The phoenix is an important symbol of Chinese civilization that is as important as the dragon in ancient times. It has been the cultural totem of the Chinese nation for thousands of years. Phoenix is introduced in many ancient books, but no one has ever seen it in reality. There are only a few phoenix-like birds: such as peacocks, quetzals, birds of paradise, golden pheasants and long-tailed chickens. In our daily life, we only know that the Phoenix is a very beautiful bird, but there is a folk saying of "the five colors of the Phoenix". So, what are the five colors of the "Phoenix Five Colors"?
Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States "The Book of Birds": "The green phoenix is called the heel, the red phoenix is called the quail, the yellow phoenix is called the yan, the white phoenix is called the solemn, and the purple phoenix is called the eagle."
[Green] Colored Phoenix - Helicopter
He[hé] is a bird recorded in ancient books that looks like a pheasant and is good at fighting. A rare rare bird unique to China, it belongs to the family Pheasantidae. Its body feathers are mostly brown and black, and the bare eyes are red. The chin and upper throat are white, and the ear feathers are also white, and extend backward to form a horn shape. The waist feathers and upper tail are covered The bases of the feathers and tail feathers are silvery white and are only found in the mountains of northern Shanxi Province, northern Hebei Province and northwest China. Such as: He Wei (the tail feathers of the He Chicken); He Dan (the name of the bird, namely Han Hao Chong, also known as He bird )
[red] Phoenix - Quail, Galliformes, Phasianidae, 130 species of small A general term for short-tailed hunting birds. Now generally referred to as quail, it is a timid bird by nature. It does not like to interact in groups, but likes to move in pairs in open and vegetation-covered plains, pastures, farmland and other environments. 【Yellow】Phoenix - Yan
The original meaning of the word "Yan" refers to a kind of bird, but I don't know what kind of bird it is. "Qin Jing": "Huang Feng calls it Yan." Xu Shen " Shuowen Jie Zi ": "Yan bird, yellow, comes from Jianghuai." Duan Yucai Note: "This bird has not been examined yet "Yes." Some data believe that "Zheng" is the ancient word for "Zheng", and "Yan" is the bird of expedition, which is a migratory bird. It is yellow and may be an oriole.
【White】Phoenix - Su
"Su" should refer to "spider", that is, 锹鹴[sù shuāng], a kind of wild goose and water bird mentioned in ancient books, and a Western sacred bird in ancient legends. " Shuowen ": "Spider, hawk and grebe . It is also the sacred bird of the five directions. It is invented in the east, bright in the south, hawk in the west, prosperous in the north, and phoenix in the center."
[Purple] color phoenix——鷷
鷟[zhuó], a kind of waterfowl mentioned in ancient books, resembles a wild duck but is slightly larger. One of the legendary five phoenixes in ancient times, they were black or purple. The reason why people equate the eagle with the phoenix is because Xu Shen explained the eagle as a type of phoenix in "Shuowen Jiezi".
Ming · "Yongle Dadian": "(Han) Taishi Ling Cai Heng said: Anyone who looks like a phoenix has five colors, the more red is the phoenix, the more green is the luan, the more yellow is the 铓鶵, the more purple is the 鸑鸶, The more white the bird, the swan."
【Red】Phoenix——Feng
Phoenix is the perfect divine bird used by ancient priests to worship the gods. It is the legendary king of birds, with a crown on its head and feathers covering hundreds of eyes. It looks like a peacock today; male It is called "Feng", and the female is called "Huang".
[Green] Color Phoenix - Luan
Qingluan is also known as Luan bird, blue bird, chicken fun, etc. Luan is a bird like the phoenix in ancient Chinese myths and legends. Among the various synonyms of the phoenix, it may be the most well-known one. A popular saying in the novels of the Han and Jin Dynasties is that the luan bird - black bird - blue bird is regarded as the messenger of the spring god and a symbol of the East Prince and the West Queen Mother. " Shan Hai Jing ": "On the mountain where the female bed is, there is a bird. Its shape is like a Zhai, and its name is Luan bird. Seeing it brings peace to the world." "Shuowen": "Luan, the spirit of the gods, is also red and colorful, in the shape of a chicken, "The Bird Classic" says: "Luan, an auspicious bird, is called a chicken. Its first wing is red, and it is called Danfeng; blue, it is called Yuxiang, white, it is called Huayi; Xuan, it is called Yinzhu; yellow, it is called Yinzhu. Said earth talisman. "
[Yellow] Colored Phoenix - 铓鶵
铓鶵 is a bird similar to the Luanfeng in Chinese mythology and legend." Zhuangzi · Qiu Shui ": "The husband's bird is born in the South China Sea and flies over the North Sea. It will not stop unless it is a phoenix tree, it will not eat unless it is made of solid food, and it will not drink unless it is a sweet spring." This is probably the earliest idiom " Fengqi Wutong " origin.
【Purple】Colored Phoenix——鸑鸷
鸸鸟 is one of the five phoenixes in ancient Chinese folklore. As black or purple, the bird symbolizes perseverance and unyielding quality. In "Primary School Cyanosis", it refers to a kind of water bird, resembling a mallard and with large red eyes.
[White] Phoenix - Honghu
In Chinese myths and legends, Honghu is a white phoenix. In the ancient pronunciation of , the pronunciations of Hong and Huang and the pronunciations of swan and crane were easily confused. Therefore, Honghu is often misread as yellow swan, yellow crane, etc. Hong refers to the wild goose, and pheasant refers to the swan. Geese and swans are close relatives, both belong to class Aves , order Anselidae, family Anatidae , subfamily Anselidae. Honghu is the common name used by the ancients for birds that fly extremely high and far away, such as vultures. Also known as swan, Hong, crane, Bai Honghe, etc.
In short, whether it is the five-color phoenix recorded in the "Qin Jing" of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods - He, Quail, Yan, Su, and Hui, or the five-color phoenix recorded in the "Yongle Dadian" of the Ming Dynasty - Feng, Luan, Quail, Quail The hawk and the swan are both very beautiful birds. It perfectly explains the beautiful image of "Phoenix" in people's hearts.
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