In traditional Chinese culture, the phoenix is the king of birds in ancient legends, the male is the phoenix, and the female is the phoenix. Sima Xiangru of the Western Han Dynasty has a famous qin song "Phoenix Seeking Phoenix". Later, the Chinese combined the phoenix and the male dragon, which went hand in hand with the dragon, with a totem-like height, and was admired and worshiped by the descendants of Yanhuang for generations, thus creating a rich and splendid dragon and phoenix culture.

The phoenix seeks the phoenix

The phoenix seeks the phoenix

In idioms, the dragon and the phoenix are always matched together, such as: the dragon flies and the phoenix dances, the phoenix watches the dragon posture, the dragon and the phoenix lift, the dragon and the phoenix are auspicious, etc.

The image of the phoenix is often used to decorate the emperor's utensils and clothes, so it is also a symbol of the emperor. The emperor wears a "dragon crown"; the emperor lives in the "dragon mansion", and the emperor lives in the "phoenix building"; the emperor has a "dragon fire suit", and the emperor has a "phoenix head". The dragon symbolizes authority and dignity, while the phoenix with a dignified demeanor symbolizes beauty and benevolence. The combination of the two is a manifestation of peace and prosperity, nobility and auspiciousness.

In addition, the image of the phoenix often appears in ancient poetry and songs. For example, Wen Tingyun's "Bodhisattva Man": "The phoenix is relatively golden, and the peony has been slightly rained overnight. The mirror shines with new makeup, and the temples are light and the face is long. The painting building looks at each other for a long time, and the silk willows hang outside the column. The message does not return, and the double swallow returns in front of the company. ”

The long history of the phoenix and the connotation of wealth are deeply loved by the general public, in fact, it is not only limited to the royal nobles, in the people's clothing, food, housing and transportation and other aspects of life everywhere there is the figure of the phoenix, such as wearing a phoenix crown, phoenix shoes, phoenix hairpins, eating phoenix wings, phoenix claws, living in a phoenix building, paper-cutting, embroidery will be based on the phoenix as the theme, which reflects people's pursuit and yearning for a happy life and beautiful love.

In Chinese culture, the phoenix is a symbol of festivity, peace, talent, and happiness.

2. Compared with the connotation of phoenix in traditional Chinese culture, the western phoenix emphasizes the beautiful side of its rebirth and resurrection. In Western mythology, the phoenix (phoe-nix) has the reputation of "immortal bird", "immortal bird", and is a symbol of "immortality". In Western culture, the phoenix not only symbolizes "rebirth" and "resurrection", but also represents beautiful things, even love. Due to its meaning of immortality, resurrection, and rebirth, the image of Phoenix can often be seen on Western sarcophagi. In the Middle Ages, it was customary to draw a phoenix and a cross together. The phoenix is also a sign of the anthropomorphic image of chastity. Although there are differing accounts of how long it took to be reborn, early Christian art and literature regarded it as a symbol of resurrection, immortality, and rebirth.

In modern life, the image of Phoenix coming back from the dead is deeply rooted in people's hearts. For example, the Pentagon's reconstruction project after the 911 attacks in 2001 was named Project Phoenix. Due to the cultural connotation of phoenix, some pharmacies in English-speaking countries hang it as a emblem on the door of the store to seek the auspiciousness of "longevity". Some drug rehabilitation centers are also named Phoenix, meaning to abandon their previous lives and regain their lives.

In addition, Westerners also regard the phoenix as a god of cohesion of love, because "love" will be like the phoenix and will never be extinguished. In Shakespeare's poem "The Phoenix and Turtle", the phoenix is a symbol of beauty and preciousness. In John Dunn's poem, Phoenix is a testimony of love.

In short, in Western culture, Phoenix conveys cultural meanings such as rebirth, recovery, perfection, and love, which are different from the auspiciousness, festivity, and nobility that traditional Chinese culture focuses on. In addition, in Western culture, the phoenix is not feminized with the dragon, but is a beautiful symbol of independence.

Fourth, the difference in the habits of the phoenix

1. In traditional Chinese culture, the phoenix has a close relationship with the plane tree. Because the plane tree is tall and straight, it is the best among trees and has been valued since ancient times. The ancients often associated the sycamore with the phoenix. The phoenix is the king of birds, and the phoenix is the happiest to perch on top of the sycamore. For example, in the "Book of Songs, Daya, Juan", there is a record about the sycamore: "The phoenix is singing, and it is in the high hill." The sycamore is born, and the sun rises in the sun. Yongyong. [35] "The poem speaks of the flourishing of the sycamore, which causes the phoenix to cry. It is the abundance of the sycamore, and the song of the phoenix is the sound of the phoenix.

In Zhuangzi's "Zhuangzi Autumn Water Chapter", it is also mentioned that the sycamore is also mentioned. When talking about Zhuangzi and Huizi, he said: "There is a bird in the south, its name is Bird, and the child knows it, and the Bird Bird is born in the South China Sea and flies in the North Sea, and there are more than ,...... Sycamores" In this article, the Sycamore and the Phoenix are also linked, and the "Bird" here is a kind of Phoenix. He said that the phoenix flew from the South China Sea to the North Sea, and only fell when it encountered the sycamore.

Because the ancients often associated the sycamore with the phoenix, people often say: "Plant the sycamore tree, and there will be a phoenix." In the past, Yin Shi people often planted sycamores in the yard, not only because the sycamore has momentum, but also because the sycamore is a symbol of auspiciousness.

2. In Western culture, there is no such cultural connotation.

5. The difference in the relationship between the phoenix and the wind

1. In the oracle bone inscription, the words "phoenix" and "wind" are homophonic, synonymous, homologous and universal. This is the point of Wang Guowei's argument, and it is also the basic knowledge of oracle bones. "The Book of Birds": "Phoenixes, kites." The more people call it Fengbo. Flying, the sky is windy. Guo Moruo's "Divination Compilation" Volume 2: "The ancients took the phoenix as the god of wind. ”

From the above, it can be seen that the phoenix is a wind bird, and the prototype is the wind. In the ancient belief of the god of wind, it is believed that the wind in the world is produced by a huge bird flapping its wings, and this bird that can produce wind is the phoenix, so the phoenix is worshiped as the god of wind in all directions, and it is believed that there is a giant bird flapping its wings in each direction. Therefore, the words "phoenix" and "phoenix" and the word "wind" have the same "several" part representing the wind. Later, the representation of the wind was gradually replaced by the dragon that called for wind and rain, and the phoenix gradually derived symbols such as auspiciousness, women, or fire.

2. In Western culture, there is no such cultural connotation.

Similarity comparison

1. A similar legend of the phoenix's rebirth

After Buddhism was introduced to China, Buddhist teachings and ideas began to be accepted by the Chinese and integrated with Chinese culture, and there is a legend of a sacred bird in India, which is said to die every 500 years by self-immolation, and then be reborn in the flames and sublimated in this ordeal. This kind of death is called "nirvana", and the word nirvana is a Chinese transliteration of Sanskrit, which translates to extinguishment, extinction, silence, happiness, non-action, non-birth, liberation, and death. Through Guo Moruo's poem "Phoenix Nirvana", which combines the phoenix with Nirvana and the Western sacred bird, there is a well-known word "Phoenix Nirvana" in Chinese, but this bird is not actually a phoenix.

In the West, according to Greek legend, the phoenix lived next to a well in the Arabian desert and bathed in the water every morning and sang beautiful songs. At this time, the Egyptian sun god would stop and listen. After the phoenix self-immolated, the regenerated phoenix will put the ashes of the self-immolated phoenix in the eggshell. Therefore, the phoenix is again a symbol of immortality and regeneration. The phoenix was later cast as a symbolic symbol of the Roman Empire's Eternal City (Eternalcity). It is generally believed that the cycle of self-immolation of the phoenix is once every 500 years, but some people say that it is 300 years. It is said that the phoenix has appeared five times in the history of Egypt, namely in 866 BC, 566 BC, 266 BC, 34 AD, and 334 AD. This means that the Egyptian phoenix self-immolates every 300 years.

2. Similar cultural connotations

First of all, in both Chinese and Western contexts, the phoenix has the meaning of "outstanding talent". For example, in Chinese, there are words that symbolize excellence, rarity, and nobility, such as a hundred birds and a phoenix, and a rare phoenix. It is said that when Confucius traveled south to the Chu State, the hermit of the Chu State met Confucius on the way, and once used "Fengde" as a metaphor for the ancient style of the world, leaving a sigh of "Fengxi Fengxi, the decline of He De". In the poems of the Chu poet Qu Yuan, the phoenix is used as a frequently used symbolic image to refer to a virtuous person. The way of thinking of "comparing virtue with the phoenix" and "comparing talent with the phoenix" also reflects the importance and cultivation of virtue and talent of the Chinese nation.

As in Chinese, Phoenix can also refer to "outstanding person" in English, which is quite similar to the Chinese word for "dragon and phoenix".

In addition, because of the beautiful meaning of phoenix and phoenix, they are often used as names of people and places in China and the Western world.

Chinese women often have the character "phoenix" in their names, and Western women also use the word "phoenix" in their names. In addition to personal names, there are also place names that are often used, such as the ancient city of Phoenix in Hunan, China, and the Phoenix City in the United States. [36]

Value Meaning Edit

1. The phoenix is a symbol of "luxury, majesty, enterprising and peace".

The phoenix is a bird in people's minds and a symbol of peace in the world. The ancients believed that when the era of peace and prosperity, there was a phoenix flying, and the oracle bone inscription of the wind is the same as the oracle bone inscription of the phoenix, which represents the omnipresence of the wind and the meaning of spiritual power; [24]

2. The phoenix is a symbol of love

The phoenix can bring happiness and auspiciousness to people, and naturally it also contains the happiness of love. As a result, the phoenix has the meaning of symbolizing love. Later, it was used to congratulate a happy marriage and metaphorize the harmony of husband and wife. In the Tang Dynasty, the bronze mirror had the "Concentric Knot of the Beautiful Phoenix", that is, the concentric knot on the phoenix's mouth symbolized happy love, in order to show that the husband and wife loved each other. It can be seen that in the Sui and Tang dynasties, it was more common to symbolize the love of husband and wife. In the Northern Song Dynasty, it was also popular to give a phoenix hairpin to make love, and the phoenix hairpin is a kind of jewelry for women. When men and women are engaged, the woman mostly gives the man a phoenix hairpin to show that she is "in the Ming Dynasty, when the man and woman get married, the dress worn by the woman is also equipped with a phoenix crown, which is decorated with a phoenix and hung with jewelry." In modern times, people still regard the phoenix as a symbol of love, lighting phoenix dragon candles at wedding, cutting and pasting phoenix patterns, etc. [24]

3. The phoenix has the symbolic meaning of "harmony".

In Chinese culture, the image of the phoenix represents not only the "harmony" of natural objects, but also the "harmony" of human society. The "five colors" of the phoenix were later regarded as a symbol of the five ethics of "morality, righteousness, courtesy, benevolence, and faith" in the harmony and stability of ancient society. Secondly, the phoenix has represented harmony and harmony among the people since ancient times. The fidelity of love. In addition, the phoenix serves as a spiritual and material carrier of the concept of harmony. From the perspective of development, it is also a diversified product, which is based on the combination of witchcraft and bird totems, and integrates the totems worshipped by different eras and different tribes. Secondly, it is a "two-in-one" unity of opposites, and at the same time, it can be said that the harmonious concept of Phoenix culture covers all aspects of social and material life. The use of this phoenix image characteristic of "harmony" is also often used in idioms about phoenixes. [24]

Fourth, the phoenix is a symbol of "power".

In the pre-Qin period, the phoenix pattern appeared on jade and bronze objects, which were symbols of power, and gradually became the exclusive ornament of the royal family, appearing in various palace buildings, using utensils, and maintaining them in the form of rituals and laws.

5. The phoenix is the spiritual totem of the Chinese nation

Like dragons, the phoenix is an integral part of traditional Chinese culture. With the progress of society, the symbolic meaning of the phoenix has also changed accordingly, and people no longer regard the phoenix as a symbol of autocratic imperial power, but as a symbol of national culture. In China's primitive painted pottery culture about six or seven thousand years ago, there was the prototype of the phoenix image. In the Shang Dynasty bronzes more than 3,500 years ago, phoenix patterns also appeared. As a result, in the decorative arts of later Chinese dynasties, many artistic treasures with the theme of phoenix were created. These works of art with phoenix patterns are representative of traditional art and reflect the aesthetic taste of the Chinese nation. From the perspective of dragon and phoenix art, the artistic image of the phoenix gives people great spiritual power, and it is the same as the dragon, a symbol of the Chinese nation. That is, it can be said that the Chinese nation is also the descendant of the phoenix. [24]

Legends and allusions edited

The phoenix perches on the Wu

Sycamore is the king of the tree, and according to legend, it is a spiritual tree, which can know the time and the order. "Hearing and Seeing Records": "Birds of Wutong dare not perch, and they should avoid the phoenix." As the king of birds, the phoenix is in the universe, and it is not a sycamore. "Wei Shu Wang Xian's Biography" "The phoenix is not a sycamore and does not live", the phoenix chooses the tree to perch, and then compares the virtuous to choose the master and serve.

The elephant of the phoenix

According to legend, the phoenix can know the rise and fall of the world, is the best embodiment of the royal benevolence in Chinese history, is the barometer of the rise and fall of the troubled times, and becomes the "image ambassador" of theology and politics. Nanqi Xie Zhao's "Ten Songs of Yongming Music": "The colorful phoenix sings the rising sun, the Yuan crane dances the Qing Shang; ”

Nine chicks of phoenix breeding

The dragon gave birth to nine sons, and the phoenix gave birth to nine chicks.

"Nine Chicks" is from "Jin Shu, Emperor Ji VIII, Emperor Mu Di Ai Emperor Abolish Emperor Haixi Gongji": "(Shengping four years) February, the phoenix will see the nine chicks in Fengcheng. [37] Later, the "Phoenix Leads the Nine Chicks" as a good omen of peace in the world and social prosperity. The specific category name and image of "Nine Chicks" are not mentioned. Later, with the continuous interpretation and integration of various religious beliefs and folklore, the nine chicks' statements continued to be enriched and inconclusive.

The origin of the totem

"Han Poems Biography" also recorded such a legend about the phoenix: "The Yellow Emperor ascended the throne and gave favors. Chengtian together, cultivating virtue, only benevolence is the same, the peace in the universe, and the Phoenix Emperor has not been seen. Thinking only about its image, dreaming of the morning revival, it is to invite the old man and ask: 'How is the phoenix?' The old man said: "Fu Feng, in front of the Hong, behind the scales, the snake neck and fish tail, the dragon pattern and the turtle body." Swallow jaws and chicken beaks. Dade, Negative Benevolence, Loyalty, Righteousness, Small Sound Gold, Big Drum. Stretch the neck, strive for wings, colorful preparations, sound the eight winds, and the air should rain at the time. The food is of good quality, and the drink is of good order. The past is the beginning of the text, and the coming is Jiacheng. Only the phoenix can pass through the heavens, respond to the spirit of the earth, the rhythm of the five tones, and read the nine virtues. There is a way in the world, and one of the phoenix elephants is a phoenix. The second of the phoenix elephant is the phoenix Xiang, and the third of the phoenix elephant is the phoenix gathering. The four phoenixes are the phoenixes in spring and autumn. If you get the fifth phoenix elephant, the phoenix will not live in it. So the Yellow Emperor wore yellow clothes and a yellow crown, and fasted in the palace, and the phoenix came to cover the sun. The Yellow Emperor descended to the east step, the west, and bowed again, and the chief said: 'The emperor descended to the heavens, and he did not dare to disobey his orders. 'Feng Nai Zhi Emperor East Garden, set Emperor Wutong, eat Emperor Zhu, do not go. ”

Phoenix paper-cuts

Phoenix paper-cuts

Similar to the record of "Han Poems", there are also legends. Xuanyuan Yellow Emperor unified the three major tribes, seventy-two small tribes, and established the world's first country with a common master. The Yellow Emperor intended to develop a unified totem. On the basis of the totems used by the original tribes of various sizes, one was created