The meaning and symbol of the tiger

The meaning and symbol of the tiger, the tiger in China has been called the king of beasts since ancient times. In the legend of China, people think that the tiger is an extremely powerful animal, which can drive away three disasters in the family. Do you know the meaning and symbol of the tiger?

The meaning and symbol of the tiger 1

Tigers symbolize authority and good luck.

People are most afraid of tigers and admire them. The tiger is also a symbol of the general. The dragon is the symbol of the emperor. Without the tiger to protect the dragon, the mountains and rivers are unstable. Moreover, the tiger is also the first beast on land, the first tiger in Asia, especially the Siberian tiger, the first cat, and is known as the king of beasts.

Tiger is one of the 12 zodiac animals, ranking third, called Yin. Shu Wei, a scholar in Qing Dynasty, wrote the poem "Qian Miao Zhuzhici Red Temple", saying: "Weaving silk does not compete with people, but turning bronze drums to compete with mountain gods. The two feelings are speechless, and the room is empty tonight. " Yin is a tiger, who dares to violate the custom of avoiding Yin? If couples sleep in the same room when it is cloudy in May, tigers will hurt them. Avoiding shade is a folk custom in some places.

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In folk culture, the tiger symbolizes good luck. Ying Shao in the Eastern Han Dynasty recorded in his book "Customs and Righteousness": "The tiger, the penis, is also the length of all animals. Can play sharp and eat ghosts. " This shows that at least in the Han dynasty, tigers were regarded as a symbol of yang and could drive away evil spirits. Quite antique people often hang pictures of tigers going down the mountain in the hall to ward off evil spirits for their houses.

The beautiful meaning of the tiger is also reflected in folk activities. For example, during the Dragon Boat Festival in ancient times, realgar powder was used to put the "King" calligraphy and painting symbolizing the tiger on the forehead of children. The folks in the Yellow River Valley have always had the custom of wearing tiger-headed shoes and hats for their children, and they also hope that their children will be safe and sound, and look as dignified and energetic as tigers. In addition,

Because the tiger is a symbol of yin, there are many allusions about the tiger and death. For example, the White Tiger Hall in the negotiation war, the "White Tiger Star" that Lin Chong mistakenly entered the White Tiger Hall in "Water Margin" led to Gao Taiwei's frame-up, and so on.

In short, the image of the tiger hovers between yin and yang in different contexts. Just like roses in the west, they are not only used to send flowers at funerals, but also related to death, symbolizing beautiful love.

The meaning and symbol of Tiger II

Tiger is one of the 12 zodiac animals, ranking third, called Yin. Tiger worship originated from the tiger totem worship in Chu culture. The tiger has always been worshipped by the Han people, and it is a symbol of justice, courage and majesty.

According to textual research, the image of tiger also appeared in ancient Qiang and Rong nationalities, but it was most popular in southwest China. Jade cong of Liangzhu culture in Neolithic Age and bronze wares in Yin and Shang Dynasties have similar animal faces and tiger images. To this day, the Yi, Bai, Buyi, Tujia and other ethnic groups in China still call tigers their ancestors. People in the Han Dynasty regarded the tiger as the king of beasts. The white tiger is a tiger that can only turn white in 500 years. It's a sacred object. Immortals often ascend to heaven through tigers, which are beasts in the west of the town. Since the Han Dynasty, the tiger has always been the favorite protector of the working people, but it is not a symbol of the emperor. After a long historical evolution and development, the cultural awareness of tiger worship has become a common cultural concept of the Chinese nation.

The first symbolic meaning of the tiger: majesty and strength

Although the west regards the lion as the king of animals, in ancient China, the king of animals was the tiger! China regarded tigers as inviolable animals since ancient times, and he was really afraid of tigers. People's faces change at the mention of tigers. When they see tigers, they may be scared to death.

The pattern on the tiger's forehead constitutes the word "king" of China. In fact, China's word "king" comes from the tiger. The tiger is the king of the forest, so China people skillfully use the pattern on its forehead as Chinese characters, which means ruler. Today, this word has become one of hundreds of surnames.

It can be seen that the tiger is a symbol of majesty and strength, and its manner is awe-inspiring, inviolable, offensive and provocative. Therefore, there is a saying in folk proverbs: "You can't touch the tiger's ass" and "Who dares to touch the tiger's beard?" "Tigers don't eat people, but they look like killers" and so on.

The second symbolic meaning of the tiger: bravery and fearlessness

Because of its majestic image, tigers have been used to symbolize the courage and strength of soldiers since ancient times, such as tiger generals, tiger ministers and tiger warriors. In ancient times, a tiger was carved in gold on the military symbol of dispatching troops, which was called the tiger symbol. Another example is "The Teacher of the Tiger and the Wolf". The popular understanding is that the army is like a tiger, which is a metaphor for the strength of the army and the strength of its combat effectiveness! "Tiger Ben" symbolizes the warrior, Ben and Ben run together, which means that the rainbow and the tiger dance and run together, as brave and powerful as the tiger.

The third symbolic meaning of the tiger: praying for good luck and avoiding evil spirits.

In the legend of China, people believe that tigers are extremely powerful animals, and they can drive away three disasters in the family: fire, theft and evil. Tiger paintings are often hung on the wall, facing the gate, so that demons are afraid to go in. Even in contemporary China, some children wear tiger hats and shoes to ward off evil spirits, while others sleep on tiger pillows to make themselves stronger. In the Year of the Tiger, the red word "Wang" is written on children's heads, which seems to enhance their energy and vitality.

People in China love auspicious things, so tiger symbols and tiger flags have become the targets of catching opponents, and people have always been happy to use tiger paintings, tiger faces and Humen gods to pray for good luck and ward off evil spirits. This custom has been circulating for thousands of years.

The meaning and symbol of tiger 3

The symbolic meaning of the tiger

Tigers symbolize majesty and strength.

The tiger's character is brave, powerful and violent, which makes people afraid and afraid to approach, just like in front of the "emperor" or authority. In people's minds, the tiger is a symbol of majesty and strength, and its expression is awe-inspiring and inviolable. It is not to be offended or provoked, so there is a saying in folk proverbs: "You can't touch the tiger's ass" and "Who dares to touch the tiger's beard?" "Tigers don't eat people, but they look like they want to kill people." .

Some proverbs show the tiger's habits and its special relationship with human beings, the environment and other animals. The former is like "tigers sometimes take a nap" and "tigers hide in holes without showing prestige"; The latter, such as "the front door refuses the tiger, the back door enters the wolf", "the sheep runs into the tiger group", "the tiger enters the city, and every family closes the door", "a good tiger can't hold the wolf group" ... Some proverbs, in addition to superficial metaphor or symbolic shallow meaning, have a deep meaning of their essence, which is manifested as or has a certain philosophy of life, or prompts the essential characteristics of things, or summarizes people's life experience. This proverb is actually a metaphor, perhaps a symbol, a beautiful flower of thought, conceived or invented by people for a certain purpose. Such as "flying on the tiger's head", "scratching on the tiger's head", "Two tigers are bound to get hurt when they fight", "Sheep are still afraid when they see the tiger", "Sheep and tigers will lose one day when they make friends", "Pigs pay a New Year call to the tiger and never come back", "tyranny is fiercer than tigers" and "Never enter the tiger's den". "There is no tiger in the mountain, and the monkey is called the king" ... These proverbs all have meanings and have the characteristics of duplicity. Some of them can even be the generalization and condensation of fables, which are extremely exquisite language arts.

Introduction to the Year of the Tiger Zodiac

Tiger is one of the 12 Zodiacs, ranking third, and is called Silver Tiger.

Tiger related culture

Shu Wei, a scholar in the Qing Dynasty, wrote a poem "Red Seedlings on Bamboo Branches in Qian Miao": "Weaving silk is not with people, but turning bronze drums to compete with mountain gods, and they are speechless. Tonight is empty to avoid shade. " (Note: Hongmiao is only available in Tongren area, and the clothes are all made of silk, which is the service of the needlework. Beating a bronze drum is called drum tuning. On the fifth day of May every year, the couple stay up late and dare not talk, thinking that they have committed a tiger wound. ) In other words, Yin is a tiger, who dares to violate the custom of avoiding Yin? If couples sleep together in the shade in May, tigers will hurt them.

White Tiger

So some places have the custom of avoiding shade.

White Tiger God is the patron saint of ancient Taoism in China. It was originally the name of an ancient star official. Because it was tiger-shaped, located in the west, with five elements and five colors, it was named after the western seven fates among the 28 stars. It is also one of the four gods. "Book of Rites Quli" has the saying that "Suzaku is in front, Xuanwu is behind, Qinglong is on the left, and white tiger is on the right". Most Tujia people believe in the White Tiger God. When Tujia people in Hubei offer sacrifices to the white tiger, the altar owner will kill the pig and cut blood, drop it on paper money, hang it up and burn it. Children of Tujia people in Hunan are often considered to be caused by white tigers, so wizards must be asked to drive them away.

When driving away, put a chair outdoors, tie bamboo with branches and leaves, and tie a white rooster. Wizards will cast spells indoors. When the rooster crowed, the white tiger was driven away. Shaanxi has the custom of sending cloth tigers to raise children. When the child is full moon, my uncle's family will send a tiger made of yellow cloth. When I enter the gate, I will break a tiger's tail and throw it outside. Giving cloth tigers is to hope that children will be as powerful as tigers when they grow up; Breaking the tiger's tail is to hope that children will avoid disasters and difficulties in the process of growing up. The custom of giving tiger pillows is popular all over Shanxi. Whenever a child has a birthday, an uncle will give his nephew a tiger pillow or a pair of tiger pillows, which can be used as pillows, toys and blessings.

Sun Yat-sen (Tiger)

The marriage custom of "hanging tiger buns" is popular in hua county, Shaanxi. Before the Chinese New Year, the man would steam a pair of tiger buns and tie them together with red ropes. When the bride arrives, she will hang the tiger buns around her neck and take them off after entering the door. The bride and groom will share food, indicating that they will be together forever. It is worth mentioning that this kind of steamed bread is also divided into male and female. There is a word "Wang" on the head of Gonghu steamed bread, which means that the man should be the head of the family. The tigress has a pair of birds on her forehead, which means that her wife flies with her husband. There is also a little tiger in front of each tiger's neck, which means wishing the newlyweds an early birth.