The turtle has a prominent position as a symbol of steadfastness and tranquillity in religion, mythology, and folklore from around the world. A tortoise’s longevity is suggested by its long lifespan and its shell, which was thought to protect it from any foe. In the creation myths of several cultures, the turtle or tortoise carries the world upon its back or supports the heavens.

In Chinese tradition the creator goddess Nu Gua cuts the legs off a sea turtle and uses them to prop up the sky after Gong Gong destroys the mountain that had supported the sky. The flat undershell and round domed upper shell of a turtle resembles the ancient Chinese idea of a flat earth and round domed sky.

The World Turtle carries the Earth upon its back in myths from North America. In Cheyenne tradition, the great creator spirit Maheo kneads some mud he takes from a

      Hindu creation myth: The tortoise supports elephants that hold up the world, and
 everything is encircled by the world serpent

coot’s beak until it expands so much that only Old Grandmother Turtle can support it on her back. In Mohawk tradition, the trembling or shaking of the Earth is thought of as a sign that the World Turtle is stretching beneath the great weight that she carries.

In a story from Admiralty Island, people are born from eggs laid by the World Turtle. There are many similar creation stories throughout Polynesia.

Turtles and tortoises are incorporated into many religious traditions and mythologies around the world. In ancient Mesopotamia, the turtle was associated with the god Ea and was used on kudurrus as a symbol of Ea. Ijapa the tortoise is a trickster in a cycle of tales told by the Yoruba of Africa.

In Hindu mythology the world is thought to rest on the backs of four elephants, who stand on the shell of a turtle. In Hinduism, Akupara is a tortoise who carries the world on his back. It upholds the Earth and the sea. One avatar of Vishnu is said to be the giant turtle Kurma. The Sri Kurmam Temple in Andhra Pradesh, India is dedicated to the Kurma-avatar.

In China, the tortoise is one of the “Four Fabulous Animals”, the most prominent beasts of China. It is of the water element. The other animals are the unicorn, phoenix, and dragon. These animals govern the four points of the compass, with the Black Tortoise the ruler of the north, symbolizing endurance, strength, and longevity. It is the only one of the four that is a real animal, although it is depicted with the supernatural features of dragon ears, flaming tentacles at its shoulders and hips, and a long hairy tail. The hairy tail is based on seaweed and the growth of plant parasites that are found on older tortoises’ shells, which flow behind the tortoise as it swims. The tortoise is a symbol of longevity, with a potential lifespan of ten thousand years. Due to its longevity, a symbol of a turtle was often used during burials. A burial mound might be shaped like a turtle, and even called a “grave turtle”. A carved turtle, known as bixi (Chinese: 赑屃) was used as a plinth for memorial tablets of high ranking officials during the Sui Dynasty (581-618 CE) and the Ming period (1368-1644 CE). Enormous turtles supported the memorial tablets of emperors.

In Feng shui the rear of the home is represented by the Black Tortoise, which signifies support for home, family life, and personal relationships. A tortoise at the back door of a house or in the backyard by a pond is said to attract good fortune and many blessings. Three tortoises stacked on top of each other represents a mother and her babies. In Daoist art, the tortoise is an emblem of the triad of earth-humankind-heaven.

Tortoise shells were used for divination in the ancient Shang Dynasty China, and carry the earliest specimens of Chinese writing.

In Japan, the turtle has developed a more independent tradition than the other three prominent beasts of China. It is known as minogame and is a symbol of longevity and felicity. The minogame is also depicted with a long feathery fan-like tail. A minogame has an important role in the well-known legend of Urashima Tarō. The tortoise is an attribute of Kompira, the deity of seafarers. It is a favored motif by netsuke-carvers and other artisans, and features in traditional Japanese wedding ceremonies. There is also a well-known tortoise-shell artistic pattern, based on the nearly hexagonal shape of a tortoise’s shell. These patterns are usually comprised of symmetrical hexagons, sometimes with smaller hexagons within them.

In Taiwanese villages, paste cakes of flour shaped like turtles are made for festivals that are held in honor of the lineage patron deity. People buy these cakes at their lineage temple and take them home to assure prosperity, harmony, and security for the following year.

Many legends of Vietnam connect closely to turtle. In Yao dynasty of China, a Vietnamese King’s envoy offered a sacred turtle (Vietnamese: Thần Quy) which was carved Khoa Đẩu script on its carapace writing all things happening from the time Sky and Earth had just been born. Yao King ordered a person copied it and called it Turtle Calendar.

Another legend told that Kim Quy Deity (literally: Golden Turtle Deity) came into sight and crawled after An Dương Vương’s pray. And follow the Deity’s foot prints, An Dương Vương built Co Loa citadel in spiral model and got result. Furthermore, An Dương Vương was given present a Kim Quy Deity’s claw to make the trigger (Vietnamese: lẫy), one part of the crossbow (Vietnamese: nỏ) named Linh Quang Kim Trảo Thần Nỏ which is the military secret of winning Zhao Tuo. Unfortunately, a wicked scheme of stealing the sacred crossbow through a political marriage made Vietnam lose its sovereignty for 1000 years hence.

An 15th century- legend told that Lê Lợi returned his sacred sword named Thuận Thiên (literally: Heaven’s Will) to Golden Turtle in Lục Thủy lake after he had won Ming’s army. That is why Lục Thủy lake was renamed to Sword Lake (Vietnamese: Hồ Gươm) or Returning Sword lake (Vietnamese: Hồ Hoàn Kiếm). This action symbolizes to taking leave of weapons for peace.