Phoenix, also known as "Phoenix Emperor", is the king of birds in ancient legends. The male is called "Phoenix", and the female is called "Phoenix", which has always been called Phoenix, and is also called Dan bird, firebird, stork, hawksbill and so on. It is usually used to symbolize auspiciousness, phoenix and Qi Fei, and it is a symbol of auspiciousness and harmony. It has been an important part of China culture since ancient times.
Like the image of the dragon, the image of the phoenix has become more and more complicated. Finally, it has a drooping head, a hip, a snake's neck, a fish's tail, a dragon pattern, a turtle's body, a swallow's chin and a chicken's mouth. It is like a mandarin duck, with wings like Dapeng and legs like cranes. It is a fetish that integrates all kinds of birds and animals.
Phoenix, like dragon, does not exist in the real world. It is a bird in ancient mythology, and the dragon is the totem of the Han nationality. Similar legends also exist in the history of other East Asian countries. Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, the dragon has gradually become the symbol of the emperor, empresses began to call it Phoenix, and the image of Phoenix has gradually become feminine.
Image habit
According to Guo Pu's "Er Ya Shi Bird", the appearance of the Phoenix is: "the head of a chicken, a swallow's jaw, a snake's neck, a turtle's back and a fish's tail are five colors, and it is six feet high". "Shuowen Jiezi" contains: "The image of the phoenix is also like the front of a deer, the tail of a snake, the back of a dragon turtle and the beak of a swallow chicken, with all five colors. Going out of the country of the oriental gentleman, flying over the four seas, crossing Kunlun, drinking columns, breaking feathers and weak water, staying in the wind tunnel, the world is peaceful. "
Phoenix's character is noble, "it's not just a phoenix tree, it's not practice, it's not drinking, it's not a ritual spring."
According to Shan Hai Jing Tu Zan, there are five image patterns of the Phoenix: "The first text is virtuous, the wing is smooth, the back is righteous, the abdomen is faithful, and the fake text is Ren Yue." "Bao Puzi" explains: "Mu Fu is benevolent and green. Phoenix's head is green, so it's called Dai Ren. Gold is benevolent, and this is white. Phoenix has a white neck, so it is also righteous. As a ritual, fire is red. Phoenix's mouth is red, so it is called a negative gift. Water is smart, black, and chicken breasts are black, so I still know. The earth is like a letter, and it is yellow. The phoenix is yellow, so it is also a letter. "
The geographical masterpiece "Answer to the Generation Outside the Ridge" edited by Zhou Qufei, a geographer in the Southern Song Dynasty, has a very detailed description of the phoenix: the phoenix was born in Danxue in the south and only built its nest on the uninhabited high cliff in Yongzhou (now Nanning, Guangxi). Phoenix is covered with colorful feathers, as big as a peacock, and all birds will stand around when they meet. The crested hair on the head is often filled with water, and men and women take turns to eat it, never approaching the world. There are also records that the phoenix nests in the deep forests in the Liangjiang area. After laying eggs, the male phoenix seals the female phoenix in the nest with wooden branches mixed with peach gum, leaving only a small blowhole. Then the male phoenix looks for food to feed the female phoenix. If he gets food, he will take off the lid. If he can't get food, he will block the hole and suffocate the female phoenix.