The Four Symbols (Chinese: 四象; pinyin: Sì Xiàng) are four mythological creatures in the Chinese constellations. They are:
Each one of them represents a direction and a season of the year, and each has its own individual characteristics and origins. They have been portrayed in many historical Chinese and Korean myths and fiction, and also appear in many modern Japanese comic books and animation.
These Four Symbols were given human names after Daoism became popular. Azure Dragon has the name Meng Zhang (孟章); Vermilion Bird is Ling Guang (陵光); White Tiger is Jian Bing (監兵); Black Tortoise is Zhi Ming (執明).
The origin of those 4 symbols are from China. In the 1987, a tomb was found at Xishuipo (西水坡) in Puyang, Henan Province. There were some clam shells and bones forming the images of the Azure Dragon, the White Tiger and the Northern Dipper. It is believed that the tomb belongs to the Neolithic Age, about 6,000 years ago. [1]
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Each of these mythological creatures has also been synthesized into the 5 element system:
Additionally, there is a fifth legendary beast, Huáng-lóng (黃龍), or the Yellow Dragon of the Center. The cardinal direction associated with this animal is "center," and its element is Earth.[2]
The four legendary beasts (excluding Huáng-lóng; see above) represent a season each. The seasons they represent are as follows:
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