as the tiger symbol symbolizing military command authority, the white tiger flag symbolizing power, and the White Tiger Festival Hall, a military location where Lin Chong accidentally entered in Water Margin, etc.
Xuanwu (xuánwǔ)
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 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 god of water; 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.
Suzaku (zhūquè)
Suzaku
Suzaku can also be said to be a mysterious bird. Suzaku is one of the four spirits and is the general name of the seven places in the south. Well, ghost, willow, star, Zhang, Yi and Zhen are combined in the shape of a bird, also known as black bird. Zhu is red, like fire, and the south belongs to fire, so it is called Zhuque. In modern times, due to the influence of the Western myth of Phoenix's rebirth from the ashes and Japanese pop culture, Chinese people sometimes regard Phoenix as Suzaku in terms of translation and cognition. In fact, there is no saying in ancient Chinese myths and legends that the Suzaku will be reborn from the ashes. The Nirvana of the Phoenix is ??just a poem created by Mr. Guo Moruo based on the legend of the Western Phoenix. Similarly, the Suzaku is not a phoenix.
According to the "Book of Songs. Ode to Shang. Xuannio", "Xuanniao" is recorded as follows: "The destiny of Xuanniao descended and gave birth to Shang, and its Yin soil was radiant." The ancient emperor ordered Wutang and Zhengyu to be in all directions. ’, that is, the descendants of the Yin and Shang Dynasties said that their ancestor Qi was born from Xuanniao and established the powerful Shang Dynasty. Therefore, Xuanniao became the founder of the merchants. "Historical Records. Yin Benji" also records this history: "Yin Qi's mother was called Jian Di, and she had a daughter named Rong Di, who was the emperor's second concubine... The three of them were bathing when they saw a black bird with its eggs, and Jian Di took them and swallowed them. In other words, the contract was born due to pregnancy. ’ In addition to the Yin and Shang Dynasties, the Qin Dynasty during the Warring States Period, the Shizi of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and the Shizi of Xinluo in Korea were also related to fairies swallowing black bird eggs. Regardless of whether it is a black bird or a phoenix, it follows the development of Taoism. It is transformed from a bird, or a peacock, or a pheasant, etc... first into a half-human, half-bird fairy who teaches the art of war to a completely human fairy. .
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.
青龙 (qīnglóng)
In China, the dragon’s status and achievements are much higher than those in India. Because in China, the dragon is a divine creature, the supreme being, and a 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, there is a saying 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 "Blue Dragon". There is also a saying that the dragon has a lustful nature. 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. There is also a saying that a dragon gave birth to nine sons, none of whom are like dragons. It goes like this: The eldest son is called Qi Niu: he loves music all his life, so he always stands on the head of the piano.
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 Jai Pi: he loves killing all his life, so he is often placed on weapons to intimidate the enemy. At the same time, it is also used in ceremonies to appear more majestic. The third son is Chaofeng: it is a beast-shaped dragon that looks a bit like a dog. It is good at looking out, so it is often placed in the corner of the palace. It is said that it can intimidate demons and eliminate disasters. The fourth child is Pulao: 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 Suanni: 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: also known as Bixi, he 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 successfully controlling the flood, Xia Yu let it take on its own responsibility. Therefore, most of China's stone monuments are carried on its back. The seventh child is Biuan: also known as Charter, it looks like a tiger. It is said that it upholds justice and can distinguish right from wrong, so it is placed above and below the prison door, on both sides of the Yamen lobby, and on top of the cards that officials quietly avoid when they go on patrol to maintain the solemn atmosphere of the court. The eighth child is negative: because it loves literature, it is placed on two sides of the stone tablet. Jiuzi is Chiki: also known as Ouwei, a fish-shaped dragon. According to legend, 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.
The Nine Sons of the Dragon:
The Prisoner Niu
The Boss
The Prisoner Niu (qiú niú) is the eldest of the Nine Sons of the Dragon. He has been fond of music all his life and is the most docile of all dragons. He is neither bloodthirsty nor ruthless and specializes in music. Legend has it that the prison cow with a dragon head and a snake body has a very good ear and can distinguish the sounds of all things. It often squats on the head of the piano to enjoy the music of plucked strings, so its statue is engraved on the head of the piano. This decoration has been used ever since, and some valuable huqin heads are still engraved with the image of a dragon head, which is called "leading huqin". This musically gifted dragon son not only appears on the Huqin of the Han people, but also on the dragon-headed Yueqin of the Yi people, the three-stringed qin of the Bai people, and some Tibetan and Mongolian qins. .
睚禦
Second child
睚禦 (yá zì) is the second child. Legend has it that he was born with the head of a dragon and the body of a jackal. He has a strong personality, is aggressive and likes to kill. He is Ryuko’s God of War. The ferocious eyes of Yaizhen when angry were also used by the ancients to describe "glaring with anger". Sima Qian's evaluation of the paragraph "Fan Ju's Revenge" in "Historical Records" is that "the virtue of a meal must be repaid, and the hatred of Yaizhen must be repaid." So, , the idiom "Yiju must be repaid" was born. Jizhen likes to kill, so the ancients often carved it into the mouth where the blade and handle of the sword meet, which adds to the frightening power. It is not only decorated on the weapons of famous generals on the battlefield, but also widely used on the weapons of ceremonial guards and palace guards, making it even more majestic and solemn. Because the emperors all believed that the emperor could defeat all evil.
Chao Fēng
Lao San
Chao Fēng (cháo fēng) is the third child. He is both dangerous and promising in his life. There is a statue of him on the corner of the palace platform. . They are arranged in a single line and stand at the front of the vertical ridge. The leader is an "immortal", followed in order by: dragon, phoenix, lion, Pegasus, seahorse, Suan Ni, Xiyu, Xiezhi, Bullfighting, and Hexingshi. Chaofeng is the second one. There is a strict hierarchical system for their placement. Only the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City in Beijing can have all ten of them. These 10 miraculous figures are meant to be "perfect and perfect", and the number of secondary halls must be reduced accordingly. Chaofeng not only symbolizes good luck, beauty and majesty, but also has the meaning of deterring demons and eliminating disasters. The placement of the mocking wind makes the shape of the entire palace both strict and varied, achieving the harmony of solemnity and vividness, the unity of grandeur and exquisiteness. It adds a mysterious atmosphere to the towering palace.
It is said that teasing the wind was Pangu’s heart. Its shape is often used as decoration on the corners of the palace.
Four quotes from "Yuanjian Leihan·Linjie·Long" (Chen Renxi of the Ming Dynasty) "Qian Que (Ju) Lei Shu": "The dragon gave birth to nine sons,... he mocked the wind and liked danger, and he was on the corner of the palace."
Pulao
老四
Pulao (pú láo), shaped like a coiled dragon, ranks fourth. He sings and roars very well throughout his life. The dragon-shaped button on the bell is it. of statue. According to its characteristics of "good singing" and "every bell wants to make a loud sound", people cast Pulao into a bell button, so that it can "ring into the sky" and "sound uniquely and far away". Nowadays, almost every ancient bell in the country has a figure of Pulao.
Suān Ni
老五
Suān ní, also known as Jin Ni and Ling Ni, looks like a lion and ranks fifth, although it looks fierce , but in his life he likes to be quiet and does not like to move. He likes to sit and likes fireworks. Therefore, the foot decorations on the Buddha's seat and the incense burner are his statues. According to legend, this kind of suan Ni 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 my country. This shape was created by Chinese folk artists and gave it a unique The traditional Chinese style, which later became Longzi's Lao Wu, was mostly placed in front of statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas sitting cross-legged or cross-legged. The dragon-shaped decoration in the middle of the collar of the stone lion or bronze lion during the Ming and Qing Dynasties is also the image of Suanni, which makes the traditional Chinese door lion guarding the door more open and majestic. Suanni is also used as the mount of Manjushri Bodhisattva. Today, in Mount Wutai, the monastery of Manjushri Bodhisattva, there is still a temple where the ancients worshiped Suan Ni. Because Suan Ni ranked fifth, this temple is also called the "Wuye Temple".
Baxia
Baxia, also known as Bixi (bì xì), looks like a turtle,
Lao Liu
It is Lao Liu , who was fond of carrying heavy loads throughout his life and had great strength. The turtle's legs under the stele's base are his statues. The first legend is that in ancient times, Baxia often carried three mountains and five mountains on his back, making waves in rivers, lakes and seas. Later, Dayu conquered it when he was controlling floods. It obeyed Yu's command, pushed mountains and dug trenches, and dredged rivers, making contributions to flood control. After the flood was controlled, Dayu erected a stele inscribed with the achievements of Ba Xia in controlling the floods, and the image of Ba Xia (Bixia) was sculpted below, indicating that Ba Xia was the foundation of the achievements in flood control. Without Ba Xia, there would be no such achievements. Basia and tortoises are very similar, but there are differences upon closer inspection. Basia has a row of teeth, while tortoises do not. The number and shape of the carapace of Baxia and tortoises are also different. Baxia, also known as stone turtle, is a symbol of longevity and good luck. The bases of some of my country's most prominent stone monuments are carried by Ba Xia, which can be seen in the Forest of Steles and some historical sites.
The second legend is that the dragon sons once descended to earth to help Zhu Yuanzhang conquer the Ming Dynasty, but when they were about to return to heaven to revive, Zhu Yuanzhang’s fourth son Zhu Di, who later became the founder of the Ming Dynasty, did not want to let them go, so he He said to Ba Xia: "If you can carry Emperor Taizu's merit monument, I will let you go back." Ba Xia agreed without knowing what the plan was, but he didn't know that after carrying it on his back, he could no longer move it - because merit is immeasurable. Yes, Ba Xia was suppressed under the Monument of Merit. Ba Xia left his body and returned to the Heavenly Court, but Zhu Di only got nine statues. Zhu Di regretted it too late. In order to warn future generations, it was taboo to use those self-deceptive practices that would be counterproductive, and he regretted it too late.
狴狴
老七
Biwan (bì àn), also known as charter, looks like a tiger and is the seventh child. It is a litigious person, but it is also powerful. The tiger head-shaped decoration on the upper part of the prison door is its statue. Legend has it that Bifan is not only eager for justice and speaks out for justice, but also can distinguish right from wrong and make impartial decisions. In addition, its image is majestic. Therefore, in addition to being decorated on the prison door, it also crouched on both sides of the lobby of the government office to pay tribute to those who committed adultery. People who commit crimes are extremely intimidating. Whenever the yamen chief sits in the court, his image appears on the top of the chief executive's title plate and the silence card. He looks around and looks around to maintain the solemnity and uprightness of the court. In ancient times, the doors of prisons were engraved with the head of a tiger, so the prison was also commonly known as "Tiger Head Prison" among the people.
The other one is very elegant - he loves calligraphy. The Wenlong on both sides of the stele is his statue.
Our country's stone tablets have a long history and are rich in content. Some of them are simple in shape, smooth and bright, and the light is discernible; some are exquisitely carved, with graceful words and vivid writing; some are famous poems and stone carvings, which are popular among people. , praised throughout the ages. Fuyi liked this kind of inscriptions that shone with artistic brilliance very much. He was willing to turn them into patterned dragons to set off these handed down literary treasures, making the base of the stele more elegant and beautiful. They are coiled around each other and seem to be slowly squirming. Together with the base of the base, it looks even more spectacular.
Chiki
Laojiu
Chiki (chī wěn), also known as the owl tail, is said to have the head of a dragon and the body of a fish. Its form is the earliest Appeared in the "Bai Liang Hall" built by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. At that time, some ministers suggested that there is a fish in the sea with a tail like an owl. It can spray waves and rain. It is recommended that its image be sculpted on the palace to protect the palace from fire. Emperor Wu agreed. When the main hall was completed, officials rushed to ask what was on the ridge of the palace. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty didn't know how to answer, so he named it "鸱tail" after its tail that looked like an owl. Later, it gradually evolved into the homophonic "Chi Kiss". ". It is also 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. Chi has a broad and thick snout and is easy to swallow. The curly-tailed dragon heads at both ends of the ridge are its statues. "Taiping Yulan" has the following account: "In the Tang Hui Dynasty, after the disaster in the Liang Palace of the Han Dynasty, Yue Wu said, 'There are fish and turtles in the sea, with tails like owls, and strong waves will cause rainfall.' So he made his image on the tail to show the auspiciousness of the fire." "The "Witch" mentioned in the article refers to alchemists, and "Yuqiu" is the predecessor of Chiki. Chiki is water-based, so use it as a slaying agent to ward off fire.