The Turtle of Longevity

Turtles and tortoises are frequently depicted in popular culture as easygoing, patient, and wise creatures, snapping turtles aside. Due to their long lifespan, slow movement, sturdiness, and wrinkled appearance, they are an emblem of longevity and stability in many cultures around the world.Turtles are regularly incorporated into human culture, with painters, photographers, poets, songwriters, and sculptors using them as subjects.They have an important role in mythologies around the world,and are often implicated in myths about the origin of the Earth.

The turtle has a prominent position as a symbol of steadfastness and tranquillity in religion, mythology, and folklore from around the world.A tortoise’s longevity is suggested by its long lifespan and its shell, which was thought to protect it from any foe.In the creation myths of several cultures, the turtle or tortoise carries the world upon its back or supports the heavens.

In Chinese tradition the creator goddess Nu Gua cuts the legs off a sea turtle and uses them to prop up the sky after Gong Gong destroys the mountain that had supported the sky. The flat undershell and round domed upper shell of a turtle resembles the ancient Chinese idea of a flat earth and round domed sky.

 

In China, the tortoise is one of the “Four Fabulous Animals”,the most prominent beasts of China. It is of the water element. The other animals are the unicorn, phoenix, and dragon. These animals govern the four points of the compass, with the turtle the ruler of the north, symbolizing endurance, strength, and longevity. It is the only one of the four that is a real animal, although it is depicted with the supernatural features of dragon ears, flaming tentacles at its shoulders and hips, and a long hairy tail. The hairy tail is based on seaweed and the growth of plant parasites that are found on older tortoises’ shells, which flow behind the tortoise as it swims. The tortoise is a symbol of longevity, with a potential lifespan of ten thousand years. Due to its longevity, a symbol of a turtle was often used during burials. A burial mound might be shaped like a turtle, and even called a “grave turtle”. A carved turtle was used as a plinth for memorial tablets of high ranking officials during the Sui Dynasty (581-618 CE) and the Ming period (1368-1644 CE). Enormous turtles supported the memorial tablets of emperors.

In Feng Shui the rear of the home is represented by the Black Tortoise, which signifies support for home, family life and personal relationships. A tortoise at the back door of a house or in the backyard by a pond is said to attract good fortune and many blessings. Three tortoises stacked on top of each other represents a mother and her babies. In Daoist art the tortoise is an emblem of the triad of earth-humankind-heaven.