The spirit turtle or spirit tortoise is a turtle originated from Chinese mythology and spread with East Asian cultural sphere. It is believed by East Asian cultures, like other turtles in mythology, to represent longevity (Chinese: 壽命).
It is said to be chief among all shelled creatures.[1]
Among the Four Intelligent Beasts (Chinese: 四靈), a list of auspicious animals, the turtle goes by several names. Although it can simply be called "turtle" (Chinese: 龜 guī), it is also referred to as "old turtle" (Chinese: 老龜 lǎoguī) and "spirit turtle" (Chinese: 靈龜 língguī). The latter is sometimes understood as being synonymous with "divine turtle" (Chinese: 神龜 shénguī) although distinctions are made.
The term is also used in reference to the turtle shells used in traditional divination.
The Erya provides entries on the terms "divine turtle" (Chinese: 神龜) and "spirit turtle" (Chinese: 靈龜). The former term includes an annotation which simply reads "the most sacred of turtles" (Chinese: 亀之最神明).
According to the Shuyiji (Chinese: 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" (Chinese: 神龜) and an animal older than ten thousand years is called a "spiritual turtle" (Chinese: 靈龜).[2]
The Baopuzi 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" (Chinese: 靈龜) is in stark contrast with the account found in the Shuyiji. The text continues to describe the turtle as having five colors: blue, red, yellow, white, and black; together representing the five elements.
In Japanese mythology, the creature is identified as the Reiki (Japanese: 霊亀 "spirit turtle").
The Zenrin-kushū provides a kōan that reads Reiki o o hiku (Japanese: 靈龜曵尾 "The spirit turtle sweeps its tail"). It is described as a variant of the phrase Ato o haratte ato shōzu (Japanese: 拂跡跡生 "Erasing traces creates traces").[3]
The spirit turtle is an endemic motif at Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples in Japan. The sangō title "Reigizan" (Japanese: 霊亀山 "Spirit Turtle Mountain") belongs to several temples across the country, including Tenryū-ji and Rinsen-ji in Kyōto, Hontoku-ji in Himeji, Daichō-ji in Uwajima, and others.
It is said the Kameoka Hachimangū shrine in Sendai is so-called because a spirit turtle appeared at the time of its construction. Stone statues of the creature can be found at Zenyōmitsu-ji and Kameoka Hachimangū in Mashiko, Tochigi.
Reiki is also the name of the first era of the Nara period.
In Korean mythology, it is known as Yeonggwi .[4]