What are the attributes of the five elements corresponding to the four great beasts?

Qinglong corresponds to five elements of trees, white tiger corresponds to five elements of gold, Suzaku corresponds to five elements of fire, and Xuanwu corresponds to five elements of water.

The stars in the east are like dragons, the stars in the west are like tigers, the stars in the south are like big birds, and the stars in the north are like turtles and snakes. As the earth revolves around the sun, the stars in the sky change with the seasons. Every evening at the turn of winter and spring, the black dragon appears; At the turn of spring and summer, Xuanwu rose; At the turn of summer and autumn, white tigers emerge; At the turn of autumn and winter, Suzaku rose, known as the "four great beasts".

In addition, the four great beasts are also four of the six beasts corresponding to the hexagrams in Zhouyi, which are collectively called "Six Gods", namely Qinglong, Suzaku, Gouchen, Tengshe, Baihu and Xuanwu. They not only represent the five elements and directions, but also reflect the information of the hexagrams.

Extended data:

origin

In Shang Dynasty, the ancients divided the sky into four palaces, east, west, north and south, named after Qinglong (black dragon), White Tiger, Suzaku and Xuanwu (a turtle-shaped god). In fact, the sky is divided into four parts, which are connected by seven main stars in each part and named after their shapes.

The horn (wood horn), kang (golden dragon), vulture (native raccoon), house (Japanese rabbit), heart (moon fox), tail (fire tiger) and dustpan (water leopard) in the east are shaped like dragons, so the East Palace is called Qinglong or Black Dragon.

The seven western stars, Kui (wooden wolf), Lou (golden dog), stomach (pheasant), Zan (Japanese chicken), Bi (moonlit monkey), tapir (fire monkey) and ginseng (water ape), look like tigers, and call the West Palace the White Tiger.

In the south, wells (wooden roofs), ghosts (golden sheep), willows (earth roes), stars (Japanese horses), Zhang (moon deer), wings (salamanders) and water worms are combined into a bird shape, which is called Suzaku.

The northern seven-star bucket (Mu Yi), ox (Taurus), female (native bat), virtual (Japanese rat), dangerous (moon swallow), house (fire pig) and wall (water book) are shaped like turtles, which is called Xuanwu. As a result, Qinglong, Baihu, Suzaku and Xuanwu have become the four gods who guard the Heavenly Palace, create evil and adjust Yin and Yang.

Baidu encyclopedia-five elements

Baidu Encyclopedia-Four Great Beasts