| Vermilion Bird | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Zhūquè sculpture on an eaves tile | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 朱雀 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "VermilionPeafowl" | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Japanese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kanji | 朱雀 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hiragana | すざく | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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TheVermilion Bird (Chinese:朱雀;pinyin:Zhūquè) is one of theFour Symbols of theChinese constellations. According toWu Xing, theTaoist five elemental system, it represents theFire element, the directionsouth, and the season of summer correspondingly. Thus it is sometimes called theVermilion Bird of the South (Chinese:南方朱雀;pinyin:Nán Fāng Zhū Què). It is described as a redbird that resembles apheasant with a fire-colored plumage and is perpetually covered in flames. It is known asSuzaku in Japanese,Jujak in Korean andChu Tước in Vietnamese.
It is often mistaken for theFenghuang due to similarities in appearance, but the two are different creatures.[1] The Fenghuang is a legendary ruler of birds who is associated with the Chinese Empress in the same way the dragon is associated with the Emperor, while theVermilion Bird is a mythological spirit creature of the Chinese constellations.
As with the other threeSymbols, there are seven astrological "Mansions" (positions of theMoon) within the Vermilion Bird. The names and determinative stars are:[2][3]
| Mansion no. | Name (pinyin) | Translation | Determinative star |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | 井 (Jǐng) | Well | μ Gem |
| 23 | 鬼 (Guǐ) | Ghost | θ Cnc |
| 24 | 柳 (Liǔ) | Willow | δ Hya |
| 25 | 星 (Xīng) | Star | α Hya |
| 26 | 張 (Zhāng) | Extended Net | υ¹ Hya |
| 27 | 翼 (Yì) | Wings | α Crt |
| 28 | 軫 (Zhěn) | Chariot | γ Crv |
The Vermilion Bird is elegant and noble in both appearance and behavior, with feathers in many different hues ofvermilion. It is very selective about what it eats and where it perches.[citation needed]
| Four Symbols | Mansion (Chinese name) | Romanization | Translation | Asterisms (Chinese name) | Romanization | Translation | Western star name | Chinese star name | Romanization | Translation |
| Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀) | 鬼 | Guǐ | Ghost | 外廚 | Wàichú | Outer Kitchen | ||||
| 2 Hya | 外廚一 | Wàichúyī | 1st star | |||||||
| 3 Hya /HD 74395 | 外廚二 | Wàichúèr | 2nd star | |||||||
| 14 Hya | 外廚三 | Wàichúsān | 3rd star | |||||||
| 柳 | Liǔ | Willow | 柳 | Liǔ | Willow[4] | |||||
| δ Hya | ||||||||||
| 柳宿一 | Liǔxiùyī | 1st star | ||||||||
| 柳宿距星 | Liǔxiùjùxīng | Separated star | ||||||||
| 柳宿西头第三星 | Liǔxiùxītoudìsānxīng | 3rd star in the upper west | ||||||||
| 玉井西北星 | Yùjǐngxīběixīng | Star in northwest ofJade Well constellation | ||||||||
| 午 | Wǔ | The thong | ||||||||
| 鹑火星 | Chúnhuǒxīng | The phoenix | ||||||||
| σ Hya | 柳宿二 | Liǔxiùèr | 2nd star | |||||||
| η Hya | 柳宿三 | Liǔxiùsān | 3rd star | |||||||
| ρ Hya | 柳宿四 | Liǔxiùsì | 4th star | |||||||
| ε Hya | 柳宿五 | Liǔxiùwǔ | 5th star | |||||||
| ζ Hya | 柳宿六 | Liǔxiùliù | 6th star | |||||||
| ω Hya | 柳宿七 | Liǔxiùqī | 7th star | |||||||
| θ Hya | 柳宿八 | Liǔxiùbā | 8th star | |||||||
| 星 | Xīng | Star | 星 | Xīng | Star[5] | |||||
| α Hya | ||||||||||
| 星宿一 | Xīngxiùyī | 1st star | ||||||||
| 星宿距星 | Xīngxiùjùxīng | Separated star | ||||||||
| 星宿中央大星 | Xīngxiùzhōngyāngdàxīng | Big star in the center | ||||||||
| τ1 Hya | 星宿二 | Xīngxiùèr | 2nd star | |||||||
| τ2 Hya | 星宿三 | Xīngxiùsān | 3rd star | |||||||
| ι Hya | 星宿四 | Xīngxiùsì | 4th star | |||||||
| 26 Hya | 星宿五 | Xīngxiùwǔ | 5th star | |||||||
| 27 Hya | 星宿六 | Xīngxiùliù | 6th star | |||||||
| HD 82477 &HD 82428 | 星宿七 | Xīngxiùqī | 7th star | |||||||
| 張 | Zhāng | Extended Net | 張 | Zhāng | Extended Net[6] | |||||
| υ1 Hya | 張宿一 | Zhāngxiùyī | 1st star | |||||||
| λ Hya | 張宿二 | Zhāngxiùèr | 2nd star | |||||||
| μ Hya | 張宿三 | Zhāngxiùsān | 3rd star | |||||||
| HD 87344 | 張宿四 | Zhāngxiùsì | 4th star | |||||||
| κ Hya | 張宿五 | Zhāngxiùwǔ | 5th star | |||||||
| φ Hya | 張宿六 | Zhāngxiùliù | 6th star | |||||||
| 翼 | Yì | Wings | 翼 | Yì | Wings[7][8] | |||||
| ν Hya | 翼宿五 | Yìxiùwǔ | 5th star | |||||||
| HD 100307 | 翼宿十八 | Yìxiùshíbā | 18th star | |||||||
| HD 96819 | 翼宿十九 | Yìxiùshíjiǔ | 19th star | |||||||
| χ1 Hya | 翼宿二十 | Yìxiùèrshí | 20th star | |||||||
| HD 102620 | 翼宿二十一 | Yìxiùèrshíyī | 21st star | |||||||
| HD 103462 | 翼宿二十二 | Yìxiùèrshíèr | 22nd star | |||||||
| 軫 | Zhěn | Chariot | 青丘 | Qīngqiū | Green Hill[9] | |||||
| β Hya | ||||||||||
| 青丘一 | Qīngqiūyī | 1st star | ||||||||
| 土公西星 | Tǔgōngxīxīng | Star in the west ofOfficial for Earthworks and Buildings constellation | ||||||||
| HD 103596 | 青丘二 | Qīngqiūèr | 2nd star | |||||||
| 17 Crt[10] | 青丘三 | Qīngqiūsān | 3rd star | |||||||
| HD 100393 | 青丘四 | Qīngqiūsì | 4th star | |||||||
| ξ Hya | 青丘五 | Qīngqiūwu | 5th star | |||||||
| ο Hya | 青丘七 | Qīngqiūqī | 7th star | |||||||
| 軍門 | Jūnmén | Military Gate | HD 104309 | 軍門一 | Jūnményī | 1st star |
In theMMORPGFinal Fantasy XIV Online bySquare Enix, a trial named "Hell's Kier" was added inPatch 4.4's Four Lords quest-line. The boss of this trial is namedSuzaku and bears a resemblance to the Vermilion Bird.[11]
In Kagurabachi, the character Seichi Samura wields the enchanted blade Tobimune that harnesses the power of Suzaku, the vermilion bird, giving him regenerative powers.
InBeyblade,Beyblade V-Force andBeyblade G-Revolution, the bit-beast Dranzer is modelled after the Vermillion Bird.