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"Late autumn rain is a rain of mist
tiger tracks appear in the moss
the west wind doesn't stop all night
by dawn yellow leaves are up to the steps."
The Zen Works of Stonehouse.
The people of Manchuria considered the Siberian tiger a near-deity and often referred to it as "Grandfather" or "Old Man" and considered it as 'Hu Lin' - 'the king' representing fearlessness, wrath and noted for it's strength, courage and perseverance. The Manchu believed the forehead of the tiger had a marking which resembles the Chinese character '王' meaning "king." White tigers were believed to be reincarnations of previous emperors and thus, were under the protection of the Qing Imperial Family - hunting or harming them resulting in the death penalty.
In iconography, tigers represent the cardinal directions:
White Tiger 西方白虎 represents the earth, the West and the afterlife.
Blue Tiger represents the East, fertility and vegetation.
Red Tiger represents the South and fire.
Black Tiger represents the North and winter.
Yellow Tiger represents the sun at the centre.
In Imperial China, the tiger was the personification of war and often represented the highest ranking army general, while the emperor and empress were represented by a dragon and phoenix. Chinese deities were often depicted seated on the backs of tigers; Chang Tao Ling, the Taoist Immortal who is also the god of wealth and gamblers being one example. The goddess of the wind also uses a tiger as her mount. The constellation Westerners know as Orion is seen as only part of the constellation known to the Manchu and the Han as the White Tiger. According to legend the princess Miao-shan, daughter of a Chinese ruler, rose to heaven on a tiger and was reborn as the goddess Kwan-yin. The smiling tiger is believed to care for the welfare of children and is often found embroidered on children's clothing.
The Xue Yue Qiu Lau Hu (Snow Moon Tiger) Lodge welcomes you and wishes you harmony, peace and longevity. Please sign our guest register before you continue your exploration of Manchuria.
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The Xue Yue Qiu Lau Hu Lodge
The Snow Moon Tiger Lodge Guest Register. (2 posts)
Here are Tigers at the gate... (* Kavita Kanishka, Mar 2, 2010 - 06:02 )
