Wheel of Topics #26

Meaning of the pentagram for the ancient chinese.

The ancient chinese doesn't really use the pentagram(or pentacle), but the Wu Xing was used to represent the five element and their relation between them. It was a very intricate symbol that, once simplified, looked like a five pointed star in a circle. At each of the point was a symbol of one of the element. Those element were, in order, clockwise and from the top point: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water.

The many interactions between them were separated in three types: Controlling, Generative and Destructive. The controlling action jump an element, passing over an element to react with the next one: wood split earth, earth absorb water, water douse fire, fire melt metal and metal split wood. The generative and destructive action are done with the element directly beside it. In those action, one element help another but this action destroy it: wood feed fire but get burn in return, fire make earth but extinguish because of it, earth bears metal and is broken by it, metal contain water but rust at its contact, water nourish wood and disappear.

All the line between those elements create a symbol that look alot like the pentagram, but with a very different meaning. Other meaning also exist for it, but it will be for futur WoT.

Grim the pirate
(I edited it because of the many errors I didn't saw before posting it the first time)