Vermillion Bird/Zhūquè/Suzaku/Meng Chang Phoenix/Su-Zaku/Ling Kuang

The Vermillion Bird is a creature that was initially a Chinese symbol and was later adapted into Japanese myth. It is one of the Shijin along with the White Tiger, Azure Dragon, and the Black Tortoise. It’s associated with the South, the color red, fire, and summer. It was thought to represent heat, passion, and love, and was also often connected to the Ogura-No-Ike pond. It resembles a large bird with big wings and a long tail, covered in bright red and orange feathers, and these features typically lead to this creature being related to, and confused with, the Phoenix. It has the associated mansions (these being associated with the phases of the moon) that include Chichiri-Boshi, Hotohori-Boshi, Nuriko-Boshi, Tamaono/Tamahome-Boshi, Chiriko-Boshi, Tasuki-Boshi, and Mitsukake-Boshi. These mansions lie in the constellations Gemini, Cancer, Hydrus, Crater and Corvus. New cities were structured in accordance with this creature and the other Shijin, who were replaced by the Four Kings of Buddhism.

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