Why is there only one kind of animal in Qinglong, Baihu and Suzaku, but Xuanwu is composed of two kinds of animals?

Xuanwu is just an animal. Together with Qinglong, Suzaku and Baihu, it is called the four sacred animals, but Xuanwu has two remarkable animal characteristics, and Qinglong has at least nine animal characteristics.

0 1, the early Xuanwu was a simple tortoise image, and the combination of tortoise and snake appeared after the Western Han Dynasty. The earliest image of Xuanwu is not the entanglement of turtles and snakes we see today, it is just a turtle. People regard it as a spirit beast and totem worship because it symbolizes longevity and wisdom.

Xuanwu patterns unearthed before the Western Han Dynasty are only simple tortoise patterns. Many people use tortoise shells for divination, and they think that the results obtained through this wisdom are more accurate. In addition, those nobles also like to carve basaltic patterns on the Yu Pei to protect their own safety. Some rich children also use basalt in murals, brick carvings, eaves and other places when building houses. In people's eyes, Xuanwu is a proper mascot.

After the Western Han Dynasty, the image of Xuanwu began to change, which was also confirmed in unearthed cultural relics. Xuanwu has changed from a tortoise to a tortoise and snake pattern, that is, there are several snakes next to the tortoise.

02. A turtle named snake turtle likes to shoot snakes and is regarded as a totem by people. The prototype of this image change can definitely be found in real life. Among turtles, there is a kind of turtle catching. They are naturally fond of fighting and eating snakes very much. If they meet snakes when they are suitable for crawling, they will fight them excitedly. After winning the battle, the snake will become a trophy for catching turtles.

The country will swagger to a safe and hidden place to eat with trophies. Therefore, snake turtles are also called snake catching turtles, snake sucking turtles, snake spitting turtles and snake biting turtles. (At present, this species still exists and belongs to the endangered level. Please protect it. )

After seeing the scene of shooting turtles and killing snakes, people felt its brave and tenacious fighting spirit, so they changed the image of Xuanwu into a battle between turtles and snakes. Therefore, the original snake was just an ornament on the tortoise.

In addition, influenced by Taoism and astronomy, people divide the stars in the sky into 28 stars. When the seven stars in the north are connected together, they are very close to the shape of tortoises and snakes, so people call these seven stars Xuanwu, which corresponds to the god of the north and protects the land of the north.

Especially after the establishment of Taoism in Han Dynasty, the image of Xuanwu has changed greatly. It has gradually become a perfect combination of tortoise and snake, and the snake is no longer a trophy of the tortoise, but has completely become a part of the tortoise. They combine with each other, help each other, become more perfect creatures, and gradually become the water god in the north.

Finally, after Xuanwu became a perfect image of Yin and Yang, it was personified and became the Zhenwu Emperor (Xuanwu Emperor) believed by Taoism, and its status rose again, becoming the Xuanwu image we see now.