Classification of mythical figures in China

Taoism has a very strict classification

Taoist mythical figures

Sanqing

Sanqing, namely Jade Qing, Shangqing and Taiqing, is the highest realm in Taoist heaven.

"Heaven" was originally divided into central Tian Jun, eastern heaven, northeastern Tian Min, northern Tian Xuan, Heaven in the northwest, Haotian in the west, Heaven in the southwest, and South Tian Yang (Huainanzi) in China. However, after Buddhism was introduced into China, it was influenced by its world view, and it also produced a difference between high and low. Taoism and Taoism believe that everything in the universe is born of "Qi", and those who are light and clear of Qi ascend to heaven, while those who are heavy and turbid fall to the ground (Liezi Duan Xuan), so the higher the level of Heaven, the more respected they are.

Because the Taoist heaven was not created by one person at a time, there were three days, nine days, thirty-two days, thirty-six days, eighty-one days and so on. , and the highest level is jade Qing, supernatant and too clear. These days have their own managers. Most of the Jade Qing Taoist scriptures are considered as the Buddha of the Yuan Dynasty, but other masters of the Second Qing Dynasty have different opinions. Today, Taoism is the master of the Qing Dynasty, and Taishang Laojun is the master of the Qing Dynasty.

The Jade Emperor

There are several statements about the Jade Emperor:

The real "God" among Taoist gods is lower than Sanqing, the first god born in Sanqing, who is in charge of the universe and is often compared with the four emperors. Confucianism called it a god, and called it "the supreme god in heaven, the golden que"

The title "Jade Emperor" appeared later than the old gentleman, and the earliest appearance should be after the Eastern Han Dynasty. According to the jade emperor's collection, the prince of the bright and wonderful kingdom gave up the throne. In Yanshan, Jinxiang, Jin Ming, he taught the truth and helped the country save the people and all sentient beings. After hundreds of millions of robberies, he finally became the jade emperor, "the Lord of the heavens" and "the respect of all the heavens".

1982, in order to commemorate the Jade Emperor, a crater on Rhea discovered by Voyager 2 spacecraft was named after him. The crater is located on the surface of Rhea, with a latitude of 50. 1 degree north and a longitude of 8 1.5 degree west.

The Queen Mother of the West, also known as the Queen Mother, is a Taoist deity and a figure in China mythology. According to Shan Hai Jing, she is a noisy monster with leopard tail and tiger teeth. In later novels and operas, it is a beautiful woman, and the fairy celebrated her birthday at the flat peach banquet, so it is also a symbol of immortality.

The Queen Mother of the West is the oldest goddess in China. As early as the Shang Dynasty in Oracle Bone Inscriptions, it was called "Queen Mother of the West". Some critics think this refers to the Queen Mother of the West. In Shan Hai Jing, an ancient sorcerer's book, the Queen Mother of the West appeared as a half-man, half-beast: "South of the West Sea, on the shore of quicksand ... Some people are Dai Sheng with tiger teeth. There is a hole in the tail, called the Queen Mother of the West ... and Wu Can. " (Classic of Mountains and Seas-Wild West Classic) shows a strong totem color and a temperament of a god of punishment and killing. The Queen Mother of the West was also mentioned in Mu Zhuan, but she appeared more as the leader of a distant alien tribe. The story of the Queen Mother of the West meeting Mu Wang and drinking in Yaochi was inherited by later generations and became the central plot of books such as The Story of Hanwu and The Biography of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.

According to the development of primitive religion, the image of the Queen Mother of the West should be developed from the image of a priestess in ancient witchcraft ceremonies. In the matriarchal clan period of primitive society, the position of priest was held by the female elders in the tribe. She became the supreme authority of the tribe, the spokesperson of the gods of heaven and earth, and was responsible for presiding over sacrifices. In ancient sacrifices, killing sacrifices (including the living) is an important content, and the work of killing sacrifices is done by priestesses, which is also an important reason why the Queen Mother of the West is regarded as a god of death.

At the end of the Western Han Dynasty, the belief in the Queen Mother of the West once again became a folk fashion. After four years of mourning for Emperor Jianping, the people were in dire straits, and a large number of Kanto people fled their homes. In the process of escape, they spread the news to the Queen Mother of the West. After 26 years of counties and counties, they went straight to Kyoto and met in the capital, singing and dancing in worship of the Queen Mother of the West (see Hanshu-Mourning the Emperor). People's sufferings provide people with opportunities to make gods. As the reformed god, the Queen Mother of the West officially stepped onto the altar. This kind of folk sacrifice was finally officially recognized, and the belief in the Queen Mother of the West became an important folk belief in the Han Dynasty.

This religious fanaticism initiated by the people finally influenced the early Taoism, and the idea of immortality contained in the belief of the Queen Mother of the West also appealed to Taoism for longevity. Later, according to the theological theory, Taoism derived the familiar Queen Mother of the West and the relative Dong.

the Eight Immortals

The Eight Immortals are eight immortals in China Taoism and China mythology, representing men and women, the old and the young, the poor and the rich respectively. Because the Eight Immortals are all mortal, their personality is close to that of the people, and they are very important representatives of immortals in Taoism recently. Many places in China have the Eight Immortals Palace, and the Eight Immortals are also essential to welcome God. The utensils or treasures they hold are also called "eight treasures".

The origin of the Eight Immortals

The word "Eight Immortals" has always had different meanings in the history of China. It was not until the Ming Dynasty that Wu Yuantai's Journey to the East (commonly known as Journey to the East) was officially defined as Han Zhongli (or), Zhang, Han Xiangzi, He Xiangu, Lan Caihe and Uncle Cao.

The Eight Immortals of Taoism originated in the Tang and Song Dynasties, when there were portraits of the Eight Immortals among the people. There are traces of the Eight Immortals in Ma Zhiyuan's Yueyang Tower, Fan Zi 'an's Bamboo Boat and Gu Zi 'an's Willow in the South of the City in the Yuan Dynasty, but their members often change. In Ma Zhiyuan's "Three Drunk Yueyang Tower in Lv Dongbin", there is no He Xiangu, only Xu Shenweng. In Yue Bochuan's Lv Dongbin Du Tie Guai Li Yue, there is Zhang Shiro, but there is no He Xiangu. The Eight Immortals among the eunuchs on the Journey to the West in the Romance of Three Treasures in the Ming Dynasty replaced Zhang and He Xiangu with Feng Sangshou and Xuanxuzi.

Although Liu Hai (or Liu Haichan) is not among the Eight Immortals now, it is still among the Eight Immortals in many areas. Zhang in Biography of Liexian in Ming Dynasty was replaced. In some areas of Jiangxi, Liu Hai also replaced Han Zhongli with Han Zhongli, and Taiwan Province Province also replaced Lan Caihe with Liu Hai.

Japan also has a similar combination of gods called "Seven Blessed Gods", but most of them are Hindu/Buddhist gods. Due to the cultural influence of China and China, and the image of the seven gods of wealth on the treasure ship is similar to that of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, some scholars believe that the seven gods of wealth come from the Eight Immortals.

picture

Unlike many Taoist immortals, the Eight Immortals all came from the world, and they all had colorful human stories, and then got the truth. They are completely different from the images of ordinary immortals, so they are deeply loved by the people. The generals, royalty, beggars and Taoist priests among them are not born immortals, but they all have some shortcomings, such as Han Zhong's bare breasts, Lv Dongbin's frivolous personality, Tie Guai Li's heavy drinking and so on.

Han Zhongli always cranks a banana fan or something, but they are all Taoist immortals and often spend time together.

Lv Dongbin is regarded as one of the five northern ancestors by Quanzhen Sect.

Zhang He is a child with a silver beard, and often rides a donkey head down.

Han Xiangzi, the nephew of Han Yu, a writer in Tang Dynasty, loved playing the flute.

Tie Guai Li is a lame disabled person, leaning on an iron crutch, like a beggar.

He Xiangu is a beautiful young woman.

Lan Caihe's prototype is a somewhat talented tramp.

Cao Guojiu is a relative of the emperor.

The Eight Immortals also represent men, women, children, rich and poor. Therefore, generally speaking, Taoist temples have places to worship the Eight Immortals, or the Eight Immortals Palace is set up independently, and the Eight Immortals also appear in the temple fairs of the gods.

The Eight Immortals often appear in New Year pictures, embroidery, porcelain, lanterns and plays. It is said that the Eight Immortals will regularly attend the flat peach party of the Queen Mother of the West to celebrate their birthdays, so "Eight Immortals' Birthday" has also become a common birthday theme in folk art. When folk operas reward the gods, so-called "fairy plays" such as drunken eight immortals or eight immortals' birthdays are often staged.

Eight immortals of darkness

Everyone in the Eight Immortals has one or two treasures or artifacts, commonly known as the "Dark Eight Immortals" or Eight Treasures, which often appear in embroidery and folk art, representing auspicious meanings and changing with different scenes. Among them, the more popular dark eight immortals are:

Banana fan (Han Zhongli)

Hulu (Tie Guai Li)

Flower Basket (Lan Cai He)

Lotus (He Xiangu)

Sword (Lv Dongbin)

Flute (Han Xiangzi)

Yugu (Zhang)

Yuban (Cao Guojiu)

Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea

The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea is one of the most popular stories of the Eight Immortals, which was first seen in the zaju "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea to Get Jade Board". According to legend, when the peony in Penglai Xiandao was in full bloom, Fairy Baiyun invited eight immortals and five immortals to hold a grand ceremony. On the return trip, Tie Guai Li (or Lv Dongbin) advised them to find a way by themselves, instead of taking a boat. This is the origin of "the Eight Immortals show their magical powers when crossing the sea" or "the Eight Immortals show their magical powers when crossing the sea".

At this time, Li Tieguai left his other musical instrument, the iron crutch (or gourd), Han Zhongli threw a banana fan, Zhang put down his mount, the paper donkey, and other immortals also threw their musical instruments into the water and crossed the East China Sea. Because the behavior of the Eight Immortals alarmed the Dragon Palace, the Dragon King of the East China Sea led a group of soldiers and crabs to theorize. Unexpectedly, there was a conflict, and Lan Cai He was taken back to the Dragon Palace. After the Eight Immortals killed the dragon, the Dragon King of the East China Sea cooperated with the Dragon Kings of the North Sea, the South China Sea and the West Sea, and suddenly the waves were stormy. At this time, Cao Guojiu took out the jade board and opened the way, forcing the huge waves to both sides and crossing the sea smoothly. Finally, the South China Sea Guanyin Bodhisattva (or Tathagata) intervened and asked the Dragon King of the East China Sea to release Lan Caihe, and the two sides stopped fighting.

Han Zhongli, surnamed Li Zhong, with a right name and a silent word, is one of the Eight Immortals who became immortal and became famous earlier. Because the prototype is a general in the Eastern Han Dynasty, it is also called Han Zhongli. Later, it was honored as one of the five northern ancestors by Quanzhen Sect, and its real name was Zhengyang. Yuan Shizu named him the King of Zhengyang Enlightenment, and Yuan Wuzong named him Zhengyang Enlightenment and taught the emperor.

Lv Dongbin, the later Taoist God, is the founder of Quanzhen Taoism, the representative of the Inner Dan School in the Middle Road, with the theme of "Jade Qing, Golden Que, Choosing Immortal Pure Yang, Playing the Right Scene, Blessing the Emperor and Three Caos, and Dominating the Splendid Road".

Lu Xian's original name is Lu Xie. It is said that his real name is Lu Yu or Lu Qiong, and his name is Chunzi. It is generally believed that he was born in 798 AD in Zhaoxianli, Yongle County (now Yongle Town, Ruicheng County, Shanxi Province). Another way of saying it is that he was from Jingzhao (now Xi 'an, Shaanxi) in the late Tang Dynasty. In the first year of Tang Bao calendar (AD 825), he was a scholar and worked as an official for some time. Soon, tired of being a corrupt official, he gave up his official position, entered Taoism and lived in seclusion in Zhong Nanshan. The time of his death became a mystery.

The legendary Lv Dongbin.

On the basis of realistic Lv Dongbin, many folk stories about him have been added. He is the most legendary figure of the Eight Immortals and the most famous one. Since the Northern Song Dynasty, people have been going out in his name, making his legend richer and more magical. For example, Three Drunken Yueyang Tower, Visiting He Cheng and Selling jiaozi, etc.

Zhang Guo (? -? ), a Taoist who was proficient in persuading himself and practicing Inner alchemy in the Tang Dynasty, was gradually mythologized after the middle Tang Dynasty, and later became one of the folk myths, known as Zhang.

all one's life

Zhang Guo's dates of birth and death are ominous. His life is mainly found in the volume 10 of Da Tang Xin Yu, and the Biography of Zhang Guo in the New Tang Dynasty is basically based on this.

Zhang Guo claimed that he lived in Hengshan Mountain from Tang Gaozong to Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty.

Main idea

Zhang Guo studied internal alchemy and external alchemy, but mainly practiced internal alchemy. He divided Neidan into three categories, with Jiuzhuan Huang Dan as the top grade. And summed up that there are nine essentials to turn nine into Dan, according to which you can get the Tao. This statement is similar to Sima Chengzhen's "sit and forget". In addition, he proposed a double major, which was regarded as the pioneer of Inner alchemy in Song and Yuan Dynasties.

work

Taoist scriptures are Zhang Guo's Nine Emperors Heart Sutra.

The Seven Signs of Yun Qi

Volume 59 has "The Law of Mr. Zhang Guo's Belief"

"The Secret of Inner Dan" receives "Hu Jin Bai Long Poem"

Volume 923 of "Complete Tang Dynasty Literature" includes Preface to Tao Style and Preface to Taishang Wine and Miao Yin Classics.

Others are said to have been written by Zhang Guo's Theory of Tao Style, Ternary Teleology and Taoist Zhang Hui.

Mythical image

His typical image is riding a white donkey backwards. It is said that this white donkey walks thousands of miles a day without eating or drinking. Fold when resting, blow when riding, and become a donkey again.

Han Xiangzi is a member of the Eight Immortals. Later generations thought that Han Xiangzi was Han Xiang, the grandnephew of Han Yu, a writer in the Tang Dynasty. But after textual research, some people think that these are just two unrelated events.

Han Xiang (794-), named Zhu Bei, is Han Yu's nephew. Changqing three years (823), Jinshi, official to Cheng Dali. Another unknown Han Yu's Shu Nephew is the person who can change the color of peony mentioned in Youyang Miscellanies.

Han Xiang's life

The earliest source of Han Xiangzi's story is the story of Han Xiangzi, which originated in the Tang Dynasty and centered on Du Hangong. Han Gong is Han Yu. Han Yu once wrote three poems for his grandnephew, namely, the famous "Moving Left to Languan to Meet a Grandnephew" and two poems "Meeting a Grandnephew at the mouth of Su Zan River". In the 14th year of Yuanhe, Tang Xianzong (8 19), Han Yu welcomed the admonition of the Buddha's bones, and was demoted as a tidal secretariat. When going to Languan, Han Yu wrote the poem "Moving Left to Languan to Show Grandnephew's Neck": "A letter is played nine days early and eight thousand at Chaoyang Road late. If you want to eliminate disasters for the wise, will you be willing to decline and cherish your old age? Where is the home of Yunheng Qinling? The heavy snow hindered the horse's progress. Knowing that you came all the way, you should have done it on purpose so that I could collect the bones by the river. Han Xiang is Han Yu's grandnephew, and "Sacrifice to Twelve Lang Wen" is also an article commemorating his father Han Laocheng. The article said: "Your son started at the age of ten, and my son started at the age of five. It can be inferred that Han Xiang was born in the tenth year of Zhenyuan in Tang Dezong (794).

Han Yu's sons and nephews study hard

According to Youyang Miscellanies, Han Yu had a nephew of Jianghuai who was called by Han Yu to study in the academy. However, instead of studying hard, he bullied his classmates. Later, Han Yu arranged for him to study in a monastery, and the abbot complained that he was crazy. Han Yu scolded him for nothing, but said that he had the ability to change the color of Mudan and perform in front of Han Yu, which was praised by Han Yu. To this end, he also wrote another poem "Xuzhou gives a nephew's home", which reads: "Who is knocking at the door? Smell speech is my family. There are wonders on the clouds, and Excellence in exploring the strange. However, this happened after Han Yu left Languan, resigned and returned to Jianghuai. However, this incident was also wrongly blamed on Han Xiang.

han xiang zi

Han Xiangzi, whose name is Qing Fu, is one of the "Eight Immortals" in folk stories. He studied Taoism with Lv Dongbin as his teacher. Taoist music Introduction to Smallpox is said to have been written by Han Xiangzi. It is said that Han Xiangzi's body is not immortal. When he became immortal, "I saw that the peach was ripe and went up the tree to pick it." Suddenly the branch broke, and I fell to the ground and died. My body died and my body was dismembered. " Therefore, he actually fell to his death in a tree.

There has never been a record of Han Xiang learning immortals in the history books, which is completely said by the folk association.

Tie Guai Li, also known as the Li Tie monster, is one of the Eight Immortals of Taoism. Li Tie strange, according to legend, Li Ningyang, or Li Hongshui, or little darling Li Xuan, named Li Kongmu.

Someone's (unfortunate) fate

There are many legends about Tie Guai Li's life.

(of a dead person's soul) find reincarnation in another person's body-(of an evil thing) reincarnate.

Tie Guai Li had an out-of-body experience date with Taishang Laojun under the inspiration of Taishang Laojun. Disciples mistakenly thought that he was dead and wanted to go home to see his dying mother, so they quickly cremated Tie Guai Li's body. Tie Guai Li's wandering soul had nowhere to go, so he attached himself to a starving man. This man was covered in soil and lame, supported by an iron rod, so he was later called "Tie Guai Li".

【 Iron rod turns dragon.

Tie Guai Li often begs in the city and is despised by people. One day, he suddenly threw the iron staff into the sky. The iron staff turned into a flying dragon, and Tie Guai Li also left Lapras.

Socialization of the Queen Mother of the West

There is also a saying that Tie Guai Li was transformed by the Queen Mother of the West. From the beginning, he was listed as a fairy, named the leader of Donghua, and awarded an iron staff.

He Xiangu, formerly known as He Qiong, was born in Lingling, Yongzhou. One of the Eight Immortals of Taoism, the prototype is a beautiful young woman who often holds lotus flowers. There are many stories about her life. It is said that He's daughter, He Xiangu, went into the mountains to pick tea at the age of thirteen, and happened to meet an apprentice and gave him a peach or a jujube, which made her immortal.

He Xiangu is the daughter of Zhonghetai in Zengcheng, Guangzhou. At the age of sixteen, she dreamed that the fairy taught herself to eat mica powder and could live forever. According to the fairy's instructions, she ate mica and vowed not to marry. She often traveled to and from the valley, walking as fast as a fly, and then gradually stopped eating whole grains. Wu Zetian once sent messengers to call her into the palace to meet the sage. On the way to Beijing, she suddenly disappeared, and it is said that she ascended to heaven during the day. In the ninth year of Tianbao in Tang Dynasty, it appeared in Magutan, standing among the five clouds, and then appeared in Xiaoshilou, Guangzhou.

In Song Dynasty, Zeng Minxing's Lonely Wake Magazine recorded: "Di Qing visited Yongzhou when he fought for Nannong in his early years. He heard that He Xiangu could predict good and bad luck, so he specially asked about the outcome of the war. He Xiangu said, "You don't have to see the thief. The thief will leave after defeat." Di Qing didn't believe it at first. Later, Song Jun Pioneer fought with the soldiers of Nannong Gaozhi. Without a chance, Kochi was defeated and fled to Dali. 」

Lan Caihe is one of the Eight Immortals of Taoism. He was born in Kaiyuan Tianbao in the Tang Dynasty, holding a basket of flowers and being able to communicate with the gods. He often wears rags, with one foot in boots and the other naked. He was begging in Chang 'an, holding a big racket. Sometimes the money he begs will be given to the poor, and sometimes he will spend it in hotels. He sings when he is drunk, and the lyrics are full of immortal meanings. In addition, he likes to wear thick clothes in summer and lie on the snow in winter. According to legend, someone saw him in childhood and old age, and Lan Caihe's appearance has never changed. Finally, Lan Caihe went to a restaurant in Zhong Liquan and got drunk.

Cao Guojiu, a native of Xuzhou, is one of the Eight Immortals of Taoism. According to legend, he is Song Renzong's great-uncle, named Cao Shu, also known as Cao Jingxiu. According to legend, Cao Jingzhi, the younger brother of Cao Guojiu, coveted the beauty of the scholar's wife, so he hanged the scholar and took his wife away. The ghost of the scholar appealed to Bao Zheng, and Bao Zheng allowed them to investigate. Cao Guojiu taught his younger brother to kill the scholar's wife in order to avoid future troubles. So Cao Jingzhi threw the scholar's wife into the well, but she escaped. When his wife saw Cao Guojiu, she thought she saw Bao Zheng and pleaded with Cao Guojiu. Cao Guojiu was so frightened that his men killed her and left her in the alley.

Unexpectedly, his wife survived again. After waking up, she complained to Bao Gong. After asking the truth, Bao Zheng designed to imprison Cao Guojiu's two brothers. Even Empress Cao and Cao personally begged Bao Zheng to give them leniency, but Bao Zheng refused to obey and ordered the execution of the two uncles. Later, Song Renzong pardoned the whole world. Bao Gong released Cao Guojiu.

After Cao Guojiu was released, he went into the mountains to practice, and since then he has lived in seclusion in the mountains, dressed in wild clothes, and determined to cultivate Buddhism and learn immortality. One day, I happened to meet Han Zhongli and Lv Dongbin, and I was very happy to see Cao Guojiu's answer. I was awarded the "Secret Biography of the True Classics" and asked him to practice seriously. Soon, Zhong Liquan and Lv Dongbin launched Xianban.

Among the Eight Immortals, Cao Guojiu has the least deeds and the latest origin.

Beasts and elves

Oh, the legendary turtle or turtle in the sea. The Goddess Mends the Sky once said that "breaking the aojiang is enough to set up four poles", and there are three fairy mountains in the East China Sea: Penglai, Abbot and Yingzhou.

Whistling dog is a beast around Erlang God. Help him kill demons. It once appeared in The Journey to the West, fighting the Monkey King.

It is said that fierce dogs in southwest China, such as Tibetan mastiff, are descendants of Xiaotiangou.

Bashu snake is a snake that devours elephants in ancient legends of China. It took three years to spit out the elephant's bones. See Classic of Mountains and Seas, Classic of South China at Home. Later generations will use this kind of situation to compare the greed of people's hearts. It can be seen in Yu's Ming Yan. The second volume. Chen Yushi expertly surveyed the golden hairpin hall: "Liang Shangbin was filled with joy when he saw that the deal was cheap. Exactly: greed, ignorance, bottomless snakes swallowing elephants, misfortune and happiness are hard to understand. 」

Phoenix is the king of birds in ancient legends of China, and its position in China culture is second only to that of dragons. Beautiful feathers, the male is called Phoenix, and the female is called Phoenix. Often used to symbolize good luck. Also known as Zhu Bird, Dan Bird, Firebird, Stork Chicken, etc.

[Editor] The Form of Phoenix

According to Guo Pu's note in Er Ya Shi Bird, the Phoenix is characterized by "the fishtail with the head of a dog's head and the jaw of a tortoiseshell is five colors, and it is six feet high". There are five kinds of pictographic characters in Shan Hai Tu Zan: "The first word is Yue De, the wing is Shun, the back is Yi, and the abdomen is Xin Yue, which is like Ren Yue." 」

Ming Feng

According to the existing literature, Feng Ming is like a flute and his voice is like a bell and drum. Phoenix men call it Man, Fung Wong-Nui calls it Man, and men and women call it Tang Qiang.

The symbol of phoenix

Phoenix Phoenix in front of Renshou Hall in Beijing Summer Palace is an honorary bird in people's minds and a symbol of world peace. The ancients believed that when there was peace and prosperity, there was a phoenix flying. Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Fengqi and Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Fengfeng are the same, which means that the wind and spiritual power are everywhere; Burning is the word of the emperor, which means supreme and great.

Phoenix is also a symbol of China's imperial power and is often used with dragons. Phoenix belongs to the dragon and is used for the queen's concubines. The combination of dragon and phoenix is the totem with the most China characteristics. There are a lot of similar shapes in folk art, and phoenix also represents yin. Although phoenix is divided into male and female, it is more generally considered as feminine. "Phoenix" and "Phoenix" are common in women's names.

Phoenix is considered to be the noblest bird and the king of birds (although she is fictional), and there is a saying that "a hundred birds fly at the phoenix".

According to the theory of yin-yang and five elements, the phoenix is red and the five elements belong to fire, which is the image of the southern seven-night Zhu bird. It is also one of the four gods (Li Yun, Dragon, Phoenix, Kirin and Turtle) that China people call.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong takes Phoenix as its emblem.

Chu culture totem

Chu people's respect for the phoenix stems from their primitive belief that their distant ancestors worshipped the sun and respected the phoenix. It has a history of more than 7000 years. Zhu Rong, the ancestor of Chu people, was Vulcan and Thor. The Legend of the White Tiger in the Han Dynasty said that Zhu Rong was "a bird and she was a phoenix." "Birds in the Yajiang River" notes: "Phoenix is also". It can be seen that Zhu Rong is also the embodiment of Phoenix. There are a large number of patterns of heads, snakes and birds in Chu cultural relics, which shows that the ancestors of Chu experienced bird worship in the image of human heart, thus opening the cultural origin of "dragon and phoenix become auspicious" in China legendary culture. Judging from the prominent characteristics of totem worship in the clan system, Feng is the ancestor of Chu people, and it is inevitable that he will be worshipped and respected by Chu people as a totem of his clan.

Phoenix is not only a divine bird, but also a symbol of Chu nationality and dignity. The influence of Chu people's worship of phoenix has penetrated into all fields. For example, among the cultural relics of Chu State, there are countless images of phoenix, Xiu Xiang and statues, and the embroidery patterns on Chu people's clothes also take phoenix as the main content. In addition, there are "phoenix-bird series", "tiger stands phoenix drum" and "phoenix, dragon and tiger embroidered Luo Zen clothes". The phoenix-patterned paintings in Chu are varied and strange.

prototype

The zoological prototype of Phoenix has different opinions and is generally regarded as a mixture. According to the evidence and argumentation listed in China scholar He Xin 1987 and the book Talking about Dragons and Phoenix published in 2004, the prototype animals of dragons are large reptiles, mainly crocodiles and monitor lizards, and the prototype animals of phoenixes are large birds, mainly ostriches. Three generations ago, the climate in China was warm and humid, and both of these animals existed in Chinese mainland. Fossils of crocodile and ostrich eggshells were found in Paleolithic and Neolithic sites.

Related myths and legends

It was first circulated in the East, so it is called the Oriental God Bird and the Longevity Bird.

There are also narratives about god birds in western myths and legends. The phoenix in Guo Moruo's poem "Phoenix Nirvana" refers to the legendary phoenix in the west.

According to ancient Egyptian legend, the phoenix is as big as an eagle, with golden feathers, shining wings, gorgeous appearance and pleasant singing, which can give people happiness and longevity; At the same time, it is believed that there is only one phoenix in the world with a life span of 500 years. When the phoenix dies, it will collect branches of aromatic plants and herbs to build a nest and then set itself on fire. In the blazing flame, a young phoenix was born. The newborn little phoenix put the ashes of the old phoenix into a medicine egg, coated it with antiseptic essential oil, and took it to the sun god, who put it on the altar of the Sun Temple.

The "Phoenix" mentioned above is somewhat different from the legendary Phoenix in China. The legendary phoenix in the west looks like an eagle, while the legendary phoenix in China is more similar to the image of a peacock. There seems to be no mention of phoenix self-immolation in ancient myths and legends in China.

Luan bird, a kind of god bird similar to phoenix, is also the legend of Luan bird holding its son.

The legendary giant green turtle

Whistling dog

Bashe

phoenix

Luanniao

Jiguang

A mythical bird with only one eye and one wing (such a pair of birds must unite to fly)

Jingwei reclamation

A bird mentioned in ancient books

roc

Qinglong-the patron saint of the East in Taoism

White Tiger

rosefinch

turtle

Dragon King

Fucanglong

Dragon!

earthworm

grand

kylin

A mythical wild animal

One-legged dragon monster in ancient China legend

Legend has it that a giant fish can become a Dapeng bird.

The Walking Dead

Fox-a seductive woman

Snake essence

Jaksa

Nien

Cow's head and horse's face (two followers of the ghost king)-all kinds of demons/evil/evil people

Shrimp soldiers and crab generals-ineffective troops

Ruishi

A person who loves ...

Qiong Qi

listen to

The legendary beast-fierce man

muddledness

Alatas

The legendary mountain cannibal

evil spirit

Demons and monsters

Demons and monsters

Chinese/Yangtze alligator

An angry stare

A kind of intense

The legendary beast resembling a tiger, whose image was once painted on the prison door.

Pulau

burden

Kiss (tail, kiss)

scorched earth―ravages of war

Prison cow

Laugh at the wind

Spiritual world/immortal world

Xuanpu

Jasper L.

The legendary mulberry trees in the ocean where the sun rises.

magpie bridge

The place where the legendary fairy lived.

Yingzhou-also known as Dongsheng Yingzhou

Chief monk

Lunar Palace

Middle forehead

The main library of heaven (the Emperor of Heaven) is legendary.