The Role of Astronomy in Society and Culture Proceedings IAU Symposium No. 260, 2009
c International Astronomical Union 2011 D. Valls-Gabaud & A. Boksenberg, eds. doi:10.1017/S174392131100319X Ancient Chinese constellations Junjun Xu Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Room 424, Apartment 20, No. 37 Xueyuan Street, Beijing, China email: [email protected]

Abstract. China, a country with a long history and a specific culture, has also a long and specific astronomy. Ancient Chinese astronomers observed the stars, named and distributed them into constellations in a very specific way, which is quite different from the current one. Around the Zodiac, stars are divided into four big regions corresponding with the four orientations, and each is related to a totem, either the Azure Dragon, the Vermilion Bird, the White Tiger or the Murky Warrior. We present a general pattern of the ancient Chinese constellations, including the four totems, their stars and their names. Keywords. China, constellations, mansions

1. Introduction Three enclosures, four symbols and twenty-eight mansions characterise the ancient Chinese constellations. This division of the starry sky began to appear in China before the Zhou and Qin dynasties. The three enclosures refer to three areas around the North celestial pole: the Purple Forbidden enclosure, the Supreme Palace enclosure and the Heavenly Market enclosure. The four symbols are distributed near the ecliptic Zodiac and the lunar orbit and are represented by four totems: the Azure Dragon of the East, the Vermillion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West and the Black Tortoise of the North. Every symbol was divided into seven sections which were know as mansions. There are twenty eight mansions in this system and the Moon goes through approximately a mansion every day, reflecting the lunar month. The twenty eight mansions† were named Horn, Dipper, Legs, Well, Neck, Ox, Bond, Ghosts, Root, Girl, Stomach, Willow, Room, Emptiness, Hairy head, Star, Heart, Rooftop, Net, Extended net, Tail, Encampment, Turtle beak, Wings, Winnowing-basket, Wall, Three stars, Chariot, as show in Fig. 1.

2. Tables of star names The following tables are a comparison list of star names both in traditional Chinese characters and in English. They are classified in seven tables according to the three enclosures and the four animal images which they belong to‡.

3. Implications Ancient Chinese astronomy has taken an important rˆole in both the Chinese culture and the world astronomical culture. Chinese ancestors divided the constellations and de- nominated the stars in a quite different way as the Greeks did. It will be an interesting

† see also http://baike.baidu.com/view/17723.htm?fr=ala0 1 1 ‡ http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Space/Research/StarName/c research chinengstarzone b.htm 107

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Figure 1. Ancient Chinese constellations. Artwork by Zuojing Guanxing.

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Table 1. The First Enclosure: Purple Forbidden Enclosure

Purple Forbidden Enclosure

Northern pole Left wall Right Wall

Crown prince Left pivot Right pivot Three excellencies

Emperor Second premier Second chief Prime minister judge

Son of Concu- First minister First minister Judge for bine nobility

Imperial Second minister Second minister Guard of the Concubine Sun

Celestial pivot First imperial First imperial Royals guard guard

Four Advisors Second Imperial Second imperial Celestial prison guard guard

Curved Array Second prime First prime Eunuch minister minister

Great Emperor Second premier Celestial Great Administrative of Heaven One centre

Celestial Pillar First minister Frist Great one Inner steps

Maids-in- Second minister Inner kitchen Three top waiting instructors

Female protocol First imperial Northern dipper Eight kinds of guard crops

Official of royal Second Imperial Celestial pivot Guest house archives guard

Royal secretary Second prime Celestial rotating Celestial minister jade kitchen

Celestial bed Celestial shining Celestial flail pearl

Chief judge Celestial balance

Hidden virtue Jade sighting-tube

Six Jia Opener of heat

Interior seats of Twinkling five emperors brilliance

Canopy of the Assistant emperor

CanopySupport Sombre lance

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Table 2. The Second Enclosure: Supreme Palace Enclosure Supreme Palace Enclosure Seats of the Left wall Right wall five emperors

Crown prince First premier Right law Upper step administrator

Retinue First eastern First western Middle step minister general

Officer of Second eastern Second ower step honour minister western general

Five feudal Second eastern Second Emperor’s kings general western bodyguard minister

Nine senior First eastern First western Junior officers officers general minister Three First premier Captain of the ong wall excellencies bodyguards Official of Astronomical imperial guard observatory Imperial Cosmological guards temple Three steps Usher of the court

work to carry out a comparison between these two systems. Ancient Chinese constella- tions were rooted in a strong belief of harmony among the heaven, the Earth and human beings. By studying the stories behind the the names of the stars, one learns ancient Chinese astronomy and also Chinese history and philosophy as well.

References Chen, J. 2005, Ancient Chinese Constellations Decoding (Beijing: Qunyan Publisher) Sun, X. & Kistemaker, J. 1997, The Chinese sky during the Han: Constellating Stars and Society (Leiden: Brill)

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Table 3. The Third Enclosure: Heavenly Market Enclosure Heavenly Market Enclosure

Emperor’s Left wall Right wall seat

Astrologer WEI HEZHONG Celestial Discipline

Eunuch official ZHAO HEJIAN Woman’s bed

Dipper for JIUHE JIN Coiled thong liquids

Dipper for Celestial spear ZHENG Seven solids excellencies

Jewel market QI ZHOU

Commodity WUYUE QIN market

Municipal XU SHU office

Official for DONGHAI BA royal clan

Official of YAN IANG Religious Ceremonies

Patriarchal NANHAI CHU clan

Textile ruler SONG HAN

Butcher’s shops

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Table 4. Seven Mansions which belong to Azure Dragon

Horn Mansion Neck Root Room Heart Tail Winnowing- Mansion Mansion Mansion Mansion Mansion basket Mansion

Horn Neck Root Room Heart Tail Winnowing basket

Flat road Great horn Boats and Lock Group of Changing Zhongshan lake soldiers room

Celestial Left law Mattress of Door bolt Celestial Pestle farmland administrator the emperor river

Tripod of the Left Celestial Punishment FUYUE ZHOU conductor lance

Recommending Executions Twinkling Eastern door Fish virtuous man indicator

Celestial gate Trials Celestial milk Western door Tortoise

Judging Gate of Celestial Sun YANG spokes

Arsenal Battle Retinue chariots

Pillars Chariots and cavalry

Railings Chariot and Cavalry general

Southern gate Imperial guards

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Table 5. The Seven Mansions which belong to Vermilion Bird Well Mansion Ghosts Willow Star Extended Wings Chariot Mansion Mansion Mansion Net Mansion Mansion Mansion

Well Four Ghosts Willow Star Extended Wings Chariot channels net

Battle axe Palace gate Cumulative Banner Celestial Celestial DONGOU Left corpses of wine premier Temple linchpin shop

Official for Market for Beacon fire Celestial Right irrigation the soldiers cereals linchpin

Celestial Wild Outer Xuanyuan Changsha wine cup cockerel kitchen

Five feudal Celestial Judge to Maids-in- Green kings wolf estimate waiting hill the age of animals

North river Grandfather Moon High Military judge Gate

Accumulated Son Celestial Master water dog of Con- struction

Pile of Grandson Celestial House for firewood earth god’s Musical temple Instru- ments

Water level Old man

South river Bow and arrow

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Table 6. The Seven Mansions of the White Tiger

Net Mansion Legs Bond Stomach Hairy Turtle Three Stars Mansion Mansion Mansion Head Beak Mansion Mansion Mansion

Legs Bond Stomach Hairy head Net Celestial Turtle Three stars gate beak

Wangliang Great Mausoleum Celestial Whisper Celestial Deity in Punishment general of river tally charge of the monsters heaven

Whip Official in Heaps of QI Celestial Interpreters Seat flags Jade well charge of corpses street of nine forest dialects

Auxiliary Official in Celestial Rolled Celestial Banner of Axe road charge of boat tongue high three stars pasturing terrace

Southern Square Stored Celestial Feudal Imperial Military military celestial water slander kings military well gate granary flag

Flying Ricks of Celestial Whetstone Five Celestial Screen corridor grain foodstuffs chariots orchard

Outer Circular Celestial Pillars Toilet fence celestial YIN force granary

Celestial Hay Pool of Excrement pigsty harmony

Master of Celestial Celestial construc- meadows pier tions

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Table 7. The Seven Mansions of the Murky Warrior

Girl Mansion Dipper Ox Emptiness Rooftop Encampment Wall Mansion Mansion Mansion Mansion Mansion Mansion

Dipper Ox Girl ZHAO Emptiness Rooftop Encampment Wall

Celestial Celestial Pearls on YUE Deified Tomb Resting Celestial keyhole drumstick ladies’ judge of palace stable wear life

Market officer Drum at Rotten Right Deified Roofing Flying Official for the river gourd conductor judge of serpent earthworks rank and buildings

Establishment Left flag Good ZHENG Deified Temple Thunder and Thunderbolt gourd judge of lightning disaster and good fortune

Celestial cock Right flag Celestial WEI Deified Celestial Official for Cloud and ford judge of money materials rain right and supply wrong

Dog Weaving XIZHONG HAN Crying Humans The line of Sickle girl ramparts

Territory of Clepsydra Basket for JIN Weeping Pestle Palace guard dogs terrace mulberry leaves

Celestial Imperial Twelve YAN Jade Mortar Materials for spring passageway countries ornament Making on ladies’ Tents wear

Peasant Networks of ZHOU Celestial Big yard North gate of dykes ramparts for the military chariots camp

River turtle Celestial QIN Decayed ZAOFU Chaff farmland Mortar

Nine water DAI Celestial Net for wells hook catching birds

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