China’s top ten mythical beasts. , 1. Oriental Green Dragon
There are many legends about dragons, and there are many opinions about the origin of dragons. Some say they were introduced from India, and some say they were formed 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.
Among the gods from all directions, according to the Book of Mountains and Seas, ‘Zhurong from 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 north of Yujiang, 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 of the four directions. The dragon represents the seven constellations of 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 root 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 "fire", which is related to sunshine and rain, and because Qinglong belongs to wood, it is also the age 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, those with horns on their heads were called male dragons; those with two horns were called dragons, those with one horn were called dragons; Called mother and son Chi; the dragon's status is much higher than that in 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, 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 '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 (qiúniú): it loves music all its life, so it always stands 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 yázī: it loves to kill, so it 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 cháofēng: 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 one is Pulao (pǔláo): 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 suānní: 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 (bìxì), 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 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 (bìàn): also known as Charter, it looks like a tiger. According to legend, it upholds justice and can distinguish right from wrong, so it is placed above and below the prison door, on both sides of the door 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 fùxī: because it loves literature, it is often placed on two sides of the stone tablet.
Mozi is Chiki (chǐwěn): also known as owl tail, 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. The Western White Tiger
In traditional Chinese culture, it is one of the four images of the Western Seven Constellations of Taoism. According to the Five Elements Theory, it is a spiritual beast that represents the West and is white. Tiger represents the season of autumn. The seven western constellations of the twenty-eight constellations (Kui, Lou, Wei, Ang, Bi, Xi, and Shen) have the image of a tiger, located in the west, belonging to gold and white in color, and are generally called white tigers.
Volume 44 of "Tai Shang Huang Lu Zhai Yi" calls the White Tiger West Dou Xingjun: "Kuisu Tianjiang Xingjun, Lousu Tianyou Xingjun, Weisu Tiancang Xingjun, Aangsu Tianmu Xingjun" Lord, Lord of the Heavenly Ears and Stars of Bisu, Lord of the Stars of the Heavenly Ping and the Lord of Rigel." As for his image, Volume 7 of "Music Collection of Taoist Tongjiao" says: "The West has responded to the stars of the Tiger, and the quality of Yingying is pure and clear. The sound intimidates the beasts, roars in the mountains and forests, and comes to stand on my right." At the same time, Taoism also uses it in alchemy terms, such as the seventy-two chapters of "Yunji Qixi" cite the elixir names of the four gods in the "Old Classics": " The white tiger is the white gold of the Western Geng Xin, and it has the position of true unity. The Sutra says: If a child has the ability to accomplish all things, she will be called a lady due to the influence of the five elements. It is a tiger. It is also the image of a fierce god. The third volume of "Xie Ji Bian Fang" quotes the "Ren Yuan Mi Shu Jing": "The white tiger is also a fierce god in the year, and it always lives in the fourth chen of the year. If you violate the place where you live, you will be in mourning. "That's what the saying goes, "white tiger in mourning" or "white tiger in withdrawing wealth". According to the records of the twelve main constellations: "When the evil spirit of the white tiger is sitting in the hall, there will be disasters in the passing years. If you don't show internal filial piety and external filial piety, it will be difficult to avoid bleeding. Pass. ""Historical Records Tiangong Shu"" Canglong in the East Palace, Zhuniao in the South, Xianchi in the West Palace, and Xuanwu in the North Palace." The one here is not the white tiger, but the Xianchi. And Xianchi is the star that governs the grains, and it governs autumn, because the grains are There is a harvest in autumn, so it is placed in autumn, but it is not an animal. How can it be matched with the dragon, bird, and turtle as the four spirits? In "Justice": "The three stars of Xianchi are among the five cars, and the sky is in the south." , "Yu Niao". So in the Song Dynasty, there was a question: "Canglong, Zhuniao, Xuanwu, each have seven constellations. As for Xianchi, there is another star besides Xianchi." The explanation is that it is the place where the sun bathes. In "Huainanzi. Astronomical Chapter": "The sun rises in Yanggu, bathes in Xianchi, and brushes against the fusang, which is called morning light." It can be seen that Xianchi was originally regarded as the place where the sun rises. , Xianchi is a lake of alkaline water, which should be a lake in Minshan area, or Qinghai. This proves that the celestial phenomena worshiped by primitive people do not have the concept of green dragon and white tiger. The so-called "lin, phoenix, turtle, and dragon" are called "four spirits". Later generations have the habit of replacing the "Xianchi" that is not an animal with "lin" and "four elephants" with tiger.
3. Suzaku can also be said to be a phoenix or a black bird. Suzaku is one of the four spirits. Like the other three, it comes from the stars and is the general name of the seven constellations in the south: Well, Ghost, Willow, Star, Zhang, Yi and Zhen. . It reminds me of the red bird. The red color is like fire, so it is called the Phoenix. It also has the characteristic of being reincarnated from the fire, just like the Phoenix in the West, so it is also called the Fire Phoenix in ancient books. The phoenix is ??a beautiful bird, and it is the king of birds with its singing and appearance. It can bring auspiciousness to the world. At the same time, it also has the saying "If it is not a phoenix tree, it will not live, if it is not a bamboo tree, it will not eat, and if it is not a sweet spring, it will not drink." It has a special spirituality, and because it is the length of a "feather insect", the dragon and the dragon, which is the length of a "scale insect", gradually became a pair in the legend. One is changeable and the other has beautiful virtues, which have become complementary in folk customs. A pair, because the dragon symbolizes the yin and yang, and the phoenix (the male is the phoenix and the female is the phoenix) gradually becomes the representative of pure yin after facing the dragon, and the phoenix has many original forms. Such as golden pheasant, peacock, eagle, swan, black bird (swallow), etc. It is also said that it was transformed into the Buddhist roc. The phoenix in the Phoenix myth has the head of a chicken and a swallow. There are five kinds of phoenixes on the chin, the neck of the snake, and the tail of the fish. They are divided by color: red is the phoenix, green is the phoenix, white is the swan, and there are yellow and purple.
The theory of Xuanniao comes from "The Book of Songs. Ode to Shang. Xuanniiao": "The destiny of Xuanniiao came down to give birth to Shang, and the ancient emperor ordered Wutang to be in Zhengyu." Sifang. It is said that the descendants of the Yin Shang Dynasty said that their descendants were born from Xuan Niao, and thus Xuan Niao became the founder of the merchants. I remember this piece of history: 'Yin Qi and his mother were called Jian Di, and there was 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 addition to the Yin and Shang Dynasties, the Shizhu of the Qin Dynasty during the Warring States Period, the Shizhu of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and the Shizhu 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
4. Northern 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 Wu and Ming are connected. Wu 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. Therefore, the earliest Xuanwu was the turtle. Later, the meaning of Xuan Ming continued to expand. Turtles live in rivers, lakes and seas (including 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.
Like the other three spirits, Xuanwu is also formed from the twenty-eight constellations in the world: Dou, Niu, Nu, 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..." "Xuanwu" is the turtle and snake. "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. "Selected Works" Volume 15 Zhang Heng's "Si Xuan Fu" 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 "The Collection of Reconstruction 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 the Mysterious Girl of the Nine Heavens. 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 the water 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 the Sui Dynasty. The Jade Emperor reincarnated one of his three souls into the Queen of Zhuole Kingdom. He hated the world, gave up his throne and went to Wudang Mountain to practice cultivation. He successfully ascended to the throne and guarded the north. The name is: Xuanwu.
5. Water Kirin
One of the top ten mythical beasts in ancient times. A creature with benevolent character and powerful demonic power, who understands the world, understands the will of God, and can listen to the destiny, and is a sacred beast of the king. "Strange Tales of Gods and Demons Chapter 6.1 Spiritual Beast Chapter" Water Qilin: It comes from the cold pool of the wilderness for thousands of years. It likes to devour monsters. It can control thousands of water and frighten the monsters. Later, it was said that he was conquered by strangers and guarded by Lingshan.
6. Zhu Rong, the red flame beast, the god of fire, and Zhu Rong, the god of water, were originally descendants of the Shennong family. In a battle, Zhu Rong, who rode a fire dragon, won a great victory, and Zhu Rong, the god of fire, angered Mount Buzhou, resulting in The water of the Tianhe River pours into the world. In order to balance the power of water and fire, Zhurong sent fire dragons to roam underground. One of the descendants of this fire dragon is the Red Flame Beast. Since the flood that flooded the fields was mortal water, Zhu Rong absorbed the Samadhi True Fire from the Fire Dragon, and the Red Flame Beast, its descendant, no longer possessed the divine fire. Even so, the red flame beast with steel and iron bones and a blazing body is still not something that mortals can defeat.
"The Strange Spirits of Gods and Demons. Spiritual Beasts" Red Flame Beast: The guardian beast of Xuanhuojian, the essence of all fires, with red flames all over its body, raging fire poison, and the person in it will die instantly. Rumor
There is a pagan secret method, and the ancient evil god uses the red flame monster to control the eight evil magic circle, which is extremely weird.
7. Bai Ze, "Xuanyuan Benji", "Baopuzi (Ji Yan)" and "Rui Ying Tu" are included.
The mythical beast on Kunlun Mountain, the famous mythical beast, is white in color, can speak human language, and understands the emotions of all things. It rarely appears, unless there is a saint who governs the world at that time, and he comes here with a letter. "Xuanyuan Benji" has the story of the mythical beast Baize: "The (Huang) Emperor went hunting east to the sea and climbed Huan Mountain. He found the mythical beast Baize on the seashore. He could speak and express the feelings of all things. He asked about the ghosts and gods in the world. Since ancient times, There are 1,520 kinds of things in which essence is a thing and wandering soul is a change, Bai Ze said it; the emperor wrote it in pictures to show the world
8. Chongming Bird
It looks like a chicken and sings like a phoenix. This bird has two eyes in both eyes, so it is called the Chongming Bird. It is also called the Chongming Bird. It is very powerful and can fight off fierce beasts and other disasters. . The old New Year custom of pasting chickens on doors and windows is actually the legacy of the Chongming Bird. "There is a bird, shaped like a crane, with one leg, red stripes and a white beak. "There is a bird, shaped like a crane, with one leg, red and green, and a white beak. Its name is Bi Fang, and its song is called "Bifang". , if you see it, there is a fire in the town. "Do not eat grains. If you see it, there will be fire in the town (some say it often holds fire and causes strange disasters in people's homes). It is the sacred bird of the Yellow Emperor's chariot (some say it is a monster that causes fire, commonly known as the fire crow).
10. Xièzhì: A famous mythical beast produced under the ancient divine rule system, also known as the "Dharma Beast". According to "Lunheng" and "Huainanzi? Xiuwu Chapter", it is as big as a monster. Cows are as small as sheep. Their appearance is roughly similar to that of a unicorn. They are covered with thick, dark hair. Their eyes are bright and lively. They usually have a single horn on their foreheads. It is said that those with broken horns will die. Some have been seen with wings. But most of them have no wings. They have high intelligence and can understand people's words. They will use their horns to resist dishonest people.
China’s Ten Great Divine Weapons. Donghuang Bell Gate of Heaven
The whereabouts of it are unknown and its power is unknown. It is generally rumored that it is the Gate of Heaven, but according to the ancient wall inscriptions left in the Tianshan Grottoes from the age of gods. : The Donghuang Bell is the first of the ten most powerful artifacts, capable of destroying the heavens and the earth and swallowing up all the heavens.
Xuanyuan Sword, the most powerful sword
The golden thousand-year-old sword, legend has it that it was given by the gods of heaven to Xuanyuan Huangdi to defeat Chi You. It contains infinite power and is a divine sword that can kill demons.
Pangu’s ax travels through Taixu
It is said that at the beginning of the chaos of heaven and earth, Pangu woke up from his sleep and saw that the sky and earth were dim, so he took a huge ax to split the sky and the earth. This is our world. This ax has the power to separate the heavens and the earth, travel through the great void, and is as powerful as the Xuanyuan Sword.
The Demon Refining Pot refining all things
In ancient times, it was called the Jiuli Pot, and it is one of the rare treasures of ancient times. Possessing incredible power, it is said that it can create all things, and it also has astonishing power of destruction. There is a strange space inside, which is so big that it seems like it can contain the heaven and earth.
The Haotian Tower absorbs stars and changes the moon
It was originally a treasure in the heaven, possessing immense power. It is said that it can subjugate all demons and evil ways, and immortals and gods can also subdue them if necessary; but later He was missing for unknown reasons and no one knows his whereabouts.
Fuxi's Qin controls the soul
Fuxi's musical instrument is made of jade and Tencel. It glows with a gentle white light. Its sound can make people feel peaceful and peaceful. It is said that it has the power to control The mysterious power of the soul of all things.
The Shennong Cauldron is used to refine elixirs.
In ancient times, it was called the World-creating Cauldron. In ancient times, the Shennong family tasted hundreds of herbs for the common people and laid the foundation of medicine for future generations. The ancient cauldron that Shennong used to refine hundreds of medicines has accumulated the energy of countless elixirs for thousands of years. It is said that it can refine unparalleled magical elixirs that even the gods in heaven cannot easily obtain, and it can also hide other mysterious powers.
Kongtong Seal, the Fountain of Youth
The guardian artifact of the immortal dragon clan on the Kongtong Sea. It is engraved with the shapes of the five heavenly emperors and is surrounded by a jade dragon. It has been said since ancient times that anyone who obtains it can control the world, and some people also say that it can make people immortal. Since ancient times, many alchemists have gone to sea to search for this seal, but in the end they only embarked on a road of no return.
Kunlun Mirror Time Travel
In the Kunlun Heavenly Palace in the Kunlun Mountains, the hometown of the immortals, it is said that there is a magical mirror that has the power to travel freely through time and space. However, during a grand gathering of immortals, the mirror was stolen and its whereabouts remain unknown to this day.
Nuwa Stone Resurrection and Rebirth
Nuwa, the mother of mankind, made humans from clay, refined stones to mend the sky, and helped the human race subdue many demons. She has been admired by the people of China since ancient times. According to legend, in order to save her beloved daughter who died of illness, Nuwa concentrated her ten thousand years of cultivation on a colorful jade stone that was left to mend the sky in the past. Since then, the spiritual stone has had special powers.