What are the top ten beasts in China?

The top ten beasts in ancient times refer to the beasts in ancient myths and legends. These ten animals are recorded in the sun candles on bronze vessels, the faint light of moonlight, and dragons, white tigers, basalts, Suzaku, Huanglong, Ying Long, poisonous snakes and Gouchen in ancient books.

1, sunny

Sun candle is a mythical beast in ancient China residents' myths and legends. It is a twin myth similar to Fuxi Nuwa, a product of the primitive religious nature of human society, and a product of the transition from matriarchal clan to paternal clan, as some scholars have said. There are many similarities between them, but they are quite different in reality. Scholars should study them carefully.

As can be seen from ancient books and documents, there are actually two theories about the origin of the sun candle. First, the sun candle is a god beast produced by the combination of Yang and Pangu in Chaos II after Pangu created the world.

2. Shadows of the Moon

The shadow of Taiyin is a mythical beast in the myths and legends of ancient residents in China. From the study of Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Yin Ruins, we can see that there are actually two opinions about the origin of the shadow of the Taiyin. One is the shadow of Taiyin, which is a god beast produced by the combination of Yin and Pangu in the two instruments after Pangu's creation.

The second theory holds that there is no Pangu in the birth of Taiyin Babies, and Taiyin Babies are the embodiment of the direct change from Yin to Tao in Praise of Yin and Yang. This statement began to spread at least before Pangu's creation, which is even older than Pangu's myth. Contemporary scholars generally believe that the latter is the prototype of the mysterious myth of the lunar calendar.

3. Ying Long

Ying Long is a pterodactyl in ancient myths and legends of China. It is said that Ying Long killed Chiyou and Kuafu in Huangdi Neijing. ; When Yu was harnessing the water, he turned it into a river and used tail painting to make the water flow into the sea [6]? . In addition, Ying Long is also the ancestor of Kirin. ?

Shanhaijing wilderness east longitude: "In the northeast corner of wilderness, there is a mountain called fierce plough hill. Ying Long killed Chiyou and Kuafu at the South Pole, and could not return them, so there were several droughts. Drought is like Ying Long, but it rains heavily. "

"Shan Hai Jing Ye Dongjing": "Ying Long is in the Antarctic, killing Chiyou and Kuafu, and there is no return." "

Chu Ci Tian Wen: "What did Ying Long draw? What is the jianghai calendar? Which camp are you from? What did you do? "

"Huainanzi Terrain Training": "The dragon wants to build a horse, and the horse wants to build a unicorn."

4. Huanglong

Huanglong is a god beast in ancient myths and legends. According to ancient records, both Huangdi and Dayu may be the embodiment of Huanglong. ?

The embodiment of the five elements thought regards Huanglong as one of the five dragons. There is a saying that there are "five spirits" or even four spirits besides the four great beasts, and "the yellow in the middle is the earth" is Huanglong.

Huanglong was a symbol of imperial power in ancient times, and it can be seen on the Nine Dragon Wall. Some people think that this position of Huanglong has been replaced by Huang Lin, and some people treat them equally, but in fact, as a branch of Kirin, Huang Lin is far from being compared with Huanglong.

Some people think that Huanglong is Ying Long in the era of the Yellow Emperor, and their status is much higher than that of ordinary dragons.

5. Qinglong

Qinglong is a spirit beast in ancient myths and legends. It belongs to traditional culture, one of the four images, and was the worst in ancient China.

The four great beasts are Qinglong, Baihu, Suzaku and Xuanwu. According to the Five Elements Theory, the East is blue, so Qinglong is the God of the East, also known as the "black dragon". In folklore, Qinglong looks like a long snake, a unicorn head, a carp tail, a bearded face, deer-like horns and five claws, which is awesome.

In China, the dragon is sacred, supreme and a symbol of the emperor. It is also the representative of the east, and the five elements belong to wood. Because cyan belongs to wood, there is the saying of Zuo Qinglong and you Bai Hu. The dragon is an auspicious symbol worshipped by the Chinese nation and a symbol of auspiciousness and grandeur. Because of its worship consciousness, it later evolved into a folk activity that prayed for harvest and peace.

Of these 28 stars, 7 are in the East: Jiao, Kang, Bian, Fang, Xin, Wei and Ji. The ancients imagined them as Jackie Chan. Because it is located in the east, according to the five elements of yin and yang with five colors, the east is blue, hence the name Qinglong. There is also a saying that dragons are promiscuous, having sex with cows gives birth to unicorns, and having sex with pigs gives birth to elephants.

6.white tiger

The White Tiger is one of the four images of Taoist Western Seven Stars in China traditional culture. According to the theory of five elements, it is a spirit beast representing the west. Because the west is golden and white, it is called white tiger, which stands for autumn. Others: Qinglong Oriental Spring, Suzaku Southern Summer, Xuanwu Northern Winter.

Twenty-eight Western Seven Hostels (Kui, Lou, Wei, Chang, Bi, Gou and Shen) are like tigers, located in the west, belonging to gold and white in color.

White tiger is one of the four great beasts in ancient myths and legends of China. They are Qinglong, Baihu, Suzaku and Xuanwu. The west is white, so the white tiger is the god of the west, and the dragon is the god of fighting evil. At the same time, the white tiger is also the god of war and cutting. It has many magical powers, such as avoiding evil, avoiding disasters, praying for blessings, punishing evil and promoting good, getting rich, getting married and so on. It is a symbol of power and dignity.

7.suzaku

Suzaku is one of the four spirits, and it is the general name of the seven nights in the south. Well, ghosts, willows, stars, Zhang, wings and birds are connected into a bird shape.

Since the pre-Qin period, it has been a god beast representing Emperor Yan and the Southern Seven Hostels and Fire Officials. In the Han Dynasty, the theory of five elements began to rise, and its symbolic significance surpassed that of Ding Bing and Xia. ?

Many people think it is a phoenix or a kind of phoenix, but in fact Suzaku is very different from Phoenix, and Suzaku, as one of the four spirits in the sky, is more noble than Phoenix, one of the four spirits in the Book of Rites. ?

In modern times, influenced by the myth of fairy birds in the west and Japanese pop culture, Chinese people sometimes regard fairy birds as suzaku in translation and cognition.

In fact, there is no saying in ancient myths and legends of China that Suzaku will be reborn from the fire. Phoenix nirvana is just a poem written by Mr. Guo Moruo with reference to the legend of fairy birds in the west.

8. Xuanwu

Xuanwu is a spiritual thing composed of turtles and snakes. Xuanwu originally meant Xuanming, and the ancient sounds of Wu and Ming are interlinked. Xuan means black; Ghost means yin. At first, Xuan Ming described the tortoise divination as follows: the tortoise's back is black, and the tortoise divination is to let the tortoise go to the underworld to ask his ancestors, bring back the answers and show them to the world in the form of divination.

In ancient mythology of China, the four great beasts were Qinglong, Baihu, Suzaku and Xuanwu. Xuanwu, also called Xuanming, is a combination of tortoise and snake. It is the water god, living in Beihai, and the tortoise lives long. Xuanwu has become a symbol of immortality, and the underworld is also in the north, so it is the god of the north. Xuanwu, different from the other three spirits, is called the "Zhenwu Emperor" and is the god worshipped by Taoism.

9. Viper

The viper is empty, less loyal, more treacherous, and more troubles and doubts: there are many falsehoods, false words and faithfulness, nothingness is hard to rely on, insincerity, falsehood, less loyalty in the main air, insincerity, hypocrisy, cunning, and not keeping promises. ?

Viper is changeable, changeable, changeable; Strange and unpredictable temperament; Strange, strange, such as strange, strange, evil, magic, etc. He is good at making trouble and acting strangely. Rare and strange. Snakebite is a surprise, an accident, an accident, a surprise, a heart-pounding, a fright, a fright; It makes people fidgety, uneasy, and restless; Be utterly confused.

Vipers are yin, darkness, night, selfishness, evil, and prevent villains from plotting. Poisonous snakes always dream, have many dreams and strange dreams, and often wake up in their dreams; The main bed is restless, restless in bed, difficult to sleep, difficult to sleep, and often insomnia. Vipers are yellow, black and white. Sting a snake is one way.

10, cross-check

Gou Chen, Yi Mao: "The image of Gou Chen, whose real name is Kirin, occupies a central position, and its power lies in the future. Covering up man and beast is also a kind of rule of virtue ... snake general, attached to the post, swims in front, has the right to take care of his own day. Cover Vulcan and cooperate with Tudor. " "Rhyme Society" contains Gou Chen: In heaven, it is called flying scorpion and deer head dragon body; This land is called Tianma.

Extended data:

It is also said that the top ten beasts are "Bai Ze, Kui, Phoenix, Kirin, Yao, Yan, Ming, Fang Bi, gluttony, Philip" and so on. But these beasts have their own ancient books, the latest of which is Yan.

References:

Baidu Encyclopedia-Ten Beasts