Images and design of this page were made by me.
The storyline of Fushigi Yugi and the world within The Universe of the Four Gods book was not solely made-up by creator Yu Watase - much of it is based on real Chinese mythology and legends. On this page I've put some general information about the Chinese astrological beliefs of the four beast gods and their constellations, since they play such a large role in Fushigi Yugi.
(Note: Information for this page was taken from Pioneer's Fushigi Yugi Eikoden DVD)
It was believed in ancient China that a heavenly king ruled the sky. There are 28 "star houses" which run the circumference of the sky("Star House" is the Chinese term for "constellation"), located on the plane of the ecliptic(i.e. The plane running between the sun and Earth as it traces its orbit.) The heavenly king divided the sky into the northern, southern, eastern, and western quadrants, with each quadrant ruled over by a beast god. This belief was later adopted by ancient Japan.
The 28 constellations were assigned by the ancient Chinese which run around the plane of the ecliptic in the night sky. If you think of the sky being ruled by a heavenly king, there are 28 star houses located around him. They were originally born to point out the areas above the heavenly sphere of the moon.
The heavenly king divided the sky into four groups of 7 constellations, with each quadrant controlled by a beast god. These deities are know as the Four Gods. Each god guarded their respective region of the Earth(north, south, east, or west) and each region had its own set of 7 constellations which the god ruled over. In addition, each god was associated with a specific season, element, and planet as well as its own important traits and significance to the planet.
Here are pictures of each beast god(as they appear in Fushigi Yugi) along with their names and other important information...
Form: A heavenly phoenix
Color: Red
Quadrant: The South
Ruling Kingdom: Konan
Season: Summer
Planet: Mars
Element: Fire
Chinese Name: Feng Huang
Japanese Name: Suzaku
Constellations: Tamahome, Hotohori, Nuriko, Chichiri, Tasuki, Mitsukake, Chiriko
Background: Associated with power and prosperity; represents passion and often times a symbol of royalty; has overall best traits of all the gods
Form: A heavenly dragon
Color: Blue
Quadrant: The East
Ruling Kingdom: Kutou
Season: Spring
Planet: Jupiter
Element: Wood
Chinese Name: Long Wang
Japanese Name: Seiryuu
Constellations: Nakago, Amiboshi, Suboshi, Soi, Tomo, Ashitare, Miboshi
Background: Associated with nobility and authority; represents fearsomeness and invincibility; always appears with clouds and fog, so its constellation is known to signal rain
Form: A turtle with a serpent going through its shell
Color: Black
Quadrant: The North
Ruling Kingdom: Hokkan
Season: Winter
Planet: Mercury
Element: Water
Chinese Name: Xuan Wu
Japanese Name: Genbu
Constellations: Hikitsu, Tomite, Inami, Uruki, Urumiya, Hatsui, Namame
Background: Associated with stability and longevity; represents wisdom and divination; its shell is said to protect from cold winds
Form: A white tiger
Color: White
Quadrant: The West
Ruling Kingdom: Sairou
Season: Autumn
Planet: Venus
Element: Metal
Chinese Name: Bai Hu
Japanese Name: Byakko
Constellations: Tokaki, Subaru, Tatara, Kokie, Amefuri, Karasuki, Toroki
Background: Associated with strength and challenge; represents soldiers fighting a war for their country's sake; stands for the blooming season