ChristStory Bestiary

TIGER

ANGER & A SHAPESHIFTER

In China the tiger is the king of the beasts. He takes on much the same symbolism as the lion in western cultures. He represents royalty, power, courage, ferocity, strength, wrath, cruelty, treachery, and authority. The wild tiger uses these attributes in a frightening and beastly way, while the tamed tiger uses the appropriate traits in a manner which benefits humankind. Remarkably, in a Chinese version of "Little Red Riding Hood," the child and her grandmother are set upon by a tiger rather than a wolf.

The wild tiger is thought to be an angry and savage creature. Along with the deer (representing love-sickness) and the monkey (symbolizing greed), the tiger is counted as one of the Three Senseless Creatures of Chinese Buddhism. As such, he symbolizes anger. One might ask where the tiger's anger comes from. According to one legend, a young boy severely whipped or "given many stripes" by his teacher ran off into the forest and in his rage became the first tiger.

When pictured fighting eagles or lions, the tiger is a symbol of the baser self at war with the rules of society. But, when fighting serpents, it is an emblem of the war against sin or dangerous instincts. Eating tiger meat is considered good for men, especially warriors, since it is believed to give them strength and courage. However, in many cultures, it is considered undesirable for women to eat tiger meat since it may cause them to become headstrong. Tigers are thought to be ill-tempered and easily insulted. In China, a quarrelsome or touchy woman may be called a "white tiger."

One would think that a ferocious animal like the tiger would be driven away from human habitations but the early Chinese were to some degree gladdened by the presence of tigers because they killed off the wild boars which threatened their crops. They called the tiger "the Giant Reptile" or "the King of the Mountains" rather than pronounce the name of this awesome creature. In many countries, the sensitivity and violence of this animal led to daily acts of propitiation or taboos designed to prevent offending the beast. In Sumatran villages, people would not look behind them while walking at night, travel bare-headed, or walk on an abandoned trail since these deeds might insult the tiger. They spoke no ill of him, nor did they kill him except in self-defense or to avenge the death of a relative. If trappers came to the forest, villagers attempted to avoid the wrath of the tiger by telling him that strangers had set the traps. Even to be afraid of the tiger might cause it offense. In his poem, "The Tyger," William Blake questions the kindness of God writing, "What immortal hand or eye could frame thy fearful symmetry?"

Besides being a mankiller, the tiger is also noted for being a shapeshifter. Some primitive people believe that tigers are actually humans who change themselves into tigers for the hunt. They are believed to live in a Tiger Village where the roofs are thatched with human hair. In southern China there is the "were-tiger" whose existence parallels that of the were-wolf in western cultures. He is a monster of the night and is aroused by the new moon. In southeast Asia, it is thought that, having killed a human, the tiger is capable of forcing the victim's ghost to walk before it in the jungle as bait for his or her friends and relatives. The first victim's ghost is freed as soon as his friend or relative is consumed. Since the boy who was "given many stripes" was believed to know the secrets of magical healing leaves, the tiger is a familiar of medicine men and sorcerers who may take on the form of tigers.

Like the lion, the tiger's ferocity, strength, and courage caused it to be not only the terror of the people, but also their guardian. In China, its talent for guarding money makes it a symbol of the gods of wealth and gamblers. Five mythic tigers are believed to guard the universe against the forces of chaos. The red tiger is the defender of summer, the south, and fire; the black tiger protects winter, the north, and water; the blue tiger is the friend of spring, the east, and vegetation; and the white tiger is the champion of autumn, the west, and metals. Over all these the yellow or solar tiger rules. He is the defender of the sun, the center, and the Chinese emperor. Several heroic groups in Chinese history and legend were given the appellation "Wu ho," meaning "Five Tigers" because of their brave defense of the empire.

It was thought that even demons were afraid of tigers which could devour evil spirits as quickly as they devoured a man. Statues of tigers were placed on graves and door posts as guardian spirits. In China this animal was the guardian of hunting and agriculture. In India it was the emblem of royalty and the Kshatriyas (a warrior caste). It was the symbol of war in Japan where it was believed to enjoy a 1000 year life span. Heroes, gods, and other immortals rode upon its back or wore its skin. The phrase to "ride a tiger" was used to describe a heroic tangle with perilous and even demonic forces.

In spite of all its ferocity, medieval bestiaries made the tiger the symbol of a mother's love. Europeans were informed that, when chased by a female tiger, they had only to drop a mirror in the tigress' path. Mistaking her own reflection for a tiger cub, the pouncing animal would forget her prey and try to nurse it. Hunters, the bestiaries claimed, used this trick to snare tigers. Since European authors and artists were unfamiliar with these creatures, the tiger was frequently confused with other big cats such as the panther and the leopard. In many pictures and bestiaries it may be unclear which cat the artist intended to portray.

Because of its superior ability to see in the dark, Buddhists consider the tiger a symbol of spiritual illumination. A tiger making its way through a bamboo forest symbolizes the human soul strengthened by faith and yet struggling through the Forest of Sin.

Unless otherwise indicated all scripture quotes are from the NKJV Bible.