China from the once mysterious and mysterious country in the 20th century has turned, for most of us, into a global supplier of cheap consumer goods. We began to forget a little that this is an ancient civilization filled with fairy tales and myths. Now that Chinese tourists have flooded the largest cities in the world, and high-budget films have shown Chinese mythology on the big screen, interest in Chinese culture has reawakened in the world, and Chinese characters have become part of everyday life.
Holy four
Over the past millennia, the Chinese have come up with many fabulous stories whose heroes are mysterious creatures and heroes. In ancient myths, four sacred animals of China always occupied a special place: the dragon, the turtle, the phoenix and the tiger. In the era of the origin of myths, all peoples of the world associated natural phenomena with the influence of spirits and mysterious creatures. For locals, thunder, gusty wind, rain, tides, and many other climatic disasters were explained as part of the life of these sacred animals of China. Of course, the pantheon of mythical animals is much larger and other animals, as well as plants, fruits and flowers, became symbols of various phenomena.
Areas of responsibility
Traditionally, the dragon is a symbol of the east and spring, the phoenix is the south and summer, the tiger is the west and autumn, the turtle represents north and winter.
The most revered Chinese symbol is the dragon, which also personifies the water element and can be of almost any kind and color.
The tiger is responsible for the underworld and the west, because the sun sets there, and was a symbol of military prowess. In ancient China, the tiger was considered the feminine, in contrast to the masculine, the green dragon.
The phoenix is associated with fire and the sun, also the bird personifies heat giving a good harvest.
The tortoise, which lived according to Chinese beliefs for a very long time, has become a symbol of eternity, and the possibility of predicting the future is associated with this. Sometimes she was called the black warrior of the north.
Main myth
China's favorite sacred animal is the dragon. The people stand out four of its main types:
- heavenly, guarding the abode of the gods;
- divine, in charge of which there is wind and rain;
- an earthen dragon, who controls rivers and streams, including, he decides where they will flow and how full they will be;
- dragon guarding the treasures.
Dragons in ancient China were responsible for almost all natural phenomena. For example, a thunderstorm is the sound of a battle between white and black dragons, the wind comes from the flapping of the wings of the sacred dragon, and the northern lights bring the jujun dragon, which carries a candle in its mouth to give light to people from time to time. But the main reason for worship was that the dragon was a water sacred animal of China, and ruled the seas, rivers and lakes. It was believed that dragons form clouds, and the presence of rain depended on them, and accordingly the abundance of the crop or drought, which could lead to hunger.
Images of various dragons can be found in China everywhere: from temples and palaces to peasant houses. According to Feng Shui, the image of a green dragon symbolizes the protection of the house.
East and West
In the myths and tales of many peoples of the world dragons live, which are hunted by European knights and Russian heroes. In the west, this mythical creature, for the most part, a symbol of cruelty and treachery, in the east of the dragon is associated with wisdom and prosperity.
The Russian Serpent Gorynych lives in the mountains, has three heads and spews flames, and sometimes flies. In Western culture, this is also a fairly common image, starting with ancient Greek myths and ending with Jewish and Christian texts. The heroes of ancient books, from Apollo to St. George, apart from the characters of numerous chivalric novels, became famous thanks to the victories over dragons.
This mythical animal usually has a lizard-like body and moves on two or four legs. The sacred animal of China has the most bizarre image, assembled from parts of various animals, for example, the eyes of a rabbit, the body of a snake, tiger paws with eagle claws. There are other options, sometimes the dragon is depicted as a large snake with a head similar to the head of a tiger or horse. In any case, it is always a powerful and noble creature.
National symbol
In many states, the dragon is considered a symbol of the country, in fact, this sacred animal of China personifies imperial power. In modern Chinese culture, the dragon is used as a symbol of power, strength and good luck. The legendary founders of the country are associated with the dragon Huangdi, who is immortalized in the annals, and Yandi - the son of a dragon and an earthly woman. They are regarded by many Chinese as the progenitors of a nation of "descendants of dragons." The symbol of the emperor since ancient times, namely from the 7th century BC, was considered a golden yellow dragon. This sacred animal of China was depicted on the imperial ceremonial clothing, on many interior items (screens, walls, throne) and the details of the palace (steps, pedestals, roofs). On the flag of the Chinese empire, during the reign of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), a dragon also flaunted.
King of birds
Phoenix is almost as important a creature as a dragon, in the pantheon of sacred animals of China he has a special place. The king of birds was collected from parts of a dozen different birds and animals, even the tail consists of feathers of five colors, which symbolize the five virtues: duty, fidelity, humanity, restraint and knowledge of rites.
The sacred bird is a vegetarian, eats only bamboo seeds and drinks clean spring water. The phoenix is associated with the sun and fire, it personifies the element of fire. The sacred bird gives warmth that is inseparable from summer and a good harvest. The Phoenix is characterized by incredible beauty and noble disposition, with the arrival of which the Chinese associated the offensive of peace and tranquility, the rise to power in the empire of a highly moral and fair ruler.
In ancient China, the phoenix, along with the dragon, was a symbol of imperial power; in a later era, it became a symbol of only the empress. In modern Chinese art, images of the mythical bird adorn the objects of the dowry of the bride and women's clothing. It is believed that the red phoenix figurine brings prosperity and prosperity to the house, gives success in all deeds and undertakings, and gives an incentive to inspiration.
King of beasts
Although the Chinese also revere the lion, the tiger is considered the king of the animals . This sacred animal of China is the embodiment of natural strength, masculinity and military prowess, which can be admired and imitated. In ancient mythology, tigers peacefully coexisted with humans, and many gods and heroes were accompanied by these sacred animals. The Chinese revered the tigers as the victors of demons, their silver-clawed claws and fangs served as valuable amulets that drive away evil spirits and preserve health. The entrance to many temples, palaces and rich houses was guarded by paired images of these powerful predators.
Since the tiger is a symbol of militancy and valor, its image was very fond of the Chinese military. The image of this sacred animal of China, embroidered on clothes, served as a sign of distinction, painted on shields and military fortifications, was supposed to frighten the enemies. And in quite already in the most ancient times, Chinese warriors in tiger skins attacked enemies with shouts imitating the roar of a tiger. The sacred animal of China is a white tiger, ferocious and strong, it is considered the best talisman that repels evil.
Turtle
In this slow-moving animal, the Chinese were able to discern many positive qualities. This sacred animal of China symbolizes longevity, strength, endurance. With it was associated the structure of the world, where the upper part of the carapace represented the vault of heaven, and the belly - earth. The sacred tortoise was given the head of a snake, and the neck of a dragon. The ancient Chinese believed that the tortoise lives three thousand years, and such longevity was revered for eternity.
The wisest animal, according to Chinese mythology, revealed to people the magical meaning of numbers. According to legend, more than two thousand years ago, to the sage Fu Xi, who was resting on the banks of the Yellow River, a turtle crawled out with a carapace divided into nine squares, in the center of which figures were depicted. It was studied for a long time by Chinese scientists, which led to the creation of numerology and astrology.
Images of a turtle decorated the imperial palaces, its statuettes and are now used as a symbol of career growth and bring good luck in business. The black turtle is a symbol of security, strong rear and longevity.