Ancient architectural objects were often inlaid with mysterious beasts, which were not only used to decorate and add beauty, but also carried profound meanings.
Most of these beasts have their names derived from legends, although no one knows for sure if they exist in reality. The ancient book "Classic of Mountains and Seas" has been circulated in the Han Dynasty, which records many strange mountain animals, but later people used it as information for myths and legends, including birds and animals.
However, the wise ancients imagined and simulated the shapes of these alien beasts and endowed them with different attributes, expecting them to bring benefits to people with supernatural powers.
The sages of the Ming and Qing dynasties left records on this topic. They referred to each other and basically agreed on a statement.
According to their elaboration, most of the strange beasts on the ancient artifacts were the nine descendants of the dragon, including the Qiang, the Kiss, the Pulao, the Raccoon, the Glutton, the Glutton, the Xia, the Jianxi, the Jiaotu, and several others.
It is a kind of turtle-shaped beast on the stone tablet common in ancient cities and villages, so the folk have the saying of "Wang Ba Da Stone Tablet". Shaped like a turtle, it is also known as "loggerhead" or "stone stele" and is used to support the stele because of its strong weight-bearing capacity.
The Cockroach is a legendary hornless dragon. According to the records of the Shuowen, the mantis is a kind of dragon called the ground mole in the north. Gao Shiqi of the Ming Dynasty wrote in "Tianlu Knowledge. "Dragon Species" said: "It is said that there are nine kinds of dragons, each with its own good ......The second is said to be a kiss, sexual hope, and the head of the beast on the house is also. Other ancient texts have similar accounts of the kiss being a good character, so it is often carved on the roof.
It is said that it resembles a small dragon, likes to roar, has a loud voice, and has divine powers, so it is often hung on the bell. Li Shan of the Tang Dynasty quoted Xue Zong in his annotation of Ban Gu's "Tokyo Fu": "There are big fish called whales in the sea, and there are beasts named Pu Lao on the seaside." Pu Lao is afraid of whales, and whales hit Pu Lao and roared. Whoever wants to make the sound louder, pretend to be a prison on it. So the one who hit it is a whale. Later, people called the bell "Pu Lao".
The shape of the raccoon resembles a tiger, and the ancients often carved it on the prison door because of its majestic image and good at guarding prisoners. Yang Shen of the Ming Dynasty said in "The Dragon Gives Birth to Nine Sons": "The relentless beast, shaped like a tiger, is its posthumous image when the beast swallows its mouth at the prison gate." "So, the identity of the fox is that of a prison guard guarding the criminals, nothing more than standing there motionless all day long.
The gluttony is often carved on the lid because it likes to eat. Ding is a kind of utensil used to cook food in ancient times, and its lid is often inlaid with the image of gluttony. Actually, gluttony is not a kind word, and legend has it that it is a greedy monster. Su Dongpo of the Song Dynasty called himself a "glutton" and praised his pursuit of food. But the original meaning of gluttony is not good, so the ancients only let it have a head and no body, and the gluttonous head carved on bells and other utensils is mainly used as decoration.
Lizards, also known as crickets, are commonly known as four-legged beasts and are often used as a metaphor for villains. The ancients believed that lizards were shaped like beasts, had ghost heads, and liked the smell of blood, so they were often used on the hilt of their knives. Lizards live in tropical and **zone areas, which are not uncommon nowadays. It may be that the ancients had difficulty traveling, poor information, and rarely saw lizards, so they regarded them as exotic beasts.
The shape of the tiger resembles a dragon, and it likes to be literary and is often carved on both sides of the inscription. It is also said that the tiger is one of the nine sons of the dragon. The tiger likes to be literary, which is related to words and documents. Seals are often used in documents, so the dragon-shaped button on the seal is a tiger.
Also known as the golden lion, it is shaped like a lion and loves fire and smoke, so it is often carved on the lid of the incense burner. Later, the incense burner in the shape of a beast was called a fox, also called a golden beast. Liu Ji of the Ming Dynasty has a description in the word "Wangjiangnan" that "the golden beast can't fly with smoke, and the jade insect returns to the light without flames", in which the golden beast refers to the incense burner. Some people say that there is also a fierce image in the "Five Ridges and Six Beasts".
The shape of the pepper figure is like a snail, like to close the mouth, in ancient times often carved its image on the door, both as a decoration and imply that the door is closed tightly. The ancients attached great importance to the gate, and Zhu Bailu, a scholar in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, said in the "Maxims of Governing the Family": "If you are faint and rest, you must lock the door and check it yourself."
The fish is a kind of fish in mythology, according to the "Classic of Mountains and Seas". The Overseas Western Classic records: "A fish is in the north of the fertile field, and it is a fish like a carp. "The fish also has the image of a dragon and likes to swallow fire. The ancients placed it on the roof, presumably to prevent fires.
Jin Wu is a legendary mythical beast. Yan Shigu of the Tang Dynasty said: "Jinwu, the name of the bird is also unknown." The Son of Heaven travels, the master of the job, to the royal very, so the elephant of this bird, because of the official name. "Kingo's head is shaped like a mermaid and has two wings on the tail. It is psychic and sleepless and does not need to sleep all night. The ancients used it as a patrol guard, similar to the painted plastic traffic police on the highway today. For this reason, in ancient times, military officials were called "Jingo" and were responsible for the duties of the emperor's ministers, such as guards, honor guards, garrisons of Gyeonggi, and maintenance of law and order.
Hua Xia is one of the nine sons of the legendary dragon. According to Chu Renshu's description in the "Jian Gu Ji", the Xia likes water and is often carved on the bridge pillars to prevent the bridge from collapsing.
Jairus is also one of the nine sons of the dragon. The Xi of the jaw is easy to kill, and the ancients often used it as a decoration for knife rings. The jairs in the idiom "Jairus must repay" refer to the angry eyes and look at others, and by extension, the slightest resentment should also be revenged, and the meaning of holding grudges.
The above is a general introduction to the names of alien beasts and their attributes. Nowadays, these objects are becoming more and more difficult to see, and although ancient buildings and artifacts have been preserved to a certain extent, they are becoming less and less. Some may still be found in museums and folk collections today.