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Four Symbols
Clockwise from top left: Black Tortoise of the North, Azure Dragon of the East, Vermilion Bird of the South and White Tiger of the West
Chinese name
Chinese
四象
Literal meaning
Four Images
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin
Sì xiàng
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization
Seijeuhng
Jyutping
Sei3-zoeng6
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese alphabet
Tứ tượng
Chữ Hán
四象
Korean name
Hangul
사상
Hanja
四象
Transcriptions
Revised Romanization
Sasang
Japanese name
Kanji
四象
Hiragana
ししょう
Transcriptions
Revised Hepburn
Shishō
Kunrei-shiki
Shishō
Four Gods
Chinese name
Chinese
四神
Transcriptions
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese alphabet
Tứ Thánh Thú
Chữ Hán
四聖獣
Korean name
Hangul
사신
Hanja
四神
Transcriptions
Revised Romanization
Sashin
Japanese name
Kanji
四神
Hiragana
しじん
Transcriptions
Revised Hepburn
Shijin
Kunrei-shiki
Shijin
Neidan Illustration of Bringing Together the Four Symbols和合四象圖, 1615 Xingming guizhi
The Four Symbols are mythological creatures appearing among the Chinese constellations along the ecliptic, and viewed as the guardians of the four cardinal directions. These four creatures are also referred to by a variety of other names, including "Four Guardians", "Four Gods", and "Four Auspicious Beasts". They are the Azure Dragon of the East, the Vermilion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West, and the Black Tortoise (also called "Black Warrior") of the North. Each of the creatures is most closely associated with a cardinal direction and a color, but also additionally represents other aspects, including a season of the year, an emotion, virtue, and one of the Chinese "five elements" (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water). Each has been given its own individual traits, origin story and a reason for being. Symbolically, and as part of spiritual and religious belief and meaning, these creatures have been culturally important across countries in the Sinosphere.
The FourSymbols are mythological creatures appearing among the Chinese constellations along the ecliptic, and viewed as the guardians of the four cardinal...
God. Each of the symbols is depicted with wings, following the biblical sources first in Ezekiel 1–2, and in Revelation. The symbols are shown with, or...
planetary symbols might be used, such as in the headings of tables. The modern planets with their traditional symbols and IAU abbreviations are: The symbols of...
In East Asian culture, the Yellow Dragon is the fifth symbol completing the Sixiang (FourSymbols). This deity is the center of the cosmos and it represents...
marks, boxes, or other symbols. Historically, astrological and astronomical symbols have overlapped. Frequently used symbols include signs of the zodiac...
Phoenix (鳳) in the South. The Four Holy Beasts differs from FourSymbols in that Qilin replaces the White Tiger. The FourSymbols are the Azure Dragon (青龍)...
currency symbols. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of currency symbols. A currency symbol or currency...
following is a list of symbols associated with the occult. This list shares a number of entries with the list of alchemical symbols as well as the list of...
alchemical symbols. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of alchemical symbols. Alchemical symbols, originally...
rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols. Letterlike Symbols is a Unicode block containing 80 characters which are constructed...
other symbols. The universal recycling symbol (U+2672 ♲ UNIVERSAL RECYCLING SYMBOL or U+267B ♻ BLACK UNIVERSAL RECYCLING SYMBOL in Unicode) is a symbol consisting...
fourth album would officially be untitled and represented instead by foursymbols – one chosen by each band member – without featuring the name or any...
Care Labelling of Textiles, which promoted a symbol-based textile care labelling system in which symbols were colored: green indicated "no precautions...
four witnesses, flog them with eighty lashes, and do not admit their testimony ever after. They are indeed transgressors. [An-Noor 24:4] FourSymbols...
Hazard symbols or warning symbols are recognisable symbols designed to warn about hazardous or dangerous materials, locations, or objects, including electromagnetic...
rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols. A variety of symbols or iconographic conventions are used to represent Earth, whether...
you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols. Astronomical symbols are abstract pictorial symbols used to represent astronomical objects, theoretical...
Regions' Highest Deities (五方上帝 Wǔfāng Shàngdì). It is also one of the FourSymbols of the Chinese constellations, which are the astral representations of...
a list of the symbols of the states and union territories of India. Each state and union territory has a unique set of official symbols, usually a state...
Musical symbols are marks and symbols in musical notation that indicate various aspects of how a piece of music is to be performed. There are symbols to communicate...
The "Four Policemen" was a postwar council with the Big Four that US President Franklin Roosevelt proposed as a guarantor of world peace. Their members...
Bacab Four Dwarves (Norse mythology) Four Holy Beasts Four Living Creatures Four sons of Horus Four Stags (Norse mythology) FourSymbolsFour temperaments...
A solar symbol is a symbol representing the Sun. Common solar symbols include circles (with or without rays), crosses, and spirals. In religious iconography...
Led Zeppelin IV, Untitled, IV, or, due to the foursymbols appearing on the record label, as FourSymbols, Zoso or Runes. The band had wanted to release...
Jain symbols are symbols based on the Jain philosophy. The four arms of the swastika symbolize the four states of existence as per Jainism: a Heavenly...
creature that flies among clouds. Fish in Chinese mythology Four Perils FourSymbols, four legendary animals that represent the points of the compass....
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