Today's AniAnimal is Wanchoi the orange tabby cat from "The Silver Guardian". He's an anime original character.
今日のアニアニマルは『銀の墓守り』に登場するオレンジ色のトラ猫、ワンチョイです。アニメのオリジナルキャラクターです。
Dragon King – the god of water and dragons in Chinese mythology
Many dragons appear in Chinese folklore, of which the Dragon King is the leader. Also known as the Dragon God, the Dragon King is a prominent figure in Chinese art and religion. He is adopted by both Taoism and Buddhism and is the ruler of all water. Known as Long Wang in China, he has both human and dragon forms and can switch between dragon and human forms. Despite his intimidating and ferocious nature, Long Wan is regarded as a benevolent deity who brings good luck and chi energy to people living near the sea.
The Dragon King is a Chinese water and weather god. He is regarded as the dispenser of rain, commanding over all bodies of water. He is the collective personification of the ancient concept of the lóng in Chinese culture.
In East Asian cultures, dragons are most often shown as large, colorful snakelike creatures. While the dragons sometimes have qualities of a turtle or fish, they are most likely seen as enormous serpents.
While some named dragons are associated with specific colors, the dragon king can be shown in any shade. Like other Chinese dragons, he has a “horse-like” head, sharp horns and claws, and a hair-like beard.
Like many weather gods around the world, Long Wang was known for his fierce temper. It was said that he was so ferocious and uncontrollable that only the Jade Emperor, the supreme deity in Chinese Taoism, could command him. His human form reflects this ferocity. He is shown as a noble warrior in elaborate bright red robes. He usually has a fierce expression and poses with a sword.
During the Tang dynasty, the Dragon King was also associated with the worship of landowners and was seen as a guardian deity to protect homes and subdue tombs. Buddhist rain-making rituals were learnt in Tang dynasty China. The concept was introduced to Japan with esoteric Buddhism and was also practised as a ritual of the Yin-Yang path (Onmyōdō) in the Heian period.
E for Eadha (Aspen) - September 21st Autumn Equinox
“Whispering tree, also known as Trembling tree - Autumn Equinox of the Celtic Tree Calendar (Ref), when moving into darkness”
Star: Pluto, Mercury, Saturn: Gemstone: black opal,; Gender: female; Patron deity: Persephone, Hades; Symbol: listening, overcoming fear + courage, shield, light in the darkness
Aspen trees are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the northern hemisphere, extending south at high-altitude areas such as mountains or high plains.
The aspen is referred to as quaking aspen or trembling aspen because the leaves "quake" or tremble in the wind. This is due to their flattened petioles which reduce aerodynamic drag on the trunk and branches, so that they catch any slight breeze, making the leaves tremble, flutter and make a soft, rustling sound each time they do so. In autumn, the leaves turn bright yellow and sometimes red, and when they fade further and turn black, they fall off.
The ancient Celts believed that the wind was a messenger of the word of the gods and therefore considered anything that was in tune with the wind sacred. The same is true of the aspen tree. The aspen, which has the best ears of all trees, always rustled its leaves in response to the voice of the gods.
However, the aspen, with its close connection to death and the underworld, came to be regarded as a tree of misfortune. In earlier times, corpses and graves were counted with a cane made of aspen named fé, and people were terribly afraid of the calamities that would befall them if they were struck with this cane. The connection with the seasons, rest and rebirth was often overlooked, and many people, cowering in fear, heard only the abominable sound of aspen leaves rustling in the wind. However, the teachings of the aspen are about overcoming the fear of death, the fear of the unknown and fear itself. The aspen was called the 'shield tree' by the Irish Celts, and is said to have been their favourite tree for making shields. This was not only because aspens provided a reassuring shield, but also because they protected us from flinching in the face of the unknown, once we had taken their teachings to heart.
Incense made from aspens is burned continuously during Halloween (Celtic festival of Samhain). Halloween is the time of year when the distance between this world and the underworld is at its closest, and the period that ushers in the new year. Samhain is also the festival of the New Year, which takes place on November the 1st, the beginning of the year, but it is also the festival of the dead. It is believed that during nights between the end of the year and the beginning of the new year, the border with the other world disappears, the souls of the dead visit their relatives, and demons and evil spirits cause damage to crops and livestock.
Ancient Celtic cultures were known to carve turnips or potatoes and place embers inside to ward off evil spirits. That's because Ireland didn't have pumpkins. In England, large beets were used. When immigrants brought over their carving tradition, Americans began carving jack-o'-lanterns from pumpkins.