4 replies to this topic

[JRPomazon]

I can't say much about these creatures. In fact, I've been trying to learn more about them, but information on the internet can only give me so much. All I know is that they are divine creatures, each associated with Seasons and Constellations. They consist of the White Tiger of the West, the Vermillion Bird of the South, The Black Tortoise of the East and the Azure Dragon of the North. Does anyone else have any information regarding these creatures?

[Wolf O'Donnell]

I can't say much about these creatures. In fact, I've been trying to learn more about them, but information on the internet can only give me so much. All I know is that they are divine creatures, each associated with Seasons and Constellations. They consist of the White Tiger of the West, the Vermillion Bird of the South, The Black Tortoise of the East and the Azure Dragon of the North. Does anyone else have any information regarding these creatures?

You've got the directions wrong.

The Black Tortoise is to the North. The Azure Dragon is to the east.

Also, as four is an inauspicious number in Chinese (because it sounds almost hte same as the Chinese word for death), it is no surprise that there is actually a Fifth Heavenly Creature that occupies the Compass Point known as Centre. This is the Yellow Dragon (Huang Long). Sometimes, though, people will say that the Qilin is the Fifth Heavenly Creature.

These are all the associations I know that are related to them.

Black Tortoise - Water - Winter - Mercury
White Tiger - Metal - Autumn - Venus
Yellow Dragon - Earth - Change - Saturn
Vermillion Bird - Fire - Summer - Mars
Blue Dragon - Wood - Spring - Jupiter

In Chinese mythology (or tradition, if you prefer) there is a cycle of elemental construction and elemental destruction. The construction one goes as follows...

Water -> wood -> fire -> earth -> metal -> Water etc.

The destruction one goes as follows...

Water -> fire -> metal -> wood -> earth -> water etc.

If we extend this to the Heavenly Creatures, that means the Black Tortoise can easily defeat the Vermillion Bird etc. etc. However, I haven't seen anything to suggest that this is true.

Edited by Wolf_ODonnell, 25 February 2007 - 02:08 PM.

[Arturo]

The (minor Twilight Princess spoiler)

four spirits in TP Princess...

do they have anything tro do with the four beasts?

And I am sur the four beasts in Digimon were inspired on them.

[Wolf O'Donnell]

The (minor Twilight Princess spoiler)

four spirits in TP Princess...

do they have anything tro do with the four beasts?

No. Remember, that one of them was a monkey of some sort...

And I am sur the four beasts in Digimon were inspired on them.

Yes, they were.

[JRPomazon]

Thanks for the replies. It really helps.