Miku-Nyan02 on DeviantArthttps://www.deviantart.com/miku-nyan02/art/MMD-Mythology-Si-Xiang-Four-Symbols-704919343Miku-Nyan02

Deviation Actions

Miku-Nyan02's avatar

.:MMD+Mythology:. Si Xiang (Four Symbols)

By
Published:
6.4K Views

Description

These took a LOT of work... And there are still things about some of the models that I'm not entirely satisfied with.
Now prepare for a huge wall of text.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Info:
The Four Symbols (Chinese: 四象; pinyin: Sì Xiàng) are four mythological creatures in the Chinese constellations. They are the Azure Dragon of the East, the Vermilion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West, and the Black Tortoise of the North. Each one of them represents a direction and a season, and each has its own individual characteristics and origins. Symbolically and as part of spiritual and religious belief, they have been culturally important in China, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan.

The Four Symbols were given human names after Daoism became popular. The Azure Dragon has the name Meng Zhang (孟章), the Vermilion Bird was called Ling Guang (陵光), the White Tiger Jian Bing (監兵), and the Black Turtle Zhi Ming (執明).
In 1987, a tomb was found at Xishuipo (西水坡) in Puyang, Henan. There were some clam shells and bones forming the images of the Azure Dragon, the White Tiger, and the Big Dipper. It is believed that the tomb belongs to the Neolithic Age, dating to about 6,000 years ago.
The Rongcheng Shi manuscript recovered in 1994 gives five directions rather than four and places the animals quite differently: Yu the Great gave banners to his people marking the north with a bird, the south with a snake, the east with the sun, the west with the moon, and the center with a bear.
The colours of the animals also match the colours of soil in the corresponding areas of China: the bluish-grey water-logged soils of the east, the reddish iron-rich soils of the south, the whitish saline soils of the western deserts, the black organic-rich soils of the north and the yellow soils from the central loess plateau.
These mythological creatures have also been synthesized into the five principles system. The Azure Dragon of the East represents Wood, the Vermilion Bird of the South represents Fire, the White Tiger of the West represents Metal, and the Black Turtle (or Dark Warrior) of the North represents Water. In this system, the fifth principle Earth is represented by the Yellow Dragon of the Centre.
The four beasts each represent a season. The Azure Dragon of the East represents Spring, the Vermilion Bird of the South represents Summer, the White Tiger of the West represents Autumn, and the Black Turtle of the North represents Winter.

------------------------
Individual model info:

The Black Tortoise of the North
The Black Tortoise or Black Tortoise is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. Despite its English name, it is usually depicted as a tortoise entwined together with a snake. Further, in East Asia, it is not called after either animal but is instead known as the "Black Warrior" under various local pronunciations. It is known as Xuánwǔ in Chinese, Hyeonmu in Korean, Genbu in Japanese and Huyền Vũ in Vietnamese. It represents the north and the winter season.
In Japan, it is one of the four guardian spirits that protect Kyoto and it is said that it protects the city on the north. Represented by the Genbu Shrine, which is located to the north of Kyoto Imperial Palace.
The creature's name is identical to that of the important Taoist god Xuanwu, who is sometimes (as in Journey to the West) portrayed in the company of a tortoise and snake.
During the Han dynasty, people often wore jade pendants that were in the shape of turtles. Because of ancient Chinese influence on Japan, honorific titles and badges in Japan also often referred to the turtle or tortoise.
The northern gates of Chinese palaces were often named after the Xuanwu. Most famously, the Incident at Xuanwu Gate, where Li Shimin killed his brothers Jiancheng and Yuanji and seized power in a coup, took place at the north gate of the Taiji Palace, in the north of Chang'an.

Model Part credits:
Head - NEPHNASHINE-P
Hair - NEPHNASHINE-P
Body - The-Mystery-Raccoon
Snake - ninjapirate10194 (heavily edited from their "Medusa Hair" file)
Armour - Nintendraw
Shirt - Allena-Frost-Walker
Shield - TheGirlNamedSig (retextured by me)
Trousers - Sefina-NZ

The Bluegreen/Azure Dragon of the East
The Azure Dragon (青龍 Qīnglóng), also known as Bluegreen Dragon or Green Dragon, also called the Blue Dragon (蒼龍 Cānglóng), is one of the Dragon Gods who represent the mount or chthonic forces of the Five Forms of the Highest Deity (五方上帝 Wǔfāng Shàngdì). He is also one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations, which are the astral representations of the Wufang Shangdi. The Bluegreen Dragon represents the east and the spring season. It is also known as Seiryu in Japanese.
The Dragon is frequently referred to in media, feng shui, other cultures, and in various venues as the Green Dragon and the Avalon Dragon. His cardinal direction's epithet is "Bluegreen Dragon of the East" (東方青龍 Dōngfāng Qīnglóng or 東方蒼龍 Dōngfāng Cānglóng). His proper name as the "Dragon King of the East Sea" (東海龍王 Dōnghǎi Lóngwáng) is Ao Guang.

In the Romance of the Tales of the Tang (Shuo Tang Yanyi), the White Tiger's star is reincarnated as General Luo Cheng (羅成 / 罗成), who serves Li Shimin. The Azure Dragon's Star is reincarnated as General Shan Xiongxin (單雄信 / 单雄信), who serves Wang Shichong. The two generals are sworn brothers of Qin Shubao (秦叔寶 / 秦叔宝), Cheng Zhijie (程知節 / 程知节) and Yuchi Gong (尉遲恭 / 尉迟恭). After death, their souls are said to possess heroes of the Tang dynasty and Goguryeo, such as Xue Rengui (薛仁貴 / 薛仁贵) and Yeon Gaesomun (淵蓋蘇文).
The Azure Dragon appears as a door god at Taoist temples. He was represented on the tomb of Wang Hui (stone coffin, east side) at Xikang in Lushan. A rubbing of this was collected by David Crockett Graham and is in the Field Museum of Natural History. The dragon featured on the Chinese national flag in 1862-1912, and on the Twelve Symbols national emblem from 1913-1928.

Model Part Credits:
face - Kurusou
Hair - Avant-Garde3D
Horns - Tameyri
Body base - HaruDelRey/YM
Tail - Me
Tail tufts - ReyUzuki
Shirt - animasa (heavily edited by me)
Claws - amiamy111
Belt - Mackismycat


The Vermilion Bird of the South
The Vermilion bird is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. According to Wu Xing, the Taoist five-elemental system, it represents the fire-element, the direction south, and the season summer correspondingly. Thus it is sometimes called the Vermilion bird of the South (南方朱雀, Nán Fāng Zhū Què). It is known as Zhū Què in Chinese, Suzaku in Japanese, Jujak in Korean and Chu Tước in Vietnamese. It is described as a red bird that resembles a pheasant with a five-coloured plumage and is perpetually covered in flames. Represented by Jonangu Shrine in the southern part of Kyoto.
It is often mistaken for the Fenghuang due to similarities in appearance, but the two are different creatures. The Fenghuang (similar to the phoenix in western mythologies) is a legendary ruler of birds who is associated with the Chinese Empress in the same way the dragon is associated with the Emperor, while the Vermilion Bird is a mythological spirit creature of the Chinese constellations.
The Vermilion bird is an elegant and noble bird in both appearance and behaviour, it is very selective in what it eats and where it perches, with its feathers in many different hues of vermilion.

Model Part Credits:
Head - Angelica-Lime
Hair - NanamiHaruko
Base - Rita-Monstrita
Wings - Ginjishi
Dress - Tameyri
Tail - Tehrainbowllama
Bird feet - Valforwing

The White Tiger of the West
The White Tiger is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. It is sometimes called the White Tiger of the West (西方白虎, Xī Fāng Bái Hǔ), and is known as Bái Hǔ in Chinese, Byakko in Japanese, Baekho in Korean and Bạch Hổ in Vietnamese. It represents the west and the autumn season.
In Chinese culture, the tiger is the king of the beasts and has been presented with a 王 (wáng, eng. king) on his forehead for centuries. According to legend, the tiger's tail would turn white when it reached the age of 500 years. 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 colour white of the Wu Xing theory also represents the west, the white tiger became a mythological guardian of the west.

Model Part Credits:
Head - Seo-MMD
Ears & Tail - UnluckyCandyFox
Hair - DeidaraChanHeart
Body - NakuGrape
Clothes - 切な顔P (Off face P)
Claws - Amenrenet
Image size
4766x7306px 6.45 MB
© 2017 - 2024 Miku-Nyan02
Comments9
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
PepperRed's avatar

hey noob question how did you make the dragon tail?