![]() ![]() Once they crossed the river, the Rat jumped off the Ox’s back, and made it to the finishing line first.Īn alternate version of the story focuses instead on the benevolence of the Ox, who saw that the Rat could not cross the river, and offered it a ride on its back. As the Rat could not swim, it decided to hitch a ride on the back of the Ox without it knowing. Towards the end of the race, there was a river that the animals needed to cross. For example, the Rat was the first animal to arrive thanks to its cunning nature. There are a number of stories relating to the journey of the animals to the palace of the Jade Emperor / abode of the Buddha. The order of their arrival determined their place in this cycle.ġ6th century ink, color, and gold on silk image of the Jade Emperor. Regardless, the prize for the first 12 animals that arrived was their induction into the zodiac. Also, some versions have the race substituted with a banquet. In some versions of the story, the Jade Emperor is replaced with the Buddha. A Loyal Companion and Much More: Dogs in Ancient China.The Origin of Lunar New Year and the Legend of Nian. ![]() According to this myth (which has numerous variations), the Jade Emperor (the supreme deity in the traditional Chinese pantheon) summoned all the animals in the universe for a race. ![]() ( Felix Andrews/CC BY SA 3.0 )Ī more fanciful and colorful (though perhaps less historical factual) can be found in a well-known Chinese myth. Qingyanggong temple, Chengdu, Sichuan, China. Yet others claim that the zodiac was developed based not on knowledge brought from outside China, but by the ancient Chinese themselves.ĭaoist (Taoist) symbols carved in stone: yin-yang and animals of the Chinese zodiac. Others claim that the signs were first used by nomadic tribes, who developed a calendar based on the animals they used to hunt and gather. Painting of Buddhist astrology (combining Chinese and Indian systems). Some have suggested that these signs entered China via the Silk Road, perhaps alongside Buddhism when it was spread from India. Representations of the zodiac signs on ancient Chinese artifacts were already in existence during the Warring States Period (475 – 221 BC). In fact, it may be said that no one is entirely certain as to how the Chinese zodiac actually came into being. Whilst the Western zodiac signs may be said to have its origins in astronomy, the same might not be said of its Chinese counter-part. Unlike the zodiac signs of Western astrology, the animals of the Chinese zodiac are not based on the constellations. Myths and Legends of the Origin of the Zodiac Signs Like the zodiac signs of Western astrology, it is also traditionally believed by the Chinese that one’s personality is influenced by the zodiac sign that he/she was born under, and that the sign has a bearing on a person’s life. The traditional sequence of the Chinese zodiac is: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. There are 12 animals, and together, they make up the Chinese zodiac. According to Chinese culture, each year is related to an animal or 生肖 (‘Sheng Xiao’, which literally means ‘birth likeness’). ![]()
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