Chinese Symbols and
Motifs
The Four Symbolic Animals of the Four Quadrants
of the Heavens
From
the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) Chinese cosmological speculation
distinguished
the Four Creatures of the World; the Dragon, Tiger, Bird, and Tortoise.
Each creature represents one of the four world
directions and seasons.
The Five Animals
Many
times a snake will be depicted with the tortoise creating the
"Five
Animals." The five animals are commonly
used on Feng
Shui maps.
The snake is coiled at the center of the four creatures.
Green Dragon of the East - Spring
The dragon stands in the East, the region of the sunrise, fertility,
and
of spring
rains. It is a creature unseen in the natural world and possesses
a spiritual quality. The dragon is the fifth creature in the Chinese
Zodiac.
White Tiger of the West - Summer
The tiger stands in the west
and represents the Summer season. The tiger is a symbol of courage
and bravery and can drive off demons. Having great physical strength,
it can both defend and attack. The tiger
is the third creature in the Chinese
Zodiac.
Green Dragon
East - Spring |
White Tiger
West - Summer |
Red Phoenix
South - Fall |
Black Tortoise
North - Winter |
Red Phoenix
of the South - Fall
A mythical bird that never dies, the phoenix stands in the South
and represents the Fall season. It’s
body symbolizes the five human qualities: it’s head, virtue;
wings, duty; the back, ritually correct behavior; the breast,
humanity;
the stomach, reliability.
Black
Tortoise of the North - Winter
The
tortoise stands in the north and represent the Winter
season. With its hard shell, it projects stability and a sense of
great security. The tortoise symbolizes immutability and steadfastness
and is a highly symbolic
creature
in Chinese culture.
The tortoise
and
a snake are commonly shown together because there are no male tortoises
and
the common
belief
was that
the tortoise must
have mated with snakes.
The Snake
The snake
is one of the five noxious creatures and is regarded as being
very
clever yet can be wicked and treacherous. The snake is coiled in
the center and is protected by the four creatures. Acting as
a commander, the snake receives information from the four
creatures and is able to draw on the special qualities and
forces at its command to take wise and timely action. The
snake is the sixth creature in the Chinese
Zodiac. |
