The White Tiger (Chinese: 白虎; pinyin: Bái Hǔ) is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. It is sometimes called the White Tiger of the West (西方白虎), and it represents the west and the autumn season.
The Chinese constellations were not only used by Chinese cartographers, they were also used by Korean and Japanese cartographers as well. In Japanese, the White Tiger is called Byakko, and it has been depicted in numerous Japanese comic books and animations. In Korean, it is called Baekho (백호). In Sino-Vietnamese, it is called Bạch Hổ (Pronounced by "Baht Ho").
The Seven Mansions of the White Tiger
Like the other Four Symbols, the White Tiger corresponds to seven "mansions", or positions, of the moon.
- Legs (Chinese: 奎; pinyin: Kuí)
- Bond (Chinese: 婁; pinyin: Lóu)
- Stomach (Chinese: 胃; pinyin: Wèi)
- Hairy Head (Chinese: 昴; pinyin: Mǎo)
- Net (Chinese: 畢; pinyin: Bì)
- Turtle Beak (Chinese: 觜; pinyin: Zī)
- Three Stars (Chinese: 參; pinyin: Shēn)
Origin
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.
External links
| Chinese constellations |
|---|
| Three enclosures (三垣): |
| Purple Forbidden enclosure (紫微垣) | Supreme Palace enclosure (太微垣) | Heavenly Market enclosure (天市垣) |
| Four Symbols (四象) and Twenty-eight mansions (二十八宿): |
| East: Azure Dragon (青龍): Horn (角) | Neck (亢) | Root (氐) | Room (房) | Heart (心) | Tail (尾) | Winnowing Basket (箕) |
| South: Vermilion Bird (朱雀): Well (井) | Ghost (鬼) | Willow (柳) | Star (星) | Extended Net (張) | Wings (翼) | Chariot (軫) |
| West: White Tiger (白虎): Legs (奎) | Bond (婁) | Stomach (胃) | Hairy Head (昴) | Net (畢) | Turtle Beak (觜) | Three Stars (參) |
| North: Black Tortoise (玄武): Dipper (斗) | Ox (牛) | Girl (女) | Emptiness (虛) | Rooftop (危) | Encampment (室) | Wall (壁) |
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