| Spirit turtle | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 靈龜 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 灵龟 | ||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Spiritturtle | ||||||||||||||
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| Vietnamese name | |||||||||||||||
| Vietnamese alphabet | linh quy | ||||||||||||||
| Chữ Nôm | 靈龜 | ||||||||||||||
| Korean name | |||||||||||||||
| Hangul | 영귀 | ||||||||||||||
| Hanja | 靈龜 | ||||||||||||||
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| Japanese name | |||||||||||||||
| Kanji | 霊亀 | ||||||||||||||
| Hiragana | れいき | ||||||||||||||
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Thespirit turtle (Chinese:靈龜) orspirit tortoise is aturtle originated fromChinese mythology and spread withEast Asian cultural sphere. It is believed by East Asian cultures, like other turtles in mythology, to representlongevity (壽命).
It is said to be chief among allshelled creatures.[1]
Among theFour Intelligent Beasts (四靈), a list of auspicious animals, the turtle goes by several names. Although it can simply be called "turtle" (龜guī), it is also referred to as "old turtle" (老龜lǎoguī) and "spirit turtle" (靈龜língguī). The latter is sometimes understood as being synonymous with "divine turtle" (神龜shénguī) although distinctions are made.
The term is also used in reference to the turtle shells used in traditionaldivination.
TheErya provides entries on the terms "divine turtle" (神龜) and "spirit turtle" (靈龜). The former term includes an annotation which simply reads "the most sacred of turtles" (亀之最神明).
According to theShuyiji (述異記Tales of Strange Matters) compiled by Ren Fang, a turtle that has lived for one thousand years has grown hair, a five thousand year old tortoise is called a "divine turtle" (神龜) and an animal older than ten thousand years is called a "spiritual turtle" (靈龜).[2]
TheBaopuzi gives a slightly different account, describing the spirit turtle as one thousand years old. While the theme of longevity persists, the age at which the creature is recognized as a "spirit turtle" (靈龜) is in stark contrast with the account found in theShuyiji. The text continues to describe the turtle as having five colors: blue, red, yellow, white, and black; together representing thefive elements.
InJapanese mythology, the creature is identified as theReiki (霊亀 "spirit turtle").
TheZenrin-kushū provides akōan that readsReiki o o hiku (靈龜曵尾 "The spirit turtle sweeps its tail"). It is described as a variant of the phraseAto o haratte ato shōzu (拂跡跡生 "Erasing traces creates traces").[3]
The spirit turtle is an endemic motif atShintō shrines andBuddhist temples in Japan. Thesangō title "Reigizan" (霊亀山 "Spirit Turtle Mountain") belongs to several temples across the country, includingTenryū-ji andRinsen-ji inKyōto,Hontoku-ji inHimeji,Daichō-ji inUwajima, and others.
It is said theKameoka Hachimangūshrine inSendai is so-called because a spirit turtle appeared at the time of its construction. Stone statues of the creature can be found atZenyōmitsu-ji andKameoka Hachimangū inMashiko, Tochigi.
Reiki is also the name of the firstera of theNara period.
InKorean mythology, it is known asYeonggwi (Korean: 영귀;Hanja: 靈龜).[4]
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