天てん柱ちゅう

noun

pillars supporting heaven

Mythological term referring to the pillars that hold up the sky in Chinese and Japanese cosmology. Rare in everyday language; mostly encountered in classical or mythological contexts.

• 中ちゅう国ごく神しん話わでは、天てん柱ちゅうが天てんを支ささえているとされる。

  In Chinese mythology, the pillars of heaven are said to support the sky.