Black turtle
| Black turtle | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Chinese name | |
| Long characters | 玄武 |
| Pinyin (Mandarin) | Xuan Wǔ |
| Jyutping (Cantonese) | Jyun 4 Mou 5 |
| Japanese name | |
| Kanji | 玄武 |
| Rōmaji | Genbu |
| Korean name | |
| Hangeul | 현무 |
| Hanja | 玄武 |
| Revised Romanization | Hyeon-mu |
| Vietnamese name | |
| Quốc Ngữ | Huyền Vũ |
| Hán tự | 玄武 |
The black turtle ( Chinese 玄武 , Pinyin Xuán Wǔ , means "black warrior") is one of the four symbols of the Chinese star constellations . Strictly speaking, it is a mythical creature that consists of a combination of a turtle and a snake. The being is also called the Black Warrior of the North ( 北方 玄武 , Běifāng Xuán Wǔ ) and represents the north and winter.
The Chinese black turtle has also been adopted by the Vietnamese, Koreans, and Japanese. It's called Genbu in Japanese, Hyeon-mu ( 현무 ) in Korean and Huyền Vũ in Vietnamese .
The seven houses of the black turtle
In Chinese astrology , each of the four symbols has seven houses that represent certain positions of the moon in the sky. The Black Turtle Houses are:
- Ladle ( 斗 , Dǒu )
- Ox ( 牛 , Niú )
- Girl ( 女 , Nǚ )
- Void ( 虛 , Xū )
- Gable ( 危 , Wēi )
- (Tent) camp ( 室 , Shì )
- Wall ( 壁 , Bì )
background
In ancient China , the turtle and the snake symbolized longevity. Much jewelry made from turtle shells was worn during the Han Dynasty . Because of the cultural influence on Japan, honorary degrees there often referred to turtles or pictures of them.
Over time, a legend arose that female turtles could only mate with snakes. As a result, men who were betrayed by their wives were referred to as turtles . That is why the turtle slowly disappeared as a symbol of luck.
See also
Web links
- Chinese Astronomy: The Chinese Sky (English)
- The Black Tortoise of the North (English)