The Four Symbols are mythological creatures appearing among the Chinese constellations along the ecliptic, and viewed as the guardians of the four cardinal directions. These four creatures are also referred to by a variety of other names, including "Four Guardians", "Four Gods", and "Four Auspicious Beasts". They are the Azure Dragon of the East, the Vermilion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West, and the Black Tortoise (also called "Black Warrior") of the North. Each of the creatures is most closely associated with a cardinal direction and a color, but also additionally represents other aspects, including a season of the year, an emotion, virtue, and one of the Chinese "five elements" (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water). Each has been given its own individual traits, origin story and a reason for being. Symbolically, and as part of spiritual and religious belief and meaning, these creatures have been culturally important across countries in the Sinosphere.
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👉 Four Symbols in the context of Azure Dragon
The Azure Dragon (Chinese: 青龍; pinyin: Qīnglóng) is one of the Dragon Gods who represent the mount or chthonic forces of the Five Regions' Highest Deities (五方上帝; Wǔfāng Shàngdì). It is also one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations, which are the astral representations of the Wufang Shangdi. The Azure Dragon represents the east and the spring season. It is also sometimes referred to as the Blue-green Dragon, Green Dragon, or the Blue Dragon (蒼龍; Cānglóng).
The Dragon is frequently referred to in the media, feng shui, other cultures, and in various venues as the Green Dragon and the Avalon Dragon. His cardinal direction's epithet is "Bluegreen Dragon of the East" (東方青龍; Dōngfāng Qīnglóng or 東方蒼龍; Dōngfāng Cānglóng).
Four Symbols in the context of Chinese star names
Chinese star names (Chinese: 星名, xīng míng) are named according to ancient Chinese astronomy and astrology. The sky is divided into star mansions (星宿, xīng xiù, also translated as "lodges") and asterisms (星官, xīng guān). The ecliptic is divided into four sectors that are associated with the Four Symbols, guardians in Chinese mythology, and further into 28 mansions. Stars around the north celestial pole are grouped into three enclosures (垣, yuán). The system of 283 asterisms under the Three Enclosures and Twenty-Eight Mansions was established by Chen Zhuo of the Three Kingdoms period, who synthesized ancient constellations and the asterisms created by early astronomers Shi Shen, Gan De and Wuxian. Since the Han and Jin dynasties, stars have been given reference numbers within their asterisms in a system similar to the Bayer or Flamsteed designations, so that individual stars can be identified. For example, Deneb (α Cyg) is referred to as 天津四 (Tiān Jīn Sì, the Fourth Star of Celestial Ford).
In the Qing dynasty, Chinese knowledge of the sky was improved by the arrival of European star charts. Yixiang Kaocheng, compiled in mid-18th century by then deputy Minister of Rites Ignaz Kögler, expanded the star catalogue to more than 3000 stars. The newly added stars (增星, zēng xīng) were named as 增一 (zēng yī, 1st added star), 增二 (zēng èr, 2nd added star) etc. For example, γ Cephei is referred to as 少衛增八 (Shào Wèi Zēng Bā, 8th Added Star of Second Imperial Guard). Some stars may have been assigned more than one name due to the inaccuracies of traditional star charts.
Four Symbols in the context of Wufang Shangdi
The Wǔfāng Shàngdì (Chinese: 五方上帝 "Five Regions' Highest Deities" or "Highest Deities of the Five Regions"), or simply Wǔdì (五帝; "Five Deities") or Wǔshén (五神; "Five Gods") are, in Chinese canonical texts and common Chinese religion, the fivefold manifestation of the supreme God of Heaven (天; Tiān, or equivalently 上帝; Shàngdì). This theology dates back at least to the Shang dynasty. Described as the "five changeable faces of Heaven", they represent Heaven's cosmic activity which shapes worlds as 壇; tán, "altars", imitating its order which is visible in the starry vault, the north celestial pole and its spinning constellations. The Five Deities themselves represent these constellations. In accordance with the Three Powers (三才; Sāncái) they have a celestial, a terrestrial and a chthonic form. The Han Chinese identify themselves as the descendants of the Red and Yellow Deities.
They are associated with the five colors, the five phases of the continuous creation (五行; Wuxing), the five classical planets of the Solar System and the five constellations rotating around the celestial pole, the five sacred mountains and five directions of space (their terrestrial form), and the five Dragon Gods (龙神; Lóngshén) who represent their mounts, that is to say the material forces they preside over (their chthonic form). They have also been defined simply as five special forms of the worship of the God of Heaven, different "accesses" or perspectives, suitable for different situations, to serve Heaven.
Four Symbols in the context of Wood (wuxing)
In Chinese philosophy, wood (Chinese: 木; pinyin: mù), sometimes more accurately translated as tree, is one of the five concepts that conform the wuxing. It is the growing of the matter, or the matter's growing expanding stage. Wood is the young yang symbol of the Yinyang philosophy, it can be seen as the fuelling Fire. It stands for the season of spring, the eastern direction, the planet Jupiter, the color green, windy weather, and the Azure Dragon (Qing Long) in Four Symbols. Blue and cyan-type colors also represent wood.
Four Symbols in the context of White Tiger (mythology)
The White Tiger (Chinese: 白虎; pinyin: Báihǔ), is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. It is sometimes called the White Tiger of the West (西方白虎; Xīfāng Báihǔ). It represents the west in terms of direction and the autumn season.
It is known as Byakko in Japanese, Baekho in Korean, and Bạch Hổ in Vietnamese.