봉황

DeityKorea · East AsiaMythFear 2/10

Description

다섯 가지 색의 깃털을 가진 신성한 새. 어진 군주가 세상을 다스릴 때만 나타난다. 머리는 하늘, 눈은 태양, 등은 달, 날개는 바람, 꼬리는 별을 상징한다.

Origin & Background

The oldest design of the phoenix (Bonghwang) dates back to around 7000 BC and was discovered at the Gaomiao archaeological site in Hunan Province. The earliest forms of the designs of the phoenix and dragon can be traced to the Yangshao culture (around 5000 BC to 3000 BC), found in archaeological sites near Xi'an in Shaanxi Province. The ancient use of the phoenix and dragon is considered evidence of ancient totemism in China. During the Shang Dynasty, images of the phoenix and dragon became popular in burial goods. Artifacts made of jade depicting the phoenix and dragon have been found in Shang Dynasty tombs. In the poetry of the Zhou Dynasty, when mentioning the Shang people, the term 'ancestor' is implied to refer to the male phoenix.

The Legend

The phoenix is a mythical bird, regarded as the king of all birds in Chinese tradition. Although there was a distinction between male and female, it is now generally considered a feminine entity and is traditionally known to pair with the masculine Chinese dragon. The phoenix is believed to appear only in places filled with peace and prosperity, and its body encompasses various colors. The body of the phoenix symbolizes the sky, sun, moon, wind, earth, and planets, and it is sometimes depicted holding a scroll or box containing sacred texts.

In Popular Culture

The phoenix is used as a national symbol in modern Japan and Korea. In Korea, the phoenix is used as a symbol of the president and appears in the national emblem. Historically, the phoenix has been used as a symbol of queens and empresses. In Japan, the phoenix is associated with the Japanese Empire and is used as decoration on the imperial throne and various imperial garments.

This article is based on the Wikipedia article "Fenghuang" (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikipedia