also: げんむ
Black Tortoise; Genbu
One of the Four Symbols in Chinese mythology, guardian of the north. Often depicted as a tortoise entwined with a snake. Used in astrology, feng shui, and traditional iconography.
See also: 四神
seven northern mansions
In Chinese astronomy, the seven constellations of the northern sky associated with the Black Tortoise. Technical term used in historical and astronomical contexts.
See also: 二十八宿
Genbu is a divine beast that guards the northern direction.
Genbu Shrine in Kyoto enshrines this deity.
Genbu refers to the seven northern mansions among the twenty-eight lunar lodges.
The Four Symbols collectively: 青龍, 朱雀, 白虎, and 玄武.
basalt
Standard kanji spelling. The reading げんぶ is the most common.
Alternate reading, less common. May appear in older or specialized texts.
From Chinese 玄武 (Xuánwǔ), literally 'dark warrior' or 'mysterious martiality'. The name refers to the tortoise-and-snake symbol. The reading げんぶ is the standard Sino-Japanese on'yomi; げんむ is a less common variant.