随风思恋
青龙：The Azure Dragon is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. It is sometimes called the Azure Dragon of the East (simplified Chinese: 东方青龙; traditional Chinese: 东方青龙; pinyin: Dōng Fāng Qīng Lóng), and it is known as Seiryuu in Japan and Cheongryong in Korea. It represents the east and the spring season. It should not be confused with the mythological yellow dragon that is associated with the Emperor of China.In Book of Tang, the reincarnation of the White Tiger's Star is said to be Li Shimin's general Luo Cheng and the reincarnation of the Azure Dragon's Star is said to be the rebellious general Dan Xiongxin. They two are sworn brothers of Qin Shubao, Cheng Zhijie and Yuchi Jingde. Their souls after death are said to possess the body of the new heroes of the Tang Dynasty and the Liao Dynasty, Xue Rengui and He Suwen.In some legends of the Tang Dynasty's general Xue Rengui, he's said the reincarnation of the White Tiger's Star. And his archenemy, Liao Dynasty's prince He Suwen is the reincarnation of the Azure Dragon's Star.白虎：The White Tiger is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. It is sometimes called the White Tiger of the West (西方白虎, Xī Fāng Bái Hǔ), and is known as Byakko in Japan and Baekho in Korea. It represents the west and the autumn season.During the Han Dynasty, people believed the tiger to be the king of all beasts. Legend had it that when a tiger reached 500 years old, its tail would turn white. In this way, the white tiger became a kind of mythological creature. It was said that the white tiger would only appear when the emperor ruled with absolute virtue, or if there was peace throughout the world. Because the color white of the Chinese five elements also represents the west, the white tiger thus became a mythological guardian of the west.In Book of Tang, the reincarnation of White Tiger's Star is said to be Li Shimin's general Luo Cheng and the reincarnation of Azure Dragon's Star is said to be the rebellious general Dan Xiongxin.They two are sworn brothers of Qin Shubao, Cheng Zhijie and Yuchi Jingde.Their souls after death are said to possess the body of the new heroes of Tang Dynasty and Liao Dynasty, Xue Rengui and He Suwen.In some legends of the Tang Dynasty's general Xue Rengui, he is said to be the reincarnation of the White Tiger's Star, and his archenemy, the Liao Dynasty's prince He Suwen is the reincarnation of the Azure Dragon's Star.朱雀：The Vermilion bird is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. According to Wu Xing, the Taoist five-elemental system, it represents the fire-element, the direction south, and the season summer correspondingly. Thus it is sometimes called the Vermilion bird of the South (南方朱雀, Nán Fāng Zhū Què) and it is also known as Suzaku in Japan and Jujak in Korea. It is often mistaken for the Fenghuang due to similarities in appearance, but the two are different creatures. The Fenghuang is the king of birds, while the Vermilion Bird is a mythological spirit creature of the Chinese constellations.The Vermilion bird is an elegant and noble bird in both appearance and behavior, it is very selective in what it eats and where it perches, with its feathers in many different hues of reddish orange.The Vermilion bird is often associated with the mythical Phoenix due to their associations with fire.玄武：The Black Tortoise is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. The word for "tortoise" was taboo; and the entire entity is not just the tortoise itself, but both the tortoise and the snake. It is sometimes called the Black Warrior of the North (北方玄武, Běi Fāng Xuán Wǔ), and is known as Genbu in Japan and Hyeonmu in Korea. It represents the north and the winter season. Although its name in Chinese, Xuánwǔ, is often translated as Black Tortoise in English, it is usually depicted as both a tortoise and a snake, specifically with the snake coiling around the tortoise.In ancient China, the tortoise and the snake were thought to be spiritual creatures symbolising longevity. During the Han Dynasty, people often wore jade pendants that were in the shape of tortoises. Because of ancient Chinese influence on Japan, honorific titles and badges in Japan often referred to the tortoise or images of tortoises.In the classic novel, Journey to the West, Xuánwǔ was a king of the north who had two generals serving under him, a "Tortoise General" and a "Snake General." This king had a temple at Wudang Mountains in Hubei, thus there is a "Tortoise Mountain" and a "Snake Mountain" on the opposite sides of a river in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei.In Taoist legend it was said that Xuánwǔ was the prince of a Chinese Emperor. However, he was not interested in taking the throne, but decided to study in Tao's way. At age 16, he left his parents to search for enlightenment in Tao's way. It was said that he eventually achieved god status and was worshipped as a god of northern sky.Other Chinese legends also speak of how the "Tortoise General" and a "Snake General" came to be. During Xuánwǔ's study to achieve enlightenment and god status he was told that in order to fully achieve god status, he must purge all humanly flesh from his body. Since he was born he had been eating the food of the world, humanly food, therefore his stomach and intestines were still human. Legend told of an event that a god came and changed out his human stomach and intestines for a godly body so he could fully achieve god status. (It was also said that the stomach and intestines that were tossed out became the "Tortoise Mountain" and "Snake Mountain".) The stomach and intestines taken out by the god who did the surgery on Xuánwǔ were said to have taken on the shape of a tortoise (stomach) and a snake (intestines). As many Chinese legends speak of certain animals becoming demons over time as they gain knowledge, that's what the tortoise and snake became, and terrorized people. As Xuánwǔ, now in his god status, heard of this, he came and slayed the demons from his past. However, he did not kill them, as the snake and tortoise demons showed remorse. He let them train under him and atone for their wrong doings, and they became the "Tortoise General" and "Snake General", and they assisted Xuánwǔ with his quests.According to another source, once Xuánwǔ's had begun study of the way, he discovered that he must purge himself of all his past sins to become a god. He learned to achieve this by washing his stomach and bowels (intestines) in the river. In the washing of his internal organs, his sins melted from them and into the river in a dark, black form. These then formed into a black tortoise and snake who terrorized the people. Once Xuánwǔ learned of this, he returned to conquer the forms of this past sins and subdue them under himself and they became his servants.The place Li Shimin set to kill his brothers Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji is the gate named Xuanwumen.
烽火馋眠
玄武英文名为Black Tortoise，朱雀英文名为Vermilion Bird，白虎英文名为White Tiger，青龙英文名为Azure Dragon。
China's four great beasts：Black Tortoise、Vermilion Bird、White Tiger、Azure Dragon。
在上古时代，古人把天分为东西南北四宫，分别以青龙（苍龙）、白虎、朱雀、玄武（一种龟形之神）为名。实际上是把天空分为四部，以每部分中的七个主要星宿连线成形，以其形状命名。青龙为东方之神，白虎为西方之神，朱雀为南方之神，玄武为北方之神。
扩展资料
青龙、白虎、朱雀、玄武又称四象，源于中国远古的星宿信仰，而不是道教，直到两汉时期才被道教吸收成为四灵神君。四神在古代中国中另一个主要表现就在于军事上，在战国时期，行军布阵就有“前朱雀后玄武，左青龙右白虎”。
在中国，龙是神物,也是皇帝的象征，而青龙则是东方的代表、五行中是属木的，也因青色是属木的，有左青龙、右白虎的说法。龙是中华民族所敬奉的神兽，是吉祥雄伟的象征，由于崇拜意识，后演变为祈求丰收、祈求平安的传统民俗活动。
在中国古代神话中，白虎是西方保护神、战神、杀伐之神。虎具有避邪、禳灾、祈丰及惩恶扬善、发财致富、喜结良缘等多种神力。所以白虎主杀，被认为是杀伐之神所以有多位的猛将被说成为白虎星充转世的，例如：唐代大将罗成、薛仁贵父子等人。
很多与军事有关的地方和事物都以白虎命名，例如：象征军队指挥权的虎符，象征威势的白虎旗，水浒传中林冲误入的军机要地白虎节堂等。
从殷商时代开始，朱雀就是代表炎帝与南方七宿的神兽，井、鬼、柳、星、张、翼、轸，联为鸟形，朱为赤色，像火，南方属火，故名朱雀，而五行学说开始兴起之后，它的象征含义又多了丙丁与夏季。
玄武是一种由龟和蛇组合成的一种灵物。玄武的本意就是玄冥，武、冥古音是相通的。根据五行学说，它是代表北方的灵兽，形象是黑色的龟与蛇（或龟蛇），代表的季节是冬季。
