Vermilion Bird Explained

Pic:	File:西漢 四神紋瓦當（白虎-朱雀）-Roof Tile End MET 39054.jpg
Piccap:	Zhūquè sculpture on an eaves tile
L:	"Vermilion Peafowl"
C:	朱雀
W:	Chu^1-ch'üeh^4
P:	Zhūquè
J:	Zyu1-zoek3
Y:	Jyūjeuk
Poj:	Chu-chhiok
Kunrei:	Suzaku or Syuzyaku

The Vermilion Bird (Chinese: c=朱雀|p=Zhūquè) is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. According to Wu Xing, the Taoist five elemental system, it represents the Fire element, the direction south, and the season of summer correspondingly. Thus it is sometimes called the Vermilion Bird of the South (Chinese: Chinese: 南方朱雀, Chinese: Nán Fāng Zhū Què). It is described as a red bird that resembles a pheasant with a five-colored plumage and is perpetually covered in flames. It is known as Suzaku in Japanese, Jujak in Korean and Chu Tước in Vietnamese.

It is often mistaken for the Fenghuang due to similarities in appearance, but the two are different creatures.^[1] The Fenghuang is a legendary ruler of birds who is associated with the Chinese Empress in the same way the dragon is associated with the Emperor, while the Vermilion Bird is a mythological spirit creature of the Chinese constellations.

Seven Mansions of the Vermilion Bird

As with the other three Symbols, there are seven astrological "Mansions" (positions of the Moon) within the Vermilion Bird. The names and determinative stars are:^{[2] [3]}

Mansion no.	Name (pinyin)	Translation	Determinative star
22	Chinese: 井 (Jǐng)		μ Gem
23	Chinese: 鬼 (Guǐ)		θ Cnc
24	Chinese: 柳 (Liǔ)		δ Hya
25	Chinese: 星 (Xīng)		α Hya
26	Chinese: 張 (Zhāng)		υ¹ Hya
27	Chinese: 翼 (Yì)		α Crt
28	Chinese: 軫 (Zhěn)		γ Crv

Nature of the symbol

The Vermilion Bird is elegant and noble in both appearance and behavior, with feathers in many different hues of vermilion. It is very selective about what it eats and where it perches.

Stars

Four Symbols	Mansion (Chinese name)	Romanization	Translation	Asterisms (Chinese name)	Romanization	Translation	Western star name	Chinese star name	Romanization	Translation
Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀)	Chinese: 鬼	Guǐ	Ghost	Chinese: 外廚	Wàichú	Outer Kitchen
							2 Hya	Chinese: 外廚一	Wàichúyī	1st star
							3 Hya / HD 74395	Chinese: 外廚二	Wàichúèr	2nd star
							14 Hya	Chinese: 外廚三	Wàichúsān	3rd star
	Chinese: 柳	Liǔ	Willow	Chinese: 柳	Liǔ	Willow^[4]
							δ Hya
								Chinese: 柳宿一	Liǔxiùyī	1st star
								Chinese: 柳宿距星	Liǔxiùjùxīng	Separated star
								Chinese: 柳宿西头第三星	Liǔxiùxītoudìsānxīng	3rd star in the upper west
								Chinese: 玉井西北星	Yùjǐngxīběixīng	Star in northwest of Jade Well constellation
								Chinese: 午	Wǔ	The thong
								Chinese: 鹑火星	Chúnhuǒxīng	The phoenix
							σ Hya	Chinese: 柳宿二	Liǔxiùèr	2nd star
							η Hya	Chinese: 柳宿三	Liǔxiùsān	3rd star
							ρ Hya	Chinese: 柳宿四	Liǔxiùsì	4th star
							ε Hya	Chinese: 柳宿五	Liǔxiùwǔ	5th star
							ζ Hya	Chinese: 柳宿六	Liǔxiùliù	6th star
							ω Hya	Chinese: 柳宿七	Liǔxiùqī	7th star
							θ Hya	Chinese: 柳宿八	Liǔxiùbā	8th star
	Chinese: 星	Xīng	Star	Chinese: 星	Xīng	Star^[5]
							α Hya
								Chinese: 星宿一	Xīngxiùyī	1st star
								Chinese: 星宿距星	Xīngxiùjùxīng	Separated star
								Chinese: 星宿中央大星	Xīngxiùzhōngyāngdàxīng	Big star in the center
							τ^1 Hya	Chinese: 星宿二	Xīngxiùèr	2nd star
							τ^2 Hya	Chinese: 星宿三	Xīngxiùsān	3rd star
							ι Hya	Chinese: 星宿四	Xīngxiùsì	4th star
							26 Hya	Chinese: 星宿五	Xīngxiùwǔ	5th star
							27 Hya	Chinese: 星宿六	Xīngxiùliù	6th star
							HD 82477 & HD 82428	Chinese: 星宿七	Xīngxiùqī	7th star
	Chinese: 張	Zhāng	Extended Net	Chinese: 張	Zhāng	Extended Net^[6]
							υ^1 Hya	Chinese: 張宿一	Zhāngxiùyī	1st star
							λ Hya	Chinese: 張宿二	Zhāngxiùèr	2nd star
							μ Hya	Chinese: 張宿三	Zhāngxiùsān	3rd star
							HD 87344	Chinese: 張宿四	Zhāngxiùsì	4th star
							κ Hya	Chinese: 張宿五	Zhāngxiùwǔ	5th star
							φ Hya	Chinese: 張宿六	Zhāngxiùliù	6th star
	Chinese: 翼	Yì	Wings	Chinese: 翼	Yì	Wings^[7] ^[8]
							ν Hya	Chinese: 翼宿五	Yìxiùwǔ	5th star
							HD 100307	Chinese: 翼宿十八	Yìxiùshíbā	18th star
							HD 96819	Chinese: 翼宿十九	Yìxiùshíjiǔ	19th star
							χ^1 Hya	Chinese: 翼宿二十	Yìxiùèrshí	20th star
							HD 102620	Chinese: 翼宿二十一	Yìxiùèrshíyī	21st star
							HD 103462	Chinese: 翼宿二十二	Yìxiùèrshíèr	22nd star
	Chinese: 軫	Zhěn	Chariot	Chinese: 青丘	Qīngqiū	Green Hill^[9]
							β Hya
								Chinese: 青丘一	Qīngqiūyī	1st star
								Chinese: 土公西星	Tǔgōngxīxīng	Star in the west of Official for Earthworks and Buildings constellation
							HD 103596	Chinese: 青丘二	Qīngqiūèr	2nd star
							17 Crt^[10]	Chinese: 青丘三	Qīngqiūsān	3rd star
							HD 100393	Chinese: 青丘四	Qīngqiūsì	4th star
							ξ Hya	Chinese: 青丘五	Qīngqiūwu	5th star
							ο Hya	Chinese: 青丘七	Qīngqiūqī	7th star
				軍門	Jūnmén	Military Gate	HD 104309	Chinese: 軍門一	Jūnményī	1st star

In popular culture

• In the video game Apex Legends, Suzaku is the name of the character Valkyrie's heirloom melee weapon. The weapon is a futuristic version of a traditionally-Japanese Yari winged spear, with small flaming rocket thrusters. It suits her half-Japanese heritage, as well as pays homage to the winged spears commonly associated with a Valkyrie in Norse mythology.
• In the mobile game Puzzle & Dragons, the Vermilion Bird is depicted as a beautiful, phoenix-like, winged woman who wields the power of flames, known as the "Incarnation of Suzaku, Leilan".
• In the Beyblade series, the Vermilion Bird is called Dranzer.
• In B-Daman Fireblast, the main protagonist Kamon Godai's B-daman is named Drive Garuburn, whose B-Animal is the Vermilion Bird of the South.
• In the Digimon series, Zhuqiaomon is designed after it.
• In the Fushigi Yûgi series, Miaka Yūki's journey in the Universe of the Four Gods involves her becoming the Priestess of Suzaku. The god is shown as a bird for most of the series, with only the final few episodes showing him in a humanoid, winged form.
• In the video game Final Fantasy Type-0, the Vermilion Bird is the name of one of the four Crystals of Orience, representing the Dominion of Rubrum.
• In the video game Final Fantasy XI, Suzaku is one of the 'Gods' in Tu'Lia, the endgame zone introduced in the 'Rise of the Zilart' expansion.
• In the video game Final Fantasy XIV, Suzaku is one of the auspices introduced in the second expansion of the game, Stormblood.
• In the film , the titular Iris - the film's primary antagonist - is at one point described as the Vermilion Bird of the South, destined to oppose Gamera, who is identified as the Black Tortoise of the North.
• In Inuyasha, Suzaku is one of the demon ninjas voiced by Toth.
• In , Fan Tong, one of Po's students has the chi of the Red Phoenix, one of the Four Constellations, allowing him to create a red energy sword.
• In the Yu Yu Hakusho series, Suzaku is portrayed in a humanoid form as leader of the Underworld group The Four Beasts.

• In the video game Nioh, there is a spirit guardian phoenix named a Suzaku that will resurrect players upon death by activating their living weapon. Once the living weapon runs out, the player is brought back with one hit point.
• In Tokyo Majin, the Vermilion Bird has a vessel who is a character known as Marie Claire.
• In Kemono Friends, the Vermilion Bird is anthropomorphised along with the other Chinese Four Symbols.
• In Yami no Matsuei, the Vermilion Bird, known only as Suzaku, appears as a shikigami that is summoned by Asato Tsuzuki
• In Overwatchs 2018 Chinese New Year (Year of the Dog) event, Mercy, one of the game's support heroes, has a cosmetic skin based on the Vermilion Bird.
• In , the Vermilion Bird has been used as the major inspiration to create Chi-Ji, the Red Crane.
• In Sekiro, the upgrade to the Loaded Umbrella prosthetic tool, Suzaku's Lotus Umbrella is a red shield that protects the player from fire damage.
• In Slash Dog light novel series, one of the heroines and lover of the protagonist, Suzaku Himejima is a powerful Shinto priestess and the host of the Vermilion Bird.
• In , one of the heroes that greatly represents the symbol of Vermilion Bird was named after Ling.
• In Xenoblade Chronicles 2, there is an anthropomorphic bird blade named Suzaku, Roc in English localization.
• In , one of the four saints, Macuil, takes the form of a bird-like dragon representing the Vermilion Bird.
• In Yakuza 4, the four playable characters are represented by the Chinese Four Symbols, with the Vermilion Bird representing Shun Akiyama.
• In the Pokémon series, Tornadus' Therian Forme is based on the Vermilion Bird. Like the Vermilion Bird, it was intended to be colored red, but the designer of Throh and Sawk, Ken Sugimori, felt their colors made their design too similar to that of Tornadus and Thundurus, so the colors of Tornadus and Thundurus were changed. In Tornadus's case, the coloring was changed to mostly green, but also includes purple, white and yellow.^[11]
• In , protagonist Setsuna's newest attack of her Yukari no Tachikiri is Vermillion Bird Ambush which contrary to its name is not red at all.
• In the 2022 mobile game Dislyte, Li Guang is an Epic Esper with the powers of the Vermilion Bird.
• In , the Vermilion Bird is called Fire Velemental.
• In the popular Chinese anime/manga/light novel Versatile Mage or Quanzhi Fashi, one of the main sacred totem beasts is known as the Vermilion Bird.
• In, the Vermilion Bird (known as Zhuque) is one of the Divine Beasts able to be summoned by the player. The flavor text includes that it is "one of the Four Gods and guardian of the south".
• In the mixed media project Paradox Live, Allen Sugasano's MC Name is Suzaku (stylised SUZAKU) and his phantom takes the form of a Vermilion Bird.
• In the Chinese vocal synth program, Ace Studio, the singer Què Hè is a Vermillion bird spirit as seen in his character art
• In the animated television series Lego Monkie Kid, the Vermillion Bird bars the protagonist's path to a temple of Nüwa.

See also

• Birds in Chinese mythology
• Four Holy Beasts

External links

• "Star Charts and Moon Stations"
• The Red Bird of the South

Notes and References

1. Book: Strassberg, Richard . A Chinese Bestiary . 2002 . 978-0520218444 .
2. Web site: The Chinese Sky . . 25 June 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151104154237/http://idp.bl.uk/education/astronomy/sky.html . 4 November 2015 .
3. Book: Sun, Xiaochun . Helaine Selin . Helaine Selin . Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures . 1997 . 517 . Kluwer Academic Publishers . 0-7923-4066-3 . 25 June 2011.
4. AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 5 月 28 日
5. AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 5 月 29 日
6. AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 5 月 30 日
7. AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 5 月 31 日
8. 夢之大地 @ 國立成功大學 WebBBS DreamLand @ National Cheng Kung University WebBBS System
9. AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 7 月 22 日
10. the star is actually located in the constellation Hydra
11. Web site: Dr Lava . Gen 5 Historia: Pokemon Origin Stories (Part 3) Lost Pokemon, beta Pokemon, and design origins . LavaCutContent . 22 February 2022 . en . 21 May 2019.