Black Tortoise (玄武)
Alternative Names (異名):
玄武, Xuán Wǔ, 현무(Korean), Hyeon-mu, Genbu(Japanese), Huyền Vũ(Vietnamese), Black Tortoise
The Black Tortoise (Chinese: 玄武; pinyin: Xuán Wǔ, literally "Black Warrior") is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. It is sometimes called the Black Warrior of the North (北方玄武, Běi Fāng Xuán Wǔ), and it represents the north and the winter season. Although its name in Chinese, Xuánwǔ, is often translated as Black Tortoise in English, it is usually depicted as both a tortoise and a snake, specifically with the snake coiling around the tortoise.
The Seven Mansions of the Black Tortoise
Like the other Four Symbols, the Black Tortoise corresponds to seven "mansions", or positions, of the moon.
Dipper (Chinese: 斗; pinyin: Dǒu)
Ox (Chinese: 牛; pinyin: Niú)
Girl (Chinese: 女; pinyin: Nǚ)
Emptiness (Chinese: 虛; pinyin: Xū)
Rooftop (Chinese: 危; pinyin: Wēi)
Encampment (Chinese: 室; pinyin: Shì)
Wall (Chinese: 壁; pinyin: Bì)
Origin
In ancient China, the tortoise and the snake were thought to be spiritual creatures symbolising longevity. During the Han Dynasty, people often wore jade pendants that were in the shape of tortoises. Because of ancient Chinese influence on Japan, honorific titles and badges in Japan often referred to the tortoise or images of tortoises.
Then a legend arose that told of female tortoises being unable to mate with male tortoises, but only with male snakes. This made the male tortoise angry, but the female tortoise kept the male tortoise at a distance by urinating around herself. From then on, men whose wives were having extramarital affairs were often referred to as "tortoises," and so people stopped using the tortoise as a fortuitous symbolism.
The depiction of the Xuánwǔ as a tortoise-snake creature may have come into existence because of this legend of female tortoises and male snakes mating. However, this explanation is uncertain, because the depiction could have come into existence as early as the Zhou Dynasty.
The Dark Lord of the North
Xuan Wu (玄武) (also known as The Dark Lord of the North or The Lord of True Martiality), posthumously known as High Heavenly Xuan God (玄天上帝), as well as True Warrior High God (真武大帝), and commonly known as Bei Di (北帝) is one of the higher ranking Taoist deities, and one of the more revered deities in traditional China. He is revered as a powerful god, able to control the elements (worshipped by those wishing to avoid fires), and capable of great magic. He is particularly revered by martial artists, and is the patron saint of the Wudang Mountains in China's Hubei Province, where he allegedly attained immortality.
Xuan Wu was originally a butcher who had killed many animals unremorsefully. As days passed, he felt remorse for his sins and repented immediately by giving up butchery and retired to a remote mountain for cultivation of the Tao.
One day while he was assisting a woman in labor, while cleaning the woman’s blood stained clothes along a river, the words "Xuan Tian Shang Di" appeared before him. The woman in labor turned out to be a manifestation of the goddess Guan Yin. To redeem his sins, he dug out his own stomach and intestines and washed it in the river. The river turned into a dark, murky water. After a while, it turned into pure water.
Unfortunately, Xuan Wu does indeed loses his own stomach and intestines while he was washing it in the river. The Jade Emperor was moved by his sincerity and determination to clear his sins; hence he became an Immortal known with the title of Xuan Tian Shang Ti.
After he became an immortal, his stomach and intestines after absorbing the essences of the earth, it was transformed into a demonic turtle and snake which harmed people and no one could subdue them. Eventually Xuan Wu returned back to earth to subdue them and later uses them as his means for transportation.
Xuan Wu is portrayed as a warrior in imperial robes, his left hand is in the "three mountain mudra", somewhat similar to Guan Yu's mudra, while the right hand holds a sword, which is said to have belonged to Lü Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals.
Another legend says that he borrowed the sword from Lü Dongbin to subdue a powerful demon, and after being successful, he refused to bring it back after witnessing the sword's power. The sword itself would magically return to its owner if Xuan Wu released it, so it is said that he always holds his sword tightly, and is unable to release it.
He is usually seated on a throne with the right foot stepping on the snake and left leg extended stepping on the turtle. His face is usually red with bulging eyes. His appearance also causes most people to accidentally mistake him as Guan Yu.
His birthday is celebrated on the third day of the third lunar month.
Historic Reference
In the classic novel, Journey to the West, Xuánwǔ was a king of the north who had two generals serving under him, a "Tortoise General" and a "Snake General." This king had a temple at Wudang Mountains in Hubei, thus there is a "Tortoise Mountain" and a "Snake Mountain" on the opposite sides of a river in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei.
In Taoist legend it was said that Xuánwǔ was the prince of a Chinese Emperor. However, he was not interested in taking the throne, but decided to study in Tao's way. At age 15, he left his parents to search for enlightment in Tao's way. It was said that he eventually achieved god status and was worshipped as a god of northern sky.
Other Chinese legends also speak of how the "Tortoise General" and a "Snake General" came to be. During Xuánwǔ's study to achieve enlightment and god status he was told that in order to fully achieve god status, he must purge all humanly flesh from his body. Since he was born he had been eating the food of the world, humanly food, therefore his stomach and intestines were still human. Legend told of an event that a god came and changed out his human stomach and intestines for a godly body so he could fully achieve god status. (It was also said that the stomach and intestines that were tossed out became the "Tortoise Mountain" and "Snake Mountain".) The stomach and intestines taken out by the god whom did the surgery on Xuánwǔ were said to have taken on the shape of a tortoise (stomach) and a snake (intestines). As many Chinese legends speak of certain animals becoming demons over time as they gain knowledge, that's what the tortoise and snake became, and terrorized people. As Xuánwǔ, now in his god status, heard of this, he came and slayed the demons from his past. However, he did not kill them, as the snake and tortoise demons showed remorse. He let them train under him and atone for their wrong doings, and they became the "Tortoise General" and "Snake General", and they assisted Xuánwǔ with his quests.
Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Tortoise
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_mythology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Chinese_mythology
Chinese constellations | Chinese astronomy | Chinese mythology | Chinese legendary creatures | Legendary reptiles | Chinese gods |
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