What kind of bird is the Nine Phoenix? What exactly does it mean? What does it represent?

In ancient feudal China, the dragon was the symbol of the emperor and the phoenix was the symbol of the empress. The status of dragon and phoenix has been important since ancient times. Next, let's explain in detail what kind of bird is the Nine Phoenix and what does the Nine Phoenix symbolize?

Nine Phoenix

The Nine Phoenix is an ancient Chinese mythological bird, usually appearing as a nine-headed bird, originating from the Nine Phoenix god bird of the Chu people.

The Nine Phoenix was made by the Chu people from the Warring States period to the early Han Dynasty, and the Classic of Mountains and Seas is the earliest document to record the image of the Nine Phoenixes. The Classic of Mountains and Seas - Huangda Bei Jing (山海经-黄达北经) reads, "In the wilderness, there is a mountain called Arctic Pavilion. The sea water gushed into the north. There is a song of nine gods, the face of a bird, the body of a man, there is a "nine phoenixes".

The Nine Phoenix, a bird with a face and nine songs, is a half-human, half-bird totem image worshipped by the ancestors of the Chu people. It is the earliest prototype of the nine-bird image in China.

Symbolism of the Nine Phoenixes

The Nine Phoenixes are symbols of good luck and happiness. The phoenix was one of the two most revered totems in ancient China, also known as the dragon.

Because the phoenix is an auspicious bird, some ancient emperors, such as Shao Hao and King Cheng of Zhou, are said to have flown in celebration of their accession to the throne.

The Chu people have a tradition of revering the phoenix. When the great poet Qu Yuan wrote about his roaming in heaven in "Li Sao," his first words were: "I make the phoenix bird soar, following it by day and by night; the winds gradually move away from him, and the handsome clouds come to meet him. According to Comrade Xiao Bing, the story of the phoenix's nirvana, which has been passed down to the world, first came from Qu Yuan's "Tian Wen". There are many records in pre-Qin canonical books in which the Chu people compare Feng to an outstanding person. A similar account is also found in Zhuangzi - The World on Earth.

The Historical Origins of Jiuhe and Zhuanxu

Although we don't know the exact extent of the area, the "Great Wilderness" where Jiufeng resided certainly included the land of Chu, as Zhuanxu, the first emperor of the Chu people, was buried here along with his nine concubines.

Qu Yuan, a Chu man, said in "Li Sao" that he was "a descendant of Emperor Lei Wen", which is Lei Wen, Emperor Zhuan Xu. Zhuan Xu buried in the Han River, nine phoenix and Zhuan Xu with the same place. It can be seen that the nine phoenix is the Chu people worship the nine-headed god bird.

Nine phoenix Historical changes

The nine phoenix in the "Classic of Mountains and Seas" is undoubtedly a bird god or god bird. Since then, however, the nine phoenixes have mysteriously disappeared from Chinese literature. In its place are various other names for the Nine Phoenixes, which have completely lost their divinity and have deteriorated over time into nothing less than bird monsters.

From the end of the Han Dynasty to the Tang and Song Dynasties, the "nine heads of birds" had various names in ancient literature, mainly:

1. Ghost Bird (Ghost Car);

2. Horseshoe Crab (Strange Horseshoe Crab, Horseshoe Crab, etc.). )

3. a Burrowing Bird (or a female);

4. a Niners.

The Influence of the Nine Phoenixes on Later Generations

1. The Psychology of Chongfeng;

The psychology of the Chu people of Chongfeng is also proved by archaeological data. For example, in February 1949, Changsha Chenjiashan unearthed dragon and phoenix painting on silk; in 1963 and 1971, Jiangling, Hubei, there are phoenix stepping on the tiger drums, Changsha Mawangdui Han Tomb undressing painting on silk, and other two famous discoveries. In particular, the Mawangdui silk painting shows several large birds surrounding the snake-bodied god in the middle of the heavenly court. In the center of the painting, at the entrance to heaven, there is also a strange bird with a hawk's beak and two long-tailed phoenix birds. This is very similar to the mood depicted in Qu Yuan's poem. To this day, the phoenix worship mentality still occupies an important place in folk aesthetic interests.

2. Expression of meaning;

Nine was a mysterious number in ancient China. Why did the character "nine" become such a mysterious number? According to some scholars, it is because the original meaning of "nine" is "nine-headed dragon" (or nine-headed snake). In ancient China, there were many myths about the worship of the nine-headed dragon. The nine-headed dragon was worshipped by people, and the nine-headed bird was no exception.

The tradition of worshipping "nine" is also evident in the Chu culture. Qu Yuan's famous series of works is called "Nine Songs". When Qu Yuan was exiled, he "saw the customary rituals of sacrifice, the music of song and dance, and the cheapness of speech," so he "made his words clearer," modifying them on the basis of Chu folk songs. Qu Yuan had another work called "Nine Chapters", and his student Song Yu had "Nine Arguments". Qu Yuan had written in his poem "Selection of Travels", "Zhuochao was sent from Yanggu and set in Jiuyang." The word "nine" is used in many places in Chu Shi, such as Nine Heavens, Nine Thousand, Nine States, Nine One, Nine Pits, Nine Rivers, Nine Rushes, Nine Sons, Nine Zephyrs, Nine Heads, Nine Quarters, Nine Rivers, Nine Persons, Nine Years, Nine Hours, Nine Passes, Nine Precessions, Nine Postcessions, etc. Even the harem of Emperor Zhuanxu had the same name, "nine". Even Emperor Zhuan Xu's harem was "nine wives". Visible "nine" on the Chu beliefs of the influence of the great.

3. Qing Dynasty paintings.

This is one of several hybridized creatures mentioned in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, described as a divine beast that lives in the wild in a mountain called Arctic Pavilion. This record may be the most recent description of this work, which was created between the 3rd or 4th century BC and the 3rd or 4th century AD.

The nine phoenixes, which are rarely described in ancient texts, have evolved into the nine heads of birds. Its image began to circulate slowly from the state of Chu, to the point that it was known by different names in different regions.