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A menos que se especifique lo contrario, el texto chino de este artículo está escrito en el formato chino simplificado / chino tradicional , pinyin . Si los caracteres de China simplificada y tradicional son idénticos, se escriben solo una vez.
zodiaco chino
Chinese Zodiac carvings on ceiling of Kushida Shrine, Fukuoka.jpg
chino生肖
Hanyu Pinyinshēngxiào
Transcripciones
Mandarín estándar
Hanyu Pinyinshēngxiào
Wu
Romanizaciónsen 平 -siau 去
Hakka
Romanizaciónsensiau
Yue: cantonés
Jyutpingsaang 1 -ciu 3
Min del Sur
POJ de Hokkiensingsiàu
Eastern Min
Fuzhou BUCsăng-ngá
Nombre chino alternativo
Chino simplificado属相
Chino tradicional屬相
Hanyu Pinyinshǔxiàng
Transcripciones
Mandarín estándar
Hanyu Pinyinshǔxiàng
Wu
Romanizaciónzoh 入 -sian 平
Yue: cantonés
Jyutpingsuk 6 -soeng 1
Min del Sur
POJ de Hokkiensio̍ksiùnn

El zodíaco chino , o simplemente el zodíaco, es un esquema de clasificación basado en el calendario lunar que asigna un animal y sus atributos reputados a cada año en un ciclo repetido de 12 años. Originario de China, el zodiaco y sus variaciones siguen siendo populares en muchos de Asia Oriental y el Sudeste Asiático países , tales como Japón , [1] Corea del Sur , [2] Vietnam , [2] el Filipinas , [3] Camboya , [4] y Tailandia. [5]

La identificación de este esquema usando el término genérico " zodíaco " refleja varias similitudes superficiales con el zodíaco occidental : ambos tienen ciclos de tiempo divididos en 12 partes, cada una etiqueta al menos la mayoría de esas partes con nombres de animales, y cada una está ampliamente asociada con una cultura. de atribuir la personalidad de una persona o los acontecimientos de su vida a la supuesta influencia de la relación particular de la persona con el ciclo.

Sin embargo, existen grandes diferencias entre los dos: los animales del zodíaco chino no están asociados con constelaciones abarcadas por el plano de la eclíptica . El ciclo chino de 12 partes corresponde a años, en lugar de meses. El zodíaco chino está representado por 12 animales, mientras que algunos de los signos del zodíaco occidental no son animales, a pesar de la implicación de la etimología de la palabra inglesa zodiac , que deriva de zōdiacus , la forma latinizada del griego antiguo zōdiakòs kýklos ( ζῳδιακός κύκλος ), que significa "ciclo o círculo de animales".

Signos [ editar ]

Una talla de piedra del zodíaco chino.

El zodíaco comienza tradicionalmente con el signo de la Rata . Los siguientes son los doce signos del zodíaco en orden, cada uno con sus características asociadas ( Rama terrestre , fuerza yin / yang , Trígono y elemento de la naturaleza ). [6]

  1. Rata -鼠, shǔ (子) ( Yang , 1er Trígono , Elemento Fijo Agua )
  2. Buey -牛, niú (丑) ( Yin , 2do Trígono , Elemento Fijo Tierra )
  3. Tigre -虎, hǔ (寅) ( Yang , tercer trígono , madera de elemento fijo)
  4. Conejo -兔, tù (卯) ( Yin , cuarto trígono , elemento fijo de madera )
  5. Dragón -龙/龍, lóng (辰) ( Yang , 1er Trígono , Elemento fijo Tierra )
  6. Serpiente -蛇, shé (巳) ( Yin , 2do Trígono , Fuego de Elemento Fijo)
  7. Caballo -马/馬, mǎ (午) ( Yang , tercer trígono , elemento fijo de fuego )
  8. Cabra -羊, yáng (未) ( Yin , 4to Trígono , Elemento Fijo Tierra )
  9. Mono -猴, hóu (申) ( Yang , primer trígono , elemento fijo de metal )
  10. Gallo -鸡/雞, jī (酉) ( Yin , segundo trígono , elemento fijo de metal )
  11. Perro -狗, gǒu (戌) ( Yang , tercer trígono , elemento fijo Tierra )
  12. Cerdo -猪/豬, zhū (亥) ( Yin , cuarto trígono , elemento fijo Agua )

En la astrología china, los signos animales asignados por año representan cómo te perciben los demás o cómo te presentas. Es un error común pensar que los animales asignados por año son los únicos signos, y muchas descripciones occidentales de la astrología china se basan únicamente en este sistema. De hecho, también hay signos de animales asignados por mes (llamados "animales internos"), por día (llamados "animales verdaderos") y horas (llamados "animales secretos"). La Tierra tiene 12 signos y 5 estaciones.

Calendario chino [ editar ]

Artículo principal: calendario chino

Años [ editar ]

Artículo principal: ciclo sexagenario

Dentro de los Cuatro Pilares , el año es el pilar que representa información sobre los antecedentes familiares de la persona y la sociedad o la relación con sus abuelos. La edad de la persona también se puede deducir fácilmente del signo de la persona, el signo actual del año y la edad percibida de la persona (adolescentes, veintitantos, cuarenta, etc.). Por ejemplo, una persona que es un Tigre tiene 12, 24, 36 o 48 años en 2010, el año del Tigre . En 2011, el año del Conejo , esa persona es un año mayor.

La siguiente tabla muestra el ciclo de 60 años emparejado con el calendario gregoriano para los años 1924–2043 (ver el artículo sobre el ciclo sexagenario para los años 1804–2043). El ciclo sexagenario comienza en lichun alrededor del 4 de febrero según algunas fuentes astrológicas . [7] [8]

 Año
Elemento asociado
Tallo celestial
Rama terrenal
Animal asociado		Año
1924–19831984-2043
15 de febrero de 1924 - 23 de enero de 1925Madera Yang甲子Rata2 de febrero de 1984 al 19 de febrero de 1985
224 de enero de 1925 - 12 de febrero de 1926Madera Yin乙丑Buey20 de febrero de 1985 - 8 de febrero de 1986
313 de febrero de 1926 - 01 de febrero de 1927Fuego Yang丙寅Tigre9 de febrero de 1986 - 28 de enero de 1987
402 de febrero de 1927 - 22 de enero de 1928Fuego Yin丁卯Conejo29 de enero de 1987 - 16 de febrero de 1988
523 de enero de 1928 - 09 de febrero de 1929Tierra Yang戊辰Continuar17 de febrero de 1988 - 05 de febrero de 1989
610 de febrero de 1929 - 29 de enero de 1930Tierra Yin己巳Serpiente6 de febrero de 1989 - 26 de enero de 1990
730 de enero de 1930 - 16 de febrero de 1931Yang Metal庚午Caballo27 de enero de 1990 - 14 de febrero de 1991
817 de febrero de 1931 - 05 de febrero de 1932Yin Metal辛未Cabra15 de febrero de 1991 - 03 de febrero de 1992
96 de febrero de 1932 - 25 de enero de 1933Agua Yang壬申MonoFeb 04 1992–Jan 22 1993
10Jan 26 1933–Feb 13 1934Yin Water癸酉RoosterJan 23 1993–Feb 09 1994
11Feb 14 1934–Feb 03 1935Yang Wood甲戌DogFeb 10 1994–Jan 30 1995
12Feb 04 1935–Jan 23 1936Yin Wood乙亥PigJan 31 1995–Feb 18 1996
13Jan 24 1936–Feb 10 1937Yang Fire丙子RatFeb 19 1996–Feb 06 1997
14Feb 11 1937–Jan 30 1938Yin Fire丁丑OxFeb 07 1997–Jan 27 1998
15Jan 31 1938–Feb 18 1939Yang Earth戊寅TigerJan 28 1998–Feb 15 1999
16Feb 19 1939–Feb 07 1940Yin Earth己卯RabbitFeb 16 1999–Feb 04 2000
17Feb 08 1940–Jan 26 1941Yang Metal庚辰DragonFeb 05 2000–Jan 23 2001
18Jan 27 1941–Feb 14 1942Yin Metal辛巳SnakeJan 24 2001–Feb 11 2002
19Feb 15 1942–Feb 04 1943Yang Water壬午HorseFeb 12 2002–Jan 31 2003
20Feb 05 1943–Jan 24 1944Yin Water癸未GoatFeb 01 2003–Jan 21 2004
21Jan 25 1944–Feb 12 1945Yang Wood甲申MonkeyJan 22 2004–Feb 08 2005
22Feb 13 1945–Feb 01 1946Yin Wood乙酉RoosterFeb 09 2005–Jan 28 2006
23Feb 02 1946–Jan 21 1947Yang Fire丙戌DogJan 29 2006–Feb 17 2007
24Jan 22 1947–Feb 09 1948Yin Fire丁亥PigFeb 18 2007–Feb 06 2008
25Feb 10 1948–Jan 28 1949Yang Earth戊子RatFeb 07 2008–Jan 25 2009
26Jan 29 1949–Feb 16 1950Yin Earth己丑OxJan 26 2009–Feb 13 2010
27Feb 17 1950–Feb 05 1951Yang Metal庚寅TigerFeb 14 2010–Feb 02 2011
28Feb 06 1951–Jan 26 1952Yin Metal辛卯RabbitFeb 03 2011–Jan 22 2012
29Jan 27 1952–Feb 13 1953Yang Water壬辰DragonJan 23 2012–Feb 09 2013
30Feb 14 1953–Feb 02 1954Yin Water癸巳SnakeFeb 10 2013–Jan 30 2014
31Feb 03 1954–Jan 23 1955Yang Wood甲午HorseJan 31 2014–Feb 18 2015
32Jan 24 1955–Feb 11 1956Yin Wood乙未GoatFeb 19 2015–Feb 07 2016
33Feb 12 1956–Jan 30 1957Yang Fire丙申MonkeyFeb 08 2016–Jan 27 2017
34Jan 31 1957–Feb 17 1958Yin Fire丁酉RoosterJan 28 2017–Feb 15 2018
35Feb 18 1958–Feb 07 1959Yang Earth戊戌DogFeb 16 2018–Feb 04 2019
36Feb 08 1959–Jan 27 1960Yin Earth己亥PigFeb 05 2019–Jan 24 2020
37Jan 28 1960–Feb 14 1961Yang Metal庚子RatJan 25 2020–Feb 11 2021
38Feb 15 1961–Feb 04 1962Yin Metal辛丑OxFeb 12 2021–Jan 31 2022
39Feb 05 1962–Jan 24 1963Yang Water壬寅TigerFeb 01 2022–Jan 21 2023
40Jan 25 1963–Feb 12 1964Yin Water癸卯RabbitJan 22 2023–Feb 09 2024
41Feb 13 1964–Feb 01 1965Yang Wood甲辰DragonFeb 10 2024–Jan 28 2025
42Feb 02 1965–Jan 20 1966Yin Wood乙巳SnakeJan 29 2025–Feb 16 2026
43Jan 21 1966–Feb 08 1967Yang Fire丙午HorseFeb 17 2026–Feb 05 2027
44Feb 09 1967–Jan 29 1968Yin Fire丁未GoatFeb 06 2027–Jan 25 2028
45Jan 30 1968–Feb 16 1969Yang Earth戊申MonkeyJan 26 2028–Feb 12 2029
46Feb 17 1969–Feb 05 1970Yin Earth己酉RoosterFeb 13 2029–Feb 02 2030
47Feb 06 1970–Jan 26 1971Yang Metal庚戌DogFeb 03 2030–Jan 22 2031
48Jan 27 1971–Feb 14 1972Yin Metal辛亥PigJan 23 2031–Feb 10 2032
49Feb 15 1972–Feb 02 1973Yang Water壬子RatFeb 11 2032–Jan 30 2033
50Feb 03 1973–Jan 22 1974Yin Water癸丑OxJan 31 2033–Feb 18 2034
51Jan 23 1974–Feb 10 1975Yang Wood甲寅TigerFeb 19 2034–Feb 07 2035
52Feb 11 1975–Jan 30 1976Yin Wood乙卯RabbitFeb 08 2035–Jan 27 2036
53Jan 31 1976–Feb 17 1977Yang Fire丙辰DragonJan 28 2036–Feb 14 2037
54Feb 18 1977–Feb 06 1978Yin Fire丁巳SnakeFeb 15 2037–Feb 03 2038
55Feb 07 1978–Jan 27 1979Yang Earth戊午HorseFeb 04 2038–Jan 23 2039
56Jan 28 1979–Feb 15 1980Yin Earth己未GoatJan 24 2039–Feb 11 2040
57Feb 16 1980–Feb 04 1981Yang Metal庚申MonkeyFeb 12 2040–Jan 31 2041
58Feb 05 1981–Jan 24 1982Yin Metal辛酉RoosterFeb 01 2041–Jan 21 2042
59Jan 25 1982–Feb 12 1983Yang Water壬戌DogJan 22 2042–Feb 09 2043
60Feb 13 1983–Feb 01 1984Yin Water癸亥PigFeb 10 2043–Jan 29 2044

Months and solar terms[edit]

Main article: Solar term

Within the Four Pillars, the month is the pillar representing information about the person's parents or childhood. Many Chinese astrologers consider the month pillar to be the most important one in determining the circumstances of one's adult life.

The 12 animals are also linked to the traditional Chinese agricultural calendar, which runs alongside is better known Lunar calendar. Instead of months, this calendar is divided into 24 two week segments known as Solar Terms. Each animal is linked to two of these solar terms for a period similar to the Western month. Unlike the 60 year Lunar calendar, which can vary by as much as a month in relation to the Gregorian calendar, the agricultural calendar varies by only one day, beginning on the Gregorian calendar on 3 or 4 February every year. Again unlike the cycle of the lunar years, which begins with the Rat, the agricultural calendar begins with the Tiger as it is the first animal of spring.

As each sign is linked to a month of the solar year, it is thereby also linked to a season. Each of the elements are also linked to a season (see above), and the element that share a season with a sign is known as the sign's fixed element. In other words, that element is believed to impart some of its characteristics to the sign concerned. The fixed element of each sign applies also to the year and hour signs, and not just the monthly sign. The fixed element is separate from the cycle of elements which interact with the signs in the 60-year cycle.

SeasonLunar monthFixed
element		SolarlongitudeSolar termGregorian dateApprox.
Westernzodiac
Spring1st – 寅 (yin) TigerWood314°立春 lìchūnFeb 4 – Feb 19Aquarius
329°雨水 yǔshuǐFeb 20 – Mar 5Pisces
2nd – 卯 (mao) RabbitWood344°啓蟄 qǐzhé (驚蟄 jīngzhé)Mar 6 – Mar 20
359°春分 chūnfēnMar 21 – Apr 4Aries
3rd – 辰 (chen) DragonEarth14°清明 qīngmíngApr 5 – Apr 20
29°穀雨 gǔyǔApr 21 – May 5Taurus
Summer4th – 巳 (si) SnakeFire44°立夏 lìxiàMay 6 – May 21
59°小滿 xiǎomǎnMay 22 – Jun 3Gemini
5th – 午 (wu) HorseFire74°芒種 mángzhòngJun 4 – Jun 21
89°夏至 xiàzhìJun 22 – Jul 6Cancer
6th – 未 (wei) GoatEarth104°小暑 xiǎoshǔJul 7 – Jul 22
119°大暑 dàshǔJul 23 – Aug 6Leo
Autumn7th – 申 (shen) MonkeyMetal134°立秋 lìqiūAug 7 – Aug 22
149°處暑 chùshǔAug 23 – Sep 7Virgo
8th – 酉 (you) RoosterMetal164°白露 báilùSep 8 – Sep 23
181°秋分 qiūfēnSep 24 – Oct 7Libra
9th – 戌 (xu) DogEarth194°寒露 hánlùOct 8 – Oct 23
211°霜降 shuāngjiàngOct 24 – Nov 6Scorpio
Winter10th – 亥 (hai) PigWater224°立冬 lìdōngNov 7 – Nov 22
244°小雪 xiǎoxuěNov 23 – Dec 6Sagittarius
11th – 子 (zi) RatWater251°大雪 dàxuěDec 7 – Dec 21
271°冬至 dōngzhìDec 22 – Jan 5Capricorn
12th – 丑 (chou) OxEarth284°小寒 xiǎohánJan 6 – Jan 20
299°大寒 dàhánJan 21 – Feb 3Aquarius

Day[edit]

Four pillars calculators can determine the zodiac animal of the day.[9] Chinese animal signs rule over days of the week, too. The term for them is “True Animals”. If your astrologer wishes to prepare an astrological chart (aka horoscope), it is essential he or she knows the animal and element of your day of birth. However, due to there being twelve animals and a ten-day week on the ancient Chinese calendar, it is not easy to find one's day element or animal. As the Day Master (element) affects the element of the Hour animal, among other things, please be very careful when calculating this part of the chart. A professional will likely have tools for such a calculation on hand, but many online calculators that feature all four animals will be able to give you an accurate chart.

Compatibility[edit]

Chinese Zodiac Compatibility-Conflict-Harm Grid in accordance to one's nature, characteristics, and elements

As the Chinese zodiac is derived according to the ancient Five Elements Theory, every Chinese sign is composed of five elements with relations, among those elements, of interpolation, interaction, over-action, and counter-action—believed to be the common law of motions and changes of creatures in the universe. Different people born under each animal sign supposedly have different personalities,and practitioners of Chinese astrology consult such traditional details and compatibilities to offer putative guidance in life or for love and marriage.[10]

Chinese Zodiac Compatibility Grid[11]

SignBest Match

(Compatible)

Favorable match

(Compatible)

Average Match

(Link)

Bad match

(Conflict)

Harmful match

(Avoid)

RatDragon, MonkeyOxPig, Rat, Tiger, Rabbit, Dog, SnakeSnake, Rooster, HorseGoat
OxSnake, RoosterRatPig, Ox, Monkey, Dog, RabbitTiger, Dragon, GoatHorse
TigerHorse, DogPigTiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Rooster, Rat, GoatOx, MonkeySnake
RabbitGoat, PigDog, RabbitTiger, Monkey, Rat, Ox, HorseSnake, RoosterDragon
DragonMonkey, RatRoosterTiger, Snake, Horse, Goat, PigOx, Dog, DragonRabbit
SnakeRooster, OxMonkeySnake, Horse, Dragon, GoatRabbit, Dog, Rat, PigTiger
HorseHorse, Dog, TigerGoatSnake, Rabbit, Dragon, Monkey, Rooster, PigRatOx
GoatGoat, Pig, RabbitHorseSnake, Tiger, Dragon, Monkey, DogRooster, OxRat
MonkeyRat, DragonSnakeMonkey, Rooster, Dog, Ox, Horse, Goat, RabbitTigerPig
RoosterOx, SnakeDragonMonkey, Horse, Goat, Pig, TigerRooster, Rat, RabbitDog
DogTiger, HorseRabbitMonkey, Dog, Pig, Rat, Ox, GoatSnake, DragonRooster
PigRabbit, GoatTigerPig, Rat, Ox, Rooster, Dog, Dragon, HorseSnakeMonkey

Four Pillars[edit]

Main article: Four Pillars of Destiny

The Four Pillars method can be traced back to the Han dynasty (201 BC – 220 AD), and is still much used in Feng shui astrology and general analysis today. The Four Pillars or columns chart is called such as the Chinese writing causes it to fall into columns. Each pillar or column contains a stem and a branch—and each column relates to the year, month, day and hour of birth. The first column refers to the year animal and element, the second to the month animal and element, the third to the day animal and element, and the last to the hour animal and element.

Within the Four Pillars, the year column purports to provide information about one's ancestor or early age, and the month column about one's parents or growing age. The day column purports to offer information about oneself (upper character) and one's spouse (lower character) or adult age, and the hour column about children or late age.[12]

Four Animal Trines[edit]

Further information: Astrological aspect § Trine

First Trine[edit]

The first Trine consists of the Rat, Dragon, and Monkey. These three signs are said to be intense and powerful individuals capable of great good, who make great leaders but are rather unpredictable. The three are said to be intelligent, magnanimous, charismatic, charming, authoritative, confident, eloquent and artistic, but can be manipulative, jealous, selfish, aggressive, vindictive, and deceitful.

Second Trine[edit]

The second Trine consists of the Ox, Snake, and Rooster. These three signs are said to possess endurance and application, with slow accumulation of energy, meticulous at planning but tending to hold fixed opinions. The three are said to be intelligent, hard-working, modest, industrious, loyal, philosophical, patient, goodhearted and morally upright, but can also be self-righteous, egotistical, vain, judgmental, narrow-minded, and petty.

Third Trine[edit]

The third Trine consists of the Tiger, Horse, and Dog. These three signs are said to seek true love, to pursue humanitarian causes, to be idealistic and independent but tending to be impulsive. The three are said to be productive, enthusiastic, independent, engaging, dynamic, honorable, loyal and protective, but can also be rash, rebellious, quarrelsome, anxious, disagreeable, and stubborn.

Fourth Trine[edit]

The fourth Trine consists of the Rabbit, Goat, and Pig. These three signs are said to have a calm nature and somewhat reasonable approach; they seek aesthetic beauty and are artistic, well-mannered and compassionate, yet detached and resigned to their condition. The three are said to be caring, self-sacrificing, obliging, sensible, creative, empathetic, tactful and prudent, but can also be naïve, pedantic, insecure, selfish, indecisive, and pessimistic.

Zodiac origin stories[edit]

There are many stories and fables to explain the beginning of the zodiac. Since the Han Dynasty, the 12 Earthly Branches have been used to record the time of day. However, for the sake of entertainment and convenience[citation needed], they have been replaced by the 12 animals. The 24 hours are divided into 12 periods, and a mnemonic refers to the behavior of the animals:

Earthly Branches may refer to a double-hour period. In the latter case it is the center of the period; for instance, 马 (Horse) means noon as well as a period from 11:00 to 13:00.

  • Rat (Zishi): 23:00 to 00:59. This is the time when rats are most active in seeking food. Rats also have a different number of digits on front and hind legs, thus earning Rat the symbol of "turn over" or "new start".
  • Ox (Choushi): 01:00 to 02:59. This is the time when oxen begin to chew the cud slowly and comfortably.
  • Tiger (Yinshi): 03:00 to 04:59. This is the time when tigers hunt their prey more and show their ferocity.
  • Rabbit (Maoshi): 05:00 to 06:59. This is the time when the Jade Rabbit is busy pounding herbal medicine on the Moon according to the tale.
  • Dragon (Chenshi): 07:00 to 08:59. This is the time when dragons are hovering in the sky to give rain.
  • Snake (Sishi): 09:00 to 10:59. This is the time when snakes are leaving their caves.
  • Horse (Wushi): 11:00 to 12:59. This is the time when the sun is high overhead and while other animals are lying down for a rest, horses are still standing.
  • Goat (Weishi): 13:00 to 14:59. This is the time when goats eat grass and urinate frequently.
  • Monkey (Shenshi): 15:00 to 16:59. This is the time when monkeys are lively.
  • Rooster (Youshi): 17:00 to 18:59. This is the time when roosters begin to get back to their coops.
  • Dog (Xushi): 19:00 to 20:59. This is the time when dogs carry out their duty of guarding the houses.
  • Pig (Haishi): 21:00 to 22:59. This is the time when pigs are sleeping sweetly.

The Great Race[edit]

This image depicts a scene from the "Great Race" folk story, in which the Ox carries the Rat across the river.

An ancient folk story called the "Great Race" tells that the Jade Emperor decreed that the years on the calendar would be named for each animal in the order they reached him. To get there, the animals would have to cross a river.

The Cat and the Rat were not good at swimming, but they were both quite intelligent. They decided that the best and fastest way to cross the river was to hop on the back of the Ox. The Ox, being kindhearted and naive, agreed to carry them both across. As the Ox was about to reach the other side of the river, the Rat pushed the Cat into the water, and then jumped off the Ox and rushed to the Jade Emperor. It was named as the first animal of the zodiac calendar. The Ox had to settle in second place.
The third one to come, was the Tiger. Even though it was strong and powerful, it explained to the Jade Emperor that the currents were pushing him downstream.
Suddenly, from a distance came a thumping sound, and the Rabbit arrived. It explained how it crossed the river: by jumping from one stone to another, in a nimble fashion. Halfway through, it almost lost the race, but it was lucky enough to grab hold of a floating log that later washed him to shore. For that, it became the fourth animal in the zodiac cycle.
In fifth place, was the flying Dragon. The Jade Emperor was wondering why such a swift airborne creature such as the Dragon did not come in first. The Dragon explained that it had to stop by a village and brought rain for all the people, and therefore it was held back. Then, on its way to the finish, it saw the helpless Rabbit clinging onto a log, so it did a good deed and gave a puff of breath to the poor creature so that it could land on the shore. The Jade Emperor was astonished by the Dragon's good nature, and it was named as the fifth animal.
As soon as it had done so, a galloping sound was heard, and the Horse appeared. Hidden on the Horse's hoof was the Snake, whose sudden appearance gave it a fright, thus making it fall back and giving the Snake the sixth spot while the Horse placed seventh.
After a while, the Goat, Monkey, and Rooster came to the heavenly gate. With combined efforts, they managed to arrive to the other side. The Rooster found a raft, and the Monkey and the Goat tugged and pulled, trying to get all the weeds out of the way. The Jade Emperor was pleased with their teamwork and decided to name the Goat as the eighth animal followed by the Monkey and then the Rooster.
The eleventh animal placed in the zodiac cycle was the Dog. Although it should have been the best swimmer and runner, it spent its time to play in the water. Though his explanation for being late was because it needed a good bath after a long spell. For that, it almost did not make it to the finish line.
Right when the Emperor was going to end the race, an "oink" sound was heard: it was the Pig. The Pig felt hungry in the middle of the race, so it stopped, ate something, and then fell asleep. After it awoke, it finished the race in twelfth place and became the last animal to arrive.
The cat eventually drowned and failed to be in the zodiac. It is said that this is the reason cats always hunt rats and also don't like water as well.

Variations[edit]

Another folk story tells that the Rat deceived the Ox into letting it jump on its back, in order for the Ox to hear the Rat sing,[13] before jumping off at the finish line and finishing first. Another variant says that the Rat had cheated the Cat out its place at the finishing line, having stowed-away on the dog's back, who was too focused to notice that he had a stow-away; this is said to account for the antagonistic dynamic between cats and rats, beyond normal predator-and-prey behaviour; and also why dogs and cats fight, the cat having tried to attack the rat in retaliation, only to get the dog by accident.

In Chinese mythology, a story tells that the cat was tricked by the Rat so it could not go to the banquet. This is why the cat is ultimately not part of the Chinese zodiac.[citation needed]

In Buddhism, legend has it that Gautama Buddha summoned all of the animals of the Earth to come before him before his departure from this Earth, but only 12 animals actually came to bid him farewell. To reward the animals who came to him, he named a year after each of them. The years were given to them in the order they had arrived.

The twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac were developed in the early stages of Chinese civilization, therefore it is difficult to investigate its real origins. Most historians agree that the cat is not included, as they had not yet been introduced to China from India with the arrival of Buddhism. However, the Vietnamese, unlike all other countries who follow the Sino lunar calendar, have the cat instead of the rabbit as a zodiac animal. The most common explanation is that the ancient word for Rabbit (Mao) sounds like cat (Meo).[14]

Problems with English translation[edit]

Due to confusion with synonyms during translation, some of the animals depicted by the English words did not exist in ancient China.[citation needed] For example:

  • The term 鼠 Rat can be translated as Mouse, as there are no distinctive words for the two genera in Chinese. However, Rat is the most commonly used one among all the synonyms.
  • The term 牛 Ox, a castrated Bull, can be translated interchangeably with other terms related to Cattle (male Bull, female Cow) and Buffalo. However, Ox is the most commonly used one among all the synonyms.
  • The term 羊 Goat can be translated as Sheep and Ram, a male Sheep. However, Goat is the most commonly used one among all the synonyms.
  • The term 雞 Chicken, can be translated interchangeably with male Rooster, as well as the female Hen. However, Rooster is the most commonly used one among all the synonyms in English-speaking countries.
  • The term 豬 Pig is sometimes translated to Boar after its Japanese name.

Adaptations[edit]

The Chinese zodiac signs are also used by cultures other than Chinese. For one example, they usually appear on Korean New Year and Japanese New Year's cards and stamps. The United States Postal Service and several other countries' postal service issue a "Year of the ____" postage stamp each year to honor this Chinese heritage.

The Chinese lunar coins, depicting the zodiac animals, inspired the Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coins, as well as varieties from Australia, South Korea, and Mongolia.

The Chinese zodiac is also used in some other Asian countries that have been under the cultural influence of China. However, some of the animals in the zodiac may differ by country.

Asia [edit]

Further information: Burmese zodiac, Bulgar calendar, and Vietnamese zodiac

The Korean zodiac includes the Sheep (yang) instead of the Goat (which would be yeomso), although the Chinese source of the loanword yang may refer to any goat-antelope.

The Japanese zodiac includes the Sheep (hitsuji) instead of the Goat (which would be yagi), and the Wild boar (inoshishi, i) instead of the Pig (buta).[15] Since 1873, the Japanese have celebrated the beginning of the new year on 1 January as per the Gregorian calendar.

The Vietnamese zodiac varies from the Chinese zodiac with the second animal being the Water Buffalo instead of the Ox, and the fourth animal being the Cat instead of the Rabbit.

The Cambodian zodiac is exactly identical to that of the Chinese although the dragon is interchangeable with the Neak (nāga) Cambodian sea snake.[16] Sheep and Goat are interchangeable as well. Unlike China, Cambodians start their new year in April rather than in the beginning of the year. That is why the Cambodian New Year is celebrated in April rather than in January or February like most countries.[17][18]

The Cham zodiac uses the same order as the Chinese zodiac, but replaces the Monkey with the turtle (known locally as kra).

Similarly the Malay zodiac is identical to the Chinese but replaces the Rabbit with the mousedeer (pelanduk) and the Pig with the tortoise (kura).[19] The Dragon is normally equated with the nāga but it is sometimes called Big Snake (ular besar) while the Snake sign is called Second Snake (ular sani).

The Thai zodiac includes a nāga in place of the Dragon[20] and begins, not at the Chinese New Year, but either on the first day of the fifth month in the Thai lunar calendar, or during the Songkran New Year festival (now celebrated every 13–15 April), depending on the purpose of the use.[21]

The Gurung zodiac in Nepal includes a Cow instead of Ox, Cat instead of Rabbit, Eagle instead of Dragon, Bird instead of Rooster, and Deer instead of Pig.

The Bulgar calendar used from the 2nd Century[22] and that has been only partially reconstructed uses a similar 60 years cycle of 12 animal-named years groups which are:[23]

  1. Mouse (In Bulgar: Somor)
  2. Ox (In Bulgar: Shegor)
  3. Uncertain, probably Tiger / Wolf (In Bulgar: Ver?)
  4. Rabbit (In Bulgar: Dvan[sh])
  5. Uncertain, probably Dragon (In Bulgar: Ver[eni]?)
  6. Snake (In Bulgar: Dilom)
  7. Horse (In Bulgar: Imen[shegor]?)
  8. Ram (In Bulgar: Teku[chitem]?)
  9. Unattested, probably Monkey
  10. Hen or Rooster (In Bulgar: Toh)
  11. Dog (In Bulgar: Eth)
  12. Boar (In Bulgar: Dohs)

The Old Mongol calendar uses the Mouse, the Ox, the Leopard, the Hare, the Crocodile, the Serpent, the Horse, the Sheep, the Monkey, the Hen, the Dog and the Hog.[24]

The Volga Bulgars, Kazars and other Turkic peoples replaced some animals by local fauna: Leopard (instead of Tiger), Fish (instead of Dragon), Crocodile (also instead of Dragon), Hedgehog (instead of Monkey), Elephant (instead of Pig), and Camel (instead of Mouse).[25][26]

In the Persian version of the Eastern Zodiac brought by Mongols during the Middle Ages the Chinese word lóng and Mongol word lū (Dragon) was translated as nahang meaning "water beast", and may refer to any dangerous acuatic animal both mythical and real (crocodiles, hippos, sharks, sea serpents, etc.). In the 20th Century the term nahang is used almost exclusively as meaning Whale, thus switching the Dragon for the Whale in the Persian variant.[27][28]

Emoji[edit]

All early Japanese emoji sets had at least one suitable pictograph for each Eastern zodiac. They also had either a symbol or a pictograph subset for all the Western zodiac signs.

During the harmonization and standardization phase lead by Unicode, some additional animals to represent local variants were added. Also, most signs got both a facial pictograph and a full-body one. For the full-body animals (U+1F400…4C), the local variant is recorded in the respective code point annotation. Some original emojis for applicable animals according to the previous subsection do not have such a note and all animal emojis that have been added in subsequent versions of Unicode are also not annotated for zodiac use:

  1. 🐭 (no annotation in Unicode)
    • 🐀 default
    • 🐁 Persia
    • 🐪🐫 (no annotation in Unicode)
  2. 🐮 (no annotation in Unicode)
    • 🐂 default
    • 🐄 Persia
    • 🐃 Vietnam
  3. 🐯 (no annotation in Unicode)
    • 🐅 default
    • 🐆 Persia
    • 🐺 (no annotation in Unicode)
  4. 🐰🐱 (no annotation in Unicode)
    • 🐇 default
    • 🐈 Vietnam
  5. 🐲 (no annotation in Unicode)
    • 🐉 default
    • 🐊 Persia
    • 🐋 Persia, 🐳 (no annotation in Unicode)
    • 🐌 Kazakhstan
    • 🦈 (no annotation in Unicode)
    • 🐟 (no annotation in Unicode)
    • 🦛 (no annotation in Unicode)
    • 🦅 (no annotation in Unicode)
  6. 🐍
  7. 🐴 (no annotation in Unicode)
    • 🐎
  8. 🐏 default
    • 🐐 Vietnam
    • 🐑 Persia
  9. 🐵 (no annotation in Unicode)
    • 🐒 default
    • 🐢 (no annotation in Unicode)
    • 🦔 (no annotation in Unicode)
  10. 🐔 Persia
    • 🐓 default
    • 🐦 (no annotation in Unicode)
  11. 🐶 (no annotation in Unicode)
    • 🐕 default
  12. 🐷 (no annotation in Unicode)
    • 🐖 default
    • 🐗 Japan
    • 🐘 Thailand
    • 🐢 (no annotation in Unicode)
    • 🦌 (no annotation in Unicode)

Gallery[edit]

  • A chart indicating good and bad bloodletting days and when to guard against demons. Detail: The chart contains a sme ba (9 figures symbolizing the elements in geomancy) in the center with the Chinese pa-kua (8 trigrams) surrounded by 12 animals of months and years.

  • Soyombo and several Buddhist, Tengrist, and Chinese zodiac symbols in a wall mosaic.

  • Twelve Chinese zodiac jade figurines. Capital Museum, Beijing, China.

See also[edit]

  • Earthly Branches
  • Astrology and science
  • Chinese New Year

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ teacher, Namiko Abe Namiko Abe is a Japanese language; translator; years, as well as a Japanese calligraphy expert She has been a freelance writer for nearly 20. "The Twelve Japanese Zodiac Signs". ThoughtCo. Retrieved 2019-07-16.
  2. ^ a b "Chinese Zodiac and Chinese Year Animals". astroica.com. Retrieved 2019-07-16.
  3. ^ Flores, Wilson Lee. "Traditions & good luck beliefs in the world's oldest Chinatown in Manila". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
  4. ^ "Khmer Calendar". cam-cc.org. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  5. ^ "Animals of the Thai Zodiac and the Twelve Year Cycle". Thaizer. 2011-09-08. Retrieved 2019-07-16.
  6. ^ Theodora Lau, The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes, pp. 2–8, 30–5, 60–4, 88–94, 118–24, 148–53, 178–84, 208–13, 238–44, 270–8, 306–12, 338–44, Souvenir Press, New York, 2005
  7. ^ ""Almanac" "lunar" zodiac beginning of spring as the boundary dislocation?". China Network. 16 February 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  8. ^ "What is Your Chinese Zodiac Sign and Chinese Horoscope Zodiac Birth Chart?".
  9. ^ "Online Four Pillars Calculator".
  10. ^ "Chinese Compatibility Matching". Jan 2016.
  11. ^ "Chinese Zodiac Animal Signs Compatibility". yourchineseastrology.com/.
  12. ^ chinesefortunecalendar.com
  13. ^ Cyndi Chen (2013-02-26). "The 12 Animals of the Chinese Zodiac 十二生肖". Archived from the original on March 6, 2013. Retrieved October 11, 2013.
  14. ^ "Year of the Cat OR Year of the Rabbit?". www.nwasianweekly.com. 3 February 2011. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  15. ^ "Japanese Zodiac Signs and Symbols". japanesezodiac.org/. 5 January 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  16. ^ "Chinese Zodiac:Legend and Characteristics". windowintochina.wordpress.com. Archived from the original on 19 July 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  17. ^ "The Khmer Calendar | Cambodian Religion, Festivals and Zodiac Astrology". humanoriginproject.com. 2019-04-25. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  18. ^ "Khmer Chhankitek Calendar". cam-cc.org. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  19. ^ Farouk Yahya (2015). Malay Magic and Divination in Illuminated Manuscripts.
  20. ^ ""งูใหญ่-พญานาค-มังกร" รู้จัก 3 สัญลักษณ์ปี "มะโรง"". ประชาชาติธุรกิจ. 5 January 2012. Archived from the original on 1 January 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  21. ^ "การเปลี่ยนวันใหม่ การนับวัน ทางโหราศาสตร์ไทย การเปลี่ยนปีนักษัตร โหราศาสตร์ ดูดวง ทำนายทายทัก". Archived from the original on 2011-01-03.
  22. ^ "dtrif/abv: Name list of Bulgarian hans". theo.inrne.bas.bg. Archived from the original on 2012-02-04. Retrieved 2009-04-15.
  23. ^ Именник на българските ханове – ново тълкуване. М.Москов. С. 1988 г. § 80,70
  24. ^ Grahame, F.R. (1860). The archer and the steppe; or, The empires of Scythia, a history of Russia. p. 258. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  25. ^ Davletshin1, Gamirzan M (2015). "The Calendar and the Time Account of the Turko-Tatars". Journal of Sustainable Development. 8 (5).
  26. ^ Dani, A. H.; Mohen, J.-P. History of HumanityVolume IIFrom the Third Millennium to the Seventh Century B.C. UNESCO. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  27. ^ Rasulid Hexaglot. P. B. Golden, ed., The King’s Dictionary: The Rasūlid Hexaglot – Fourteenth Century Vocabularies in Arabic, Persian, Turkic, Greek, Armenian and Mongol, tr. T. Halasi- Kun, P. B. Golden, L. Ligeti, and E. Schütz, HO VIII/4, Leiden, 2000.
  28. ^ Jan Gyllenbok, Encyclopaedia of Historical Metrology, Weights, and Measures, Volume 1, 2018, p. 244.

Sources[edit]

  • Shelly H. Wu. (2005). Chinese Astrology. Publisher: The Career Press, Inc. ISBN 1-56414-796-7.

External links[edit]

  • "The Year of the Rooster: On Seeing"
  • "The Year of the Rooster, On Eating, Injecting, Imbibing & Speaking"
  • "2016: The Golden Monkey, A Year to Remember"
  • "The Dragon Raises its Head 龍抬頭"
  • "2019 year of the Pig"
  • "From the Year of the Ape to the Year of the Monkey" (on use of Zodiac figures for political criticism)
  • Media related to Chinese zodiac at Wikimedia Commons