Black Turtle-Snake

The Black Tortoise (Chinese: 玄武; pinyin: Xuánwǔ) is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. It is usually depicted as a tortoise intertwined with a snake.

According to Eastern Han philologist Xu Shen, the character wu (武) meant "knight" (士; shì ) in the Jianghuai dialect. So the English translation Black ~ Dark ~ Mysterious Warrior is a more faithful translation.

It represents the north, thus it is sometimes called Black Warrior of the North (北方玄武; Běifāng Xuánwǔ).

While neither character xuan (玄) or wu (武) literally means tortoise or snake, tortoises and snakes are known to hibernate during winter, so xuanwu (玄武) as a whole represents the season of winter.

The image of intertwined tortoise and snake likely symbolizes a state of inner struggle.

In Japan, the characters xuanwu (玄武) are pronounced as Genbu. It is said to protect Kyoto on the north side, being one of the four guardian spirits that protect the city. It is represented by the Kenkun Shrine, which is located on top of Mount Funaoka in Kyoto.

An important Taoist priest also has Xuanwu (玄武) as his clergy name. He is sometimes, as in Journey to the West, portrayed in the company of a turtle and a snake.