Chinese zodiac

Signs

The zodiac traditionally begins with the sign of the Rat. The following are the twelve zodiac signs in order, each with its associated characteristics (Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branch, yin/yang force, Trine, and nature element). The belief that everyone and every animal has a role to play in society conforms to Confucian beliefs in a hierarchical society. Just as Confucian beliefs persist in parts of East and Southeast Asia today alongside more modern social views, so does zodiac use.

In Chinese astrology the animal signs assigned by year represent self-presentation or perception by others. It is a common misconception that the animals assigned by year are the only signs, and many Western descriptions of Chinese astrology only reference this system. There are also animal signs assigned by month (called "inner animals"), by day (called "true animals"), and hours (called "secret animals"). The Earth is all twelve signs, with five seasons.

Michel Ferlus (2013) notes that the Old Chinese names of the earthly branches are of Austroasiatic origin. Some of Ferlus's comparisons are given below, with Old Chinese reconstructions cited from Baxter & Sagart (2014).

• 丑: Old Chinese *[n̥]ruʔ (compare Proto-Viet-Muong *c.luː 'water buffalo')
• 午: Old Chinese *[m].qʰˤaʔ (compare Proto-Viet-Muong *m.ŋəːˀ)
• 亥: Old Chinese *[g]ˤəʔ (compare Northern Proto-Viet-Muong *kuːrˀ)

There is also a lexical correspondence with Austronesian:

• 未: Old Chinese *m[ə]t-s (compare Atayal miːts)

The terms for the earthly branches are attested from Shang dynasty inscriptions and were likely also used before Shang times. Ferlus (2013) suggests that the terms were ancient pre-Shang borrowings from Austroasiatic languages spoken in the Yangtze River region.

Chinese calendar

Years

Within the Four Pillars, the year is the pillar representing information about the person's family background and society or relationship with their grandparents. The person's age can also be easily deduced from their sign, the current sign of the year, and the person's generational disposition (teens, mid-20s, and so on). For example, a person born a Tiger is 12, 24, 36, (etc.) years old in the year of the Tiger (2022); in the year of the Rabbit (2023), that person is one year older.

The following table shows the 60-year cycle matched up to the Gregorian calendar for 1924–2043. The sexagenary cycle begins at lichun about February 4 according to some astrological sources.

Compatibility

As the Chinese zodiac is derived according to the ancient Five Elements Theory, every Chinese sign is associated with 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. A common way to explore zodiac compatibility is with a chart showing how each zodiac sign interacts other signs. For example, constellations that are considered compatible with each other may have similar values and interests, while incompatible constellations may have conflicting personalities and ways of communicating.

Origin stories

Many stories and fables explain the beginning of the zodiac. Since the Han dynasty, the twelve Earthly Branches have been used to record the time of day. However, for entertainment and convenience, they were replaced by the twelve animals, 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, 馬 mǎ (Horse) means noon as well as a period from 11:00 to 13:00.

Great Race

An ancient folktale called "The Great Race" tells of the Jade Emperor's decree 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 for second place.

The third animal to come was the Tiger. Even though it was strong and powerful, it admitted to the Jade Emperor that the currents were pushing it downstream.

Suddenly, a thump sound came from the distance, signaling the arrival of the Rabbit. It explained how it crossed the river: by jumping from one stone to another in a nimble fashion. Halfway through, it thought it might lose the race, but it was lucky enough to grab hold of a floating log that later washed it to shore. For that, it became the fourth animal in the zodiac cycle.

In fifth place was the flying Dragon. The Jade Emperor wondered why a swift, airborne creature such as the Dragon did not come in first place. The Dragon explained that it had to stop by a village and bring 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 in the poor creature's direction 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 of the zodiac.

As soon as the Dragon arrived, there came a galloping sound, and the Horse appeared. Hidden on the Horse's hoof was the Snake, whose sudden appearance gave the Horse 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 river blocking the heavenly gate. The Rooster found a raft, and the Monkey and the Goat tugged and pulled, trying to get all the weeds out of the way. With combined efforts, they managed to arrive to the other side. 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 playing in the river water. Its explanation for being late was that it needed a good bath after a long journey, but it almost did not make it to the finish line.

Right when the Jade 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, making it the last animal to arrive.

The Cat eventually drowned and failed to become part of the zodiac. It is said that this is the reason why cats hate water. It is also the reason for the rivalry between the Cat and Rat, as it was the Rat's callous act to push the Cat into the river.

Variations

Another version of the folktale tells that the Rat deceived the Ox into letting it jump on its back by promising the Ox that it could hear the Rat sing, before jumping off at the finish line and finishing first. Another variant says that the Rat cheated the Cat out its place at the finish line, by hiding on the back of the Dog, who was too focused to notice that he had a stow-away. The Cat tried to attack the rat in retaliation, but hurt the Dog by accident. This is said to account for the antagonistic dynamic between cats and rats, beyond normal predator and prey behavior, and also why dogs and cats fight.

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.

In Buddhist legend Gautama Buddha summoned all animals of the Earth to come before him before his departure from this Earth, but only twelve animals came to bid him farewell. To reward these animals, he named a year after each of them in the order they had arrived.

The twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac were developed in the early stages of Chinese civilization, so therefore it is difficult to investigate its real origins. Most historians agree that the Cat is not included, as cats had not yet been introduced to China from India with the arrival of Buddhism. However until recently, the Vietnamese moved away from their traditional texts and literature and, unlike all other countries who follow the Sino lunar calendar, include the Cat instead of the Rabbit as a zodiac animal. The most common explanation is that cats are worshipped by farmers in East Asia, believing that cats' luck and prosperity protects their crops. Another popular cultural reason is that the ancient word for rabbit (Mao) sounds like cat (Meo).

The 36 Temporal Beasts

A variation of the double-hour system surfaced in the Sui dynasty. A monk by the name of Zhiyi (智顗) compiled a foundational text for the Tiantai School of Buddhism, and called it the Mohe Zhiguan (摩訶止觀, Great Calming and Contemplation). In this text was a system called the Thirty-Six Beasts (三十六獸, Sānshíliù Shòu), also called the Thirty-Six Animals (三十六禽, Sānshíliù Qín) or Thirty-Six Time Beasts (三十六時獸).

The core shifting idea of this text was that each of the twelve earthly branches (the twelve two-hour periods of the day) was associated not with one animal, but with three; consequently, this meant there was a different animal associated with every 40-minute timespan throughout the day. Thus, the number of animals present was changed from 12 to 36 animals. The system was used in Buddhist meditation: these animals were thought to appear during different periods of the day to disturb the practitioner's concentration, and a specific spell (咒, zhòu) was prescribed to subdue them.

The list is organized by the twelve earthly branches and grouped into four sets of nine, each governed by one of the Four Elements (Wood, Fire, Metal, Water; Earth is excluded) and a cardinal direction. Each branch has three animals, corresponding to the morning (旦), midday (晝), and evening (暮) periods. There is no animal corresponding to midnight.

• The table above follows the standard list from the Mohe Zhiguan as recorded in the Fo Guang Dictionary of Buddhism (FGDB), formalized by the Fo Guang Shan. The exact order and identification of some animals vary slightly between sources.
  • For example, the Ming dynasty scholar 張鼎思 (Zhang Dingxi)'s 琅邪代醉编 (Langya Daizui Bian) lists the 子 (Rat) branch including the 燕 (swallow) as the Evening beast, relocating the bat and rat down the line, eliminating the cat; the Ox branch features a 水牛 (water buffalo) and a 兕牛 (rhinoceros); the 亥 (Pig) branch features a 蒿猪 (Porcupine).
  • A Chinese document known as the 放馬灘秦簡 (Fangmatan Bamboo Slips) contain a complete Thirty-Six Beast system that predates the Buddhist Mohe Zhiguan by centuries. It lists the 卯 (Rabbit) branch including a Chicken (雞), the 丑 (Ox) branch including a 旄牛 (Yak), and the 寅 (Tiger) branch including a 豺 (Jackal) instead of the expected Tiger.

Adaptations

The Chinese zodiac signs are also used by cultures other than Chinese. For 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 services issue a "Year of the ____" postage stamp each year to honor this Chinese heritage.

The zodiac is widely used in commercial culture, for example, in the Chinese New Year market, and popular zodiac-related products, such as crafts, toys, books, accessories, and paintings and Chinese lunar coins. The coins depict 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 Asian countries that were under the cultural influence of China. However, some of the animals in the zodiac may differ by country.

Asian

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). Since 1873, the Japanese have celebrated the Japanese New Year on 1 January as per the Gregorian calendar.

The Filipino zodiac includes the Ram/Sheep (tupa) instead of the Goat, for the Filipino-Chinese source of the loanword tupa may refer to any goat-antelope.

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. Sheep and Goat are interchangeable as well. The Cambodian New Year is celebrated in April, rather than in January or February as it is in China and most countries.

The Cham zodiac uses the same order as the Chinese zodiac.

Similarly the Malay zodiac replaces the Rabbit with the mousedeer (pelanduk) and the Pig with the tortoise (kura or kura-kura). The Dragon (Loong) 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). This is also recorded in a 19th-century manuscript compiled by John Leyden.

The Thai zodiac includes a nāga in place of the Dragon 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. Historically, Lan Na (Kingdom around Northern Thailand) also replaces pig with elephant. While modern Thai have returned to pig, its name is still กุน (gu̜n), retaining the actual word for elephant in the zodiac.

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

The Bulgar calendar used from the 2nd century and that has been only partially reconstructed uses a similar sixty-year cycle of twelve animal-named years groups.

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

The Tibetan calendar replaces the Rooster with the bird.

The Volga Bulgars, Kazars and other Turkic peoples replaced some animals by local fauna: Leopard (instead of Tiger), Fish or Crocodile (instead of Dragon/Loong), Elephant (instead of Pig).

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 aquatic 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 Loong for the Whale in the Persian variant and Cat instead of Rabbit and Bird instead of Rooster.

In the traditional Kazakh version of the twelve-year animal cycle (Kazakh: мүшел, müşel), the Dragon is replaced by a snail (Kazakh: ұлу, ulw), and the Tiger appears as a leopard (Kazakh: барыс, barıs). Cat instead of Rabbit. Deer instead of Pig.

In the Kyrgyz version of the Chinese zodiac (Kyrgyz: мүчөл, müçöl) the words for the Dragon (Kyrgyz: улуу, uluu), Monkey (Kyrgyz: мечин, meçin) and Tiger (Kyrgyz: барс, bars) are only found in Chinese zodiac names, other animal names include Cow, Rabbit, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Chicken, Dog and Wild boar.

In the Turkish version of zodiac, the animals are almost the same, but it replaces Tiger with Leopard (Pars), Dragon with Fish (Balık) and Goat with Sheep (Koyun). Cat instead of Rabbit and Bird instead of Rooster. Remarkably, the practise of zodiac persisted since the Ottoman Empire, including the presence of Pig (Domuz) despite contradicting Islamic rule.

English translation

Due to confusion with synonyms during translation, some of the animals depicted by the English words did not exist in ancient China. 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 卯 Rabbit can be translated as Hare, as 卯 (and 兔) do not distinguish between the two genera of leporids. As hares are native to China and most of Asia and rabbits are not, this would be more accurate. However, in colloquial English Rabbit can encompass hares as well.
• The term 蛇 Snake can be translated as Serpent, which refers to a large species of snake and has the same behavior, although this term is rarely used.
• The term 羊 Goat can be translated interchangeably with other terms related to Sheep (male Ram, female Ewe). However, Goat is the most commonly used one among all the synonyms.
• The term 雞 Rooster can be translated interchangeably with Chicken, as well as the female Hen. However, Rooster is the most commonly used one among all the synonyms in English-speaking countries.