Black Tortoise

Black Tortoise
Xuán Wǔ sculptur on the eaves tile
Chinese name
Cheenese	玄武
Leeteral meanin	玄, black or abstruse; 武, martialism
Transcriptions Staundart Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Xuán Wǔ Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanisation yun4 mou5 Jyutping jyun4 mou5 Soothren Min Hokkien POJ gôan-bú
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese alphabet	Huyền Vũ
Korean name
Hangul	현무
Hanja	玄武
Transcriptions Revised Romanisation Hyeon-mu
Japanese name
Kanji	玄武
Hiragana	げんぶ
Transcriptions Revised Hepburn Genbu Kunrei-shiki Genbu

The Black Tortoise is ane o the Fower Seembols o the Cheenese constellations. It is whiles cried the Black Warrior o the North (北方玄武, Běi Fāng Xuán Wǔ), an is kent as Xuanwu in Cheenese, Genbu in Japanese, Hyeonmu in Korean an Huyền Vũ in Vietnamese. It represents the north an the winter saison. Awtho its name in Cheenese, Xuánwǔ, is aften translatit as Black Tortoise in Scots, it is uisually depictit as baith a tortoise an a snake, specifically wi the snake coilin aroond the tortoise.

The Seiven Mansions o the Black Tortoise

As the ither three Seembols, thare are seiven "mansions," or poseetions, o the muin athin Black Tortoise. The names an determinative starns are:

Mansion no.	Name (pinyin)	Translation	Determinative starn
8	斗 (Dǒu)	(Soothren) Dipper	φ Sgr
9	牛 (Niú)	Ox	β Cap
10	女 (Nǚ)	Girl	ε Aqr
11	虛 (Xū)	Emptiness	β Aqr
12	危 (Wēi)	Rooftop	α Aqr
13	室 (Shì)	Encampment	α Peg
14	壁 (Bì)	Wall	γ Peg

Oreegin

In auncient Cheenae, the tortoise an the snake wur thocht tae be spiritual creaturs seembolisin longevity. Durin the Han Dynasty, fowk aften wore jade pendants that wur in the shape o tortoises. Acause o auncient Cheenese influence on Japan, honorific titles an badges in Japan aften referred tae the tortoise or images o tortoises.

See an aw

• Fower Sauntly Beasts (Vietnam)

Freemit airtins

• "Star Charts and Moon Stations" Archived 2012-12-05 at Archive.today
• The Black Tortoise of the North Archived 2012-12-09 at Archive.today