Why did you choose this twelve animals

Animals and birds, reptiles fish...How many are all animals, why old ancestors must select the twelve animals (and let's put the dragon as a kind of animal)?Why are they sort of like this?

These troubling problem of human is far from going to have some spare no effort to try to answer them since ancient times, and all sorts of problem also.About this problem, the legend of folk wisdom of such a story:

In ancient times, the jade emperor found that people had no concept of time, do not know the change of seasons also didn't know the age.So he is absolutely to the human know the method of time.Too white Venus recruit twelve animals to heaven, let them as animal sign and as guides, deserve to go up the existing ten time air-dried to a year.

The jade emperor sent the bird to notice this message.The cat and theThe mouseTo discuss or friends, they go together.Cat let the mouse go to call on it, but when the mouse called it, the cat is sleeping, how to call also called don't wake up, so the mouse walked first.Then the mouse saw the cow, then climb onto the ox horn and ox travel together.Come to heaven, the mice play a beloved, suddenly jumped out from the ox horn, won the first place, so it was ranked the first, cattle in the second, and then followed by tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, chicken, dog, pig, in turn, to heaven.Kitten before sleeping, can't become the animal sign, bears a grudge against mice and thenceforth, then became a permanent enemies.

The legend story, far more than the scientific explanation to these questions, of course not.However, it is really reflects the people want toChinese zodiacExplain the desire.

To this question research, its relative scientific answers to several versions.Listed in this excerpt, liberally with meaning.

With time explain the Chinese zodiac

Qing dynasty Liu Xian "guang Yang descriptions lead Li Changqing" pine xia guan verbosity "exposition in this Monday, 12 mainly from ancient days and nights of Angle explanation and shaw beast relation.He thinks -

At the beginning of the heaven and earth, a piece of chaos, to consume the chaos, the gas can be wide open.Nearly midnight when the rat, insect, xi and activities, as will the chaotic state after bite out of the gap between heaven and earth, open to sub "day" shall be attributed to the rat, so the childBelong to the rat。

Days after opening, and then is the monarch.Cattle farming, the thing is the monarch, "monarch in ugly, so uglyBelong to cow。

YinShi is born of the hour.Life and death, kill people beast than a tiger;At the same time, the Yin and awe of righteousness, for people, the most afraid of is the tiger.Of course, YinA tiger.

An image of bases for the sunrise.MaoShi early in the morning, the sun is supposed to be away from the hexagrams, like fire, is three, which contains Yin hexagram, fine for the lunar moon moon.So, everyThe rabbit。

Are the march Numbers, it comes as pawns the rain season.Chen also just naturally belong to the dragon.

Third, the Numbers in April.On the occasion of spring grass luxuriant, it is a day of snake, is like fish to water.SiShi, moreover, for the morning, at that time the snake has to hole, therefore, the thirdA snake。

Afternoon, at noon, the sun be the spirit to height, to the extreme, Yin qi has been initiation.This animal, run run, hooves, suspension, but from time to time step.Fly to shenyang, tread to Yin, horse jump between Yin and Yang, so become the sixth mutually.

Not, in the afternoon to eat grass as the best time, easy to become fat, this is to be at the seventh hour, did notBelong to the sheep。

After not welcomed ShenShi is nearly xishan apes crow's hour.His arms and, at the same time, the monkeys like to jump.So the monkey ".

At the time of unitary for the moon.The moon belongs to the water, should be the kangua.The Yin hexagram it up and down, and in the middle of the Yang hexagram represents the essence of the sun the sun.Therefore, the unitaryrooster。

Night falls, it is for QuShi.Dog is a vigil of livestock, also with the knot "dog".

Then HaiShi that between heaven and earth and into a state of chaos.As HaiShi night black fruit wrapping stone covered everything in the world.Pigs are only know eat chaotic creatures, therefore, pigs became hai mutually.

With 12 hour explain twelve shaw's attachment, gear that is congenital deficiency of regret, because of the twelve earthly branches and zodiac initially used to JiRi, calendar, tag the hour is later used to expand the scope of the results.Some explanations of pine xia guan wordiness, personally, I think a bit too far-fetched.

According to the life of animals

In the Ming dynasty scholar LangYing "gan next" is put forward, therefore, when the number of digits of Yin and Yang.Rat before four claws, even as the Yin, after five claws, odd for Yang.The second half of last night when the first half of the divided into Yin, divided into today's Yang, just use mouse to symbol.Four claws on cattle, sheep, pig, chicken, coupled with the lack of lip and four claws, rabbit snake tongue points, six people all should co-authored even, belong to Yin, six earthly branches.Five tiger claw dragon five claws, monkeys, dogs and five claws, round, regardless of water chestnuts, all are odd, belong to the rat of Yang even belong to Yang, six other earthly branches.This kind of classification method, not by LangYing initiative.

The inhibition and further to bring in the qing dynasty Song Daihong xun recoil Li valley is written: "son, Yin,, afternoon, shen, defensibly Yang, so they are odd to think of the name, the rat, the tiger, dragon five fingers, monkey, a dog, and horse single stumbles.Ugly, sockets, and the third, no, unitary, hai Yin, so they are belong to even think of the name, cattle, sheep, chickens, pigs are four claws, rabbit PAWS, two snake tongue also."

Two phase contrast, known poets in works of this period of words, should be LangYing exposition, both the same.

Feet are like other animals, however, just as the Chinese zodiac animals, why just the eleven animals and dragon?LangYing put forward his own opinions.

Until is the house in the evening at eleven o 'clock.As cathode and symbol of the latent hidden and match it with mouse, because the characteristics of the rat is hidden, and mice are the most active at this time.

Point to three o 'clock in the morning, it is ChouShi.Ugly belong to Yin, let a person think of bow and mercy.Cows have the champ, therefore to uglier.

, from three to five is YinShi.Yin for SAN Yang, Yang excessiveness is critical to match Yin a tiger, because its for beast, sexual violence, the most fierce.

At 7 o 'clock to five o 'clock, for MaoShi.Sockets, born the sun east bases and the west of the unitary chicken, including the moon that western unitary dongmao rabbit, month for Yin, day of Yang, is sympathetic, Yin and Yang so bases and unitary is the portal of the sun and the moon.Females lick the male rabbit rabbit fur can be pregnant, this is an example of a feeling and not pay.Therefore, bases the rabbit.At this time the sun also rises, the moon in the sky, the moon dao medicine is busy at this time.

Seven o 'clock in the morning until nine o 'clock, to have.Chen, said rising sun be the spirit and action, and it is filled with the dragon, this is the very good times, the dragon line rain Chen is a dragon.

Nine to eleven o 'clock for SiShi.Has also said that Yang and action, the less exuberant state to snake like of, so the third for snakes.

This morning at eleven o 'clock in the afternoon, for noon.As of noon, the sun be the spirit, as anode, with horse matchs noon, because the horse gallop and vigorous, it is powerful and unconstrained style, can represent the meaning of the anode.

Point to three o 'clock in the afternoon, it is at the seventh hour.Not for Yin to match not sheep, the sheep of the image "how" lifted up and grasp the ritual, and knelt milk habit.

Three and five o 'clock in the afternoon for ShenShi."For the three Yin, Yin sheng, educate to buy" a monkey, because the monkey educate, and the monkeys alive.

At 7 o 'clock to five o 'clock, for YouShi.Private gate of unitary with sockets for the sun the moon.Day dongmao and west of the unitary chicken, and YouShi nightfall, chicken began to nest, so unitary with chicken.

Seven to nine in the evening, for QuShi.Xu-gou, Yin convergence and latent silence, dog night, is to keep thing in the world, start a vigil, therefore, xu-gou.

Nine to eleven o 'clock in the evening, for HaiShi.Hai for pigs.Because hai with the same of the master Yin also gathered latent silence, only hold pigs calm at this moment when all is silent, the pig is snoring sleep, just the relatedness.

LangYing theoretical starting point, is the "twelve solid belong to Yin and Yang, all in a see on".He looked at the Chinese zodiac animal behavior characteristics, it may be more reasonable.Because, the human to know things, often first from the macroscopic grasp of the overall impression, after over time and increased knowledge, then can be detailed local and details, and then give these things give certain imagery and symbolism.

Totem said

The early nineteenth century at the end of the eighteenth century, when industrial civilization is becoming more and more widely affect the social and cultural life in North America, in 1791, was discovered by a British scholar in Indian tribe totem worship, their travels to account of Indian life the first to write down the name "totem".This is living the remains of ancient culture, to be precise, should be called "legacy".Since then, scholars in Oceania and east Indian and African natives, are discovered the totem worship.More than 200 years of research results show that the totem worship is the process of human cultural development is bound to experience.

Later, scholars in the qing dynasty yan fu will "totem" (totem) is introduced into China in the English vocabulary.In his book society through interpretation of translation, for the first time the word "totem" translated into "totem", and has been in use today.Totem is the hallmark of the group to group, is the primitive superstition certain animals or natural objects and the clan related, and used to make this clan envisage or logo.

About Chinese zodiac and the relationship between the original totem worship, in the early 1980 s, scientific workers to tour a yi region, recorded some valuable materials.Live in the cloud, your daliang mountains, sichuan three provinces at the junction of sichuan yi retained the rich and the historical origin of astronomical knowledge, these knowledge and yi's mythology, folklore and even the stars of superstition, twisted, seeping into the local People's Daily life.Twelve of local yi xiao beast of basically the same with the han nationality, but can give him a associated with totem worship explanation, basis is the yi folk and popular.Local JiRi with animal of twelve, the day is the rat, cattle day tomorrow;Catch a tiger tiger, street (mart), herding pigs pig day street.Some of yi's clan, named after the Chinese zodiac.Twelve animal temple built in some places, annual ritual activities, in a solemn silence atmosphere. God beast dancing.

These folk customs, gray, as the Chinese zodiac culture research provided the material.And mention the twelve animal dancing, we have to mention the influential nuo dance.Nuo dance, dance originated from primitive totem.Nuo dance party's, the leading role in the masked with four glittering eyes, terrible terrible.This mask has in yinxu.xinxian gused tomb unearthed, is as the shang dynasty nuo dance physical material.Dance neolithic pottery unearthed in qinghai basin, depicts the totem dance scene.

QuNuo customs of the Chinese zodiac (12), dunhuang relics of tang dynasty, hu ci into the night to write clearly.Hu word into the night, "reflected the tang dynasty in dunhuang folk known as" into "hu QuNuo customs.Northern song dynasty Yang Yanling "Yang Gong record" said: "li zhan good blow Qiu, night, from chasing after the fox, who play night fox, so the common refer due to the close of the year QuNuo fox 'to' play night."

Into the night word hu wrote: "more 12 genus, and also for XiongJi."Twelve Chinese zodiac is.Read into the night hu word ", the tang dynasty in dunhuang people a year-end QuNuo activity, is still filled with religious fervour.Quartet of ghosts, capture of a "no", 12 genera represents the location, time sense, also put in QuNuo luck out of use.

XiongJi "more 12 genus, as well as solution", as it is written in hanshu QuNuo activities in "twelve animal wool Angle", "twelve gods after evil, it is in line.Both common source, is the original totem worship.

QuNuo dance why selected twelve beast, it is worth attention.Play the part of the beast and dancers performing image is not all about, at least it because they want to represent a ghost of the gods.Probably is that the original state of the pick up number "12" totem dance, have a certain origin relationship with Chinese zodiac.Change the point of view, the nuo ceremony of twelve animals, twelve gods, is to look after twelve months a year, in order to yueyue peace;At least, is for the expulsion of ghosts, used for care of twelve bearing.However, the two coordinate, cannot leave the child ugly Yin bases, also with the Chinese zodiac hang hooks.

Distributed in sichuan and gansu provinces junction, nanping county, wenxian county bureau of pingwu county area of white people (also called baima Tibetan), keep the dance with customs.Twelve phase mask dance, pattern in Chinese zodiac.The folk literature quarterly 1990 1) overview of the mask culture said:"

Mask dance, "" 12 phase due to the different tribes, a slight difference, but it is more common, all kinds of animals are basically the same as the Chinese zodiac, sometimes with geese, peacocks, lions, elephants, instead of rats, rabbits and so on, which is associated with influenced by Buddhism.Dance with the purpose of the same as the cao cover, is nothing more than to rid evil nagy.

White man's spirits exorcism dance can be divided into "cao cover" and "with" two kinds, both for the totem dance legacy.With dance, the original is dancing with twelve zodiac animal masks.The folk material, is to explain Chinese zodiac's relationship with totem.

Bodhisattva row of Chinese zodiac

About how to choose twelve Chinese zodiac animals, this is a can inspire the imagination of the topic.The legend, there was a story with buddhist bodhisattva momentum to related.Trend is amitabha right waiter, amitabha, right waiter between, left side waiter goddess of mercy, called the "three MiTuo saint" of Buddhism.

Story, the Buddha Buddha choose twelve animals as a dozen guards of the road to heaven, take turns on duty on a yearly basis.Trend to bodhisattva will be twelve animals assembled together, give them ranked, meet please tathagata for lessons.Cat for martial arts teacher, beasts in the chief.Wait, due to can not contain any shit, cat went to find quiet place to go to the lavatory.Just at that moment, the tathagata landing, he found that the twelve animals but the lack of a cat.Mouse is over the cat look lively, opportunity that the cat would not acted as the road of the kingdom of heaven.Buddha-to-be gave mice to replace the position of the cat.A word spoken, hence a foregone conclusion.Natural bears a grudge against mice, the cat, always bear grudges, generation to catch mice.

This is a legend story although there is no clear exactly what are the twelve animals, but it is easy to see that one of the implied information, namely, linked to the Chinese zodiac, twelve animals are selected and the order is decided by the buddhist bodhisattva.

However, on the other, one of India's ancient legend, the accurate the twelve animals are pointed out.

India's Chinese zodiac, there are material, said the lion without tiger, golden wings bird without chicken.Look from some buddhist classics, there are chicken in the Chinese zodiac, only is a lion instead of a tiger.Twelve god of ancient Indian legend will, each control an animal for horses, twelve Chinese zodiac animal right, this is another kind of explanation.The belonging of the twelve animals is: mouse, recruit duro will god;The cow, which the jie ROM to god;Lion: palace which the ROM to god;Rabbit, cut to fold to god;Dragon, fan qi luo to god;Snake, Ann bottom to god;Horse, AnMi will god;Sheep, sandy bottom to god;Monkey, because of god;Golden wings bird, wave reduced ROM to god;Dog, tiger, will god;Pig, true of god.

In fact, is not only a legend story, we can see in the buddhist scriptures and the common narrative or recorded.

Buddhist classic "born twelve conditioned auspicious sutra and the county, save the accounts of the Chinese zodiac.Its contents with religious preaching.The rally after the roll of twenty three narrative about Chinese zodiac, we represented a grand and magnificent Chinese zodiac picture: yan float, as south Shan chau, buddhist scriptures say one of the four continents.At figures floating state.Four sides ofThe sea, each have the mountain treasure in the sea, the south China sea as the glass mountain, named tide.The mountain "the color" wat, there lived a viper in it;"No death" wat, lives a horse;"Good living" wat, lives a sheep.The three kinds of animals, live in separate caves of their kind.The glass mountain, named "no win" god and Russian woman named "pu", each have about five hundred around his household, to support the south three god beast, snake, horse, sheep.

"The county through" then in the same narrative, in turn, west, north, east of the sea, mountain and the other nine god beast, are talking about sea wat name of zhongshan, in the mountains, etc.For the longitudinal range of description, to "yojana" as the unit, it is a unit of length in ancient India, the schedule for a yojana line 1.Sifang sea four mountains are high ten yojana, four mountains. Wat is also true "wide longitudinal compete" - are wide longitudinal a yojana, high six yojana, is imagined as a spacious space.And, especially for the twelve wat to indicate "where is bodhisattva".To be simple and clear, will now "the county through the" twelve zodiac orientation, habitat summarized as follows:

Tide, the south China sea glass mountain, the mountain name on it: a variety of color wat - snakes, die den - horse, good live wat - sheep;

West sea glass mountain, its on: coloring wat - macaques, vows wat - chicken, method of bed wat - dog;

Beihai silver, a bodhisattva mountain, on it: king kong wat - pigs, merit incense wat - mouse, high qualities wat - bull:

Merits, jinshan east China sea, the mountain name on it: star wat - lion, net wat - rabbit, joy wat - dragon.

It is not hard to see the rally after the orientation distribution of the Chinese zodiac, twelve birthday with China is the same.This a group of Chinese zodiac, is also a beginning for rats.They are said to be on duty by turns god beast, and over all the day and night to ask floating state.The day of the duty of the rat, "expressed to educate all rat body living beings, away from the bad karma, advised to take good".Have turned to the cow, lion, etc., are doing their job.The ideal of "the county through" to promote Buddhism, wrote: "this soil has much merits, and even the animal also to indoctrination speech great bodhisattva way.Is so, all other bodhisattva ever should respect the Buddha world."

The inhibition and further to talk about in the qing dynasty buddhist scriptures in the Chinese zodiac, also noted that "bodhisattva" of religious content.

In ancient times, there are 36 beast say, on the basis of the Chinese zodiac of extension.In the folk have to paraphrase: such as notes of the clear barnyard grass kind puts it, "home at 12 36 poultry distribution, namely the zodiac also.Divination is in poultry method ".36 poultry is 36 beast.Buddhist scriptures on about 36 account of beast, it is manned "buddhist big dictionary".

The combination of 36 beast, is based on Chinese zodiac framework, extension and into work.Yin for everthing, leopard, tiger, noon to deer, horses, roe, as well as the "three beast, the beast and so on, is to take the similar ACTS as the animal.Dragon spirit, dumpling, fish is the water content, belong to the same birth.Those three things, is with the birds.Cats, rats, pipistrelle bats come son, is also quite interesting.As for 36 beast with "east square", "south fire", "western", the corresponding relation of "water" in the north, and from the twelve earthly branches and the Chinese zodiac.

Zodiac scheduled seating, with a lot of culture origin, his form is not certain, but gradually formed in the long human history and eventually.One of the factors, there is inevitable, also have a chance.Which an explanation as to believe that, as a scholar in the us, it is "the radish cabbage, some love".

Due to the history of the Chinese zodiac precipitate deep, deep into People's Daily life, many cultures in our country, such as the folk culture, language, literature and culture, and so on, and she has a deep origin.