| rdfs:comment
| - The Four Gods (四神), also known as the Four Symbols (四象), Four Sacred Beasts (四聖獣), Four Spirits (四霊), are deities that reign over the cardinal directions of the constellations. A fifth god, the Yellow Dragon, is also said to rule the center. These gods are particularly famous throughout Eastern Asia and appear in a variety of fictional works.
- The Four Gods are based on four mythological creatures from Chinese mythology. They appear in The Last Blade with their Japanese associated names. While The Last Blade specifically refers to four main gods, it also uses a fifth figure like the Wu Xing and other systems, and this figure has historically been either a mediator or a unique fifth element. The five and their associations are as follows:
|
| abstract
| - The Four Gods (四神), also known as the Four Symbols (四象), Four Sacred Beasts (四聖獣), Four Spirits (四霊), are deities that reign over the cardinal directions of the constellations. A fifth god, the Yellow Dragon, is also said to rule the center. These gods are particularly famous throughout Eastern Asia and appear in a variety of fictional works.
- The Four Gods are based on four mythological creatures from Chinese mythology. They appear in The Last Blade with their Japanese associated names. While The Last Blade specifically refers to four main gods, it also uses a fifth figure like the Wu Xing and other systems, and this figure has historically been either a mediator or a unique fifth element. The five and their associations are as follows:
* Seiryū - a blue dragon (East, Spring, Wood) Benevolent and powerful ruler of the east. In Japan, it's said to drink from the waterfall within Kiyomizu Temple at nighttime.
* Suzaku - a vermilion bird (South, Summer, Fire) A majestic bird with a noble behavior that's picky about what it eats and where it perches.
* Byakko - a white tiger (West, Autumn, Metal) Tigers were considered to be the king of all beasts in China, and white tigers were mythic elder versions of tigers. A white tiger is said to only appear when the world is at peace or if the Emperor ruled with virtue.
* Genbu - a black tortoise entwined with a snake (North, Winter, Water) The tortoise and the snake were symbols of longevity in China and were symbols of honor with a similar meaning in Japan. The word "tortoise" could also mean "taboo" in Chinese.
* Kouryu - the yellow dragon or giraffe (Center, between-seasons, Earth) The yellow dragon is also traditionally a representation of the Emperor of China, who is revered as a deity in his own right; this figure is considered to be the child of the gods. This is also why emperors of China are often associated with dragons and the color yellow.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)