It is not unusual for Chinese people who are getting on in years to forget their age and exact year of their birth, but there are none who forget what birth sign they are. Lu Li-cheng, head of research at the Museum of Prehistory remarks that whenever he is drawing up a questionnaire targeted at the old, he is certain to include a question about the respondent's birth sign, because "it is something you don't get wrong. If an old person is unsure of their own age, we can work it out in a moment from the birth sign."
The same applies to kindergarten children. Many parents like to hang a little gold locket around their child's neck, with the birth sign pictured on one side and a lucky phrase such as "long life and prosperity" on the other, to protect the child's safety.
Much of tradition has been lost to today's young generation, but not the Chinese zodiac, and there are many who positively identify themselves with their own birth sign. Li Mao-hsien, secretary of the Chinese Folk Arts Foundation, describes how friends of his born in the year of the ox do not eat beef, and those born "sheep" refuse lamb, "because they believe that they are reincarnations of oxen and sheep." Sam Chen manager of Aucera Technology Co. chuckles that his being born a "monkey" explains his great liking for bananas. A Mrs. Chang, meanwhile, says that her daughter, born during the year of the horse, "is impossible to keep at home, and runs about like a horse that's broken her tether." As for those born "pigs," the first impression most people have is that they love sleeping!
Animals Racing for Position: Birth signs have played a big part in Chinese people's lives for thousands of years. Some people have utter faith in the signs, some simply use them to joke about themselves, and others may totally misunderstand them. But the original use of the zodiac was to record the years.
The earliest extant record of the Chinese zodiac appears in the Lun-heng by Wang Ch'ung of the Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD). It describes the following correlation between the twelve earthly branches, twelve zodiac animals and five elements: "Yin is wood, its creature is tiger. Hsu is earth, its creature is dog. Chou and Wei are also earth, Chou's creature is ox . . . "
Lu Li-cheng believes that "the Chinese zodiac is a kind of memory method. The twelve animal signs represented the years just as even earlier, the points of the compass were represented by the green dragon, white tiger, rosefinch and hsuan-wu that divided up the night sky."
A popular story recounts how the twelve animals came to be in the order that we know them. The Jade Emperor was looking for twelve creatures to match the twelve earthly branches, so he decided to hold a race in which the first twelve would be chosen in the order in which they came in.The course of the race crossed a river, and although the cat and the rat were not good swimmers they were lucky to meet the water buffalo at the river bank, and begged him to carry them across. The water buffalo agreed and took them up onto his back. Half way across the rat caught the cat unawares and pushed him into the water, then when the buffalo neared the bank he jumped ahead onto the shore and raced away to claim first place. The water buffalo was second, and then came the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the sheep, the monkey, the chicken, the dog and the pig. Because of the rat's trick the unlucky cat did not even make the list--which is supposed to explain the enmity between cats and rats to this day.
Zodiac Animals Are Not Exclusive to China: The combination of zodiac signs with birth dates is seen as early as the era of the Southern and Northern dynasties (420-589 AD). The mother of Yu Wen-hu wrote the following to him in a letter: "You and your brothers were born to me in Wu-ch'uan Town. The eldest has the sign of the rat, the second has the sign of the rabbit, and you have the sign of the snake."
The long history of the Chinese zodiac can be seen in the ancient artifacts connected with the twelve animals that have been dug from the ground. Pottery figurines made for burial with the dead during the T'ang dynasty, for example, and bronze mirrors with the twelve signs engraved on them. Their appeal is as strong as ever nowadays, with their images appearing on New Year's illustrations and cards, stamps and so on. Last year in Taiwan a chain of fast food restaurants produced a calendar with the animals in cartoon form as a selling point to little children. Also the ROC Women's Orchid Arts Society has designed chopstick rests featuring the twelve signs, and intends to produce them in volume.
Zodiac animals are not the exclusive property of the Chinese, however. Juan Chang-jui, head of the Anthropology Section at the Provincial Museum, explains: "The Chinese zodiac animals are a kind of totem, and also a kind of year god. Ancient Egypt, Babylon and Africa also had similar systems of twelve zodiac animals."
The types of animal totem are not identical though. As described in research by the late Tu Erh-wei, anthropology professor at National Taiwan University, the ancient Egyptian system was led by the cat, while the Babylonian signs for Aries, Taurus, Scorpio etc. became matched with the Western system of constellations. The Tsaudyo tribe in Africa though have a system identical to the Chinese one, apart from having a crocodile in the place of the Chinese dragon (see table).
Differing Explanations for Origin of the Zodiac: Is this a case of "great minds thinking alike" among different peoples, or was it that the zodiac originated in one place then spread from there?
Each case has its supporters. Proponents of the idea that the zodiac spread from one source believe that the earliest appearance of the twelve animal signs was in Egypt. From there it spread eastwards, being adapted to match the animals native to each region. Says Ruan Chang-jui: "It seems there was development from an ancient source."
Lu Li-cheng on the other hand believes: "Ancient calendars were all measured against natural phenomena such as lunar phases and the rising and setting of the sun. Since these phenomena are the same all over the world, the calendars drawn up on the basis of them are naturally also very similar. Every year for example there are twelve full moons, so twelve makes a cycle, while the use of animals as representative signs is a very reasonable and likely development."
There is a case to be made for each side, because the ancient records are not clear and their meaning is open to dispute. But regardless of whether the zodiac originated in China or not, it is a clear fact that for thousands of years the Chinese have incorporated the zodiac along with the five elements, fortune-telling and so on, into a web of customs and human philosophy, with a profound influence on their way of life. In Taiwan there is no shortage of folk ditties that have been handed down to the present day, with the twelve zodiac signs as their subject, like the one that goes: "First the rat, a little thief; second the ox, hauling the plough; third the tiger, climbing the mountains; fourth the rabbit, roaming to Tokyo; fifth the dragon, with the destiny of an emperor; sixth the snake, giving people a shock; seventh the horse, galloping to barracks; eighth the sheep, eating on grassy knolls; ninth the monkey, climbing to the treetops; tenth the chicken, crowing reveille; eleventh the dog, barking at the paramour; twelfth the pig, destined for the chopper."
In addition, wherever there are Chinese people the custom of birth signs is handed on. Whether it be in the US, in Burma or in Malaysia, the practice of Chinese birth signs is passed from generation to generation. In the minds of many foreigners it has become the trademark of the Chinese. During the 1980s there was an American film set in Chinatown, called Year of the Dragon. When the year of the dragon actually begins, even the US president issues a New Year's greeting to the ethnic Chinese of that country. Foreigners arriving in Taiwan can learn their Chinese birth sign like everyone else as they enter the country. Phil Newell, an American in Taiwan to study Chinese, sheepishly answers a friend's question about his birth sign, saying: "Mine is the really unappealing one--the pig!" The Chinese zodiac is also used in Japan and Korea, which were influenced in the past by China. But as one Japanese explains: "The older generation in Japan still know about them, but the young do not pay much attention to birth signs. Boys especially rarely mention it, and girls tend to be more interested in the Western star signs."
Trouble in Store With Jupiter Overhead: In fact for the Chinese, birth signs are not just a way of measuring age, but are something inseparable from human destiny and fortune. Ceremonial occasions such as weddings, funerals, celebrations, beginning a big job, starting the ploughing and so on, all require a flick through the lunar almanac to choose the right date and time, and check which zodiac signs the time clashes with. People with those birth signs will have to stay away in order to avoid bringing bad luck into the proceedings. Of the twelve signs, the one which is most often taboo is the tiger. Lin Mao-hsien describes how during the wedding ceremony in ancient times, people born in the year of the tiger were not allowed to assist in preparing the bride's trousseau, and had to keep away during "boarding the sedan" and "entering the house," to avoid startling off celebrant spirits. "Tigers" were generally unwelcomat weddings, funerals, celebrations and similar occasions. Even nowadays, people prefer not to invite those whose birth sign is the tiger to act as bridesmaid at a wedding.
The twelve birth signs also have application in the art of fortune-telling. Those born in Tzu years have the sign of the rat: they are honest, do not have a wasteful nature, and become rich through practicing economy . . . ; Those born in Chou years have the sign of the ox: they appear carefree but are irascible at heart, and are not satisfied amongst friends and family . . . ; The agricultural calendar which comes out every year tells what luck lies ahead for each birth sign during that year. For instance, this year "monkey" can expect "celebrations and promotion, with the propitious star of marriage in the ascendant." But what of the "sheep" during this, the year of the sheep? "Jupiter is dominant, there is trouble in store . . . " which means they should make offerings to Jupiter at the right time and day if they are to avoid misfortune.
When Dragon and Tiger Fight it Out, Someone's Life Gets Shortened: Beyond measuring the years, choosing dates and doing simple fortune-telling, the most common use to which the Chinese put their zodiac signs is in matching marriage partners.
Fortune tellers long ago deemed which signs went well together in marriage, and which not. A "snake" should avoid marrying a "tiger," "monkey" or "pig," and should ideally find an "ox" or "chicken" to wed, or one of the remaining signs if necessary. Lu Li-cheng says: "This is judged on the basis of mutual promotion and counteraction among the five elements: where the elements are well matched, it is highly propitious for marriage; where not, it is portentous."
There are many jocular expressions about marriage matches between the signs. A "sheep" does not go well with a "tiger" for instance, unless they want to see "a sheep in the tiger's mouth." A "chicken" with a "dog" invariably suggests "no peace between chicken and dog." Other sayings include: "two sheep, short lives," and "when dragon and tiger fight it out, someone's life gets shortened."
Such sayings may seem unfounded in this day and age, but in the past people always considered family status first and the "eight characters" (giving precise time and date of birth, including the birth sign) second, in matrimonial matters. Suitable marriage partners would be considered and ranked by the parents, and the young person's destiny would eventually be settled on in this way. In the modern world it is hard enough for people to find a mate they can love, let alone making allowance for various old taboos, so birth signs have long since lost their importance in making marriage matches.
Some traditional belief does still persist however, such as the preference for the sign of the dragon. The dragon used to symbolize the emperor's authority, representative of wealth and respect. Even these days when the year of the dragon comes around, the hitherto declining birth rate suddenly picks up. The birth rate in Taiwan in 1975 was 22.98 births per thousand of the population. The following year (a dragon year) the figure leapt to 25.93 per thousand, and then dropped again to 23.76 in 1977. The phenomenon was repeated when dragon year came around again in 1988.
As a result, "dragon children" feel the competitive crush of population pressure more than most. From kindergarten onwards their classes are more crowded than for other years, and the national college entrance exams are even harder to succeed in than usual. This year the young dragon generation was examining for entrance to senior high school, and the number of examination candidates for admission to public senior highs in the Taipei area was up 10% on last year. There are consequently more who fail at the first attempt and must sit for re-examination, and so the misfortune gets passed on to the children of the year of the snake that follows.
Every Year a Good Year: Although the twelve birth sign animals have different degrees of popularity, the surrounding taboos and superstitions are slowly breaking down. Yet when each year comes around the Chinese still greet the new incumbent for its auspicious features, while seeing out the old and welcoming in the new. The rat for example symbolizes reproduction; the ox indicates good fortune; the pig means wealth; the sheep represents a good omen . . . .
The year of the sheep . . . the year of the pig . . . in fact it is all the same to the Chinese, so long as every year is a good year!
[Picture Caption]
A set of zodiac animals made from glass, which are so appealing that you have to reach out and touch them.
The twelve zodiac animals are matched with the five elements and the eight trigrams for fortune-telling, with a long history in China.
People born in the year of the rabbit are said to be gentle-natured, straightforward and diplomatic. They are easily liked by their seniors and peers.
Generals painted in the form of the twelve zodiac animals, on the doors to Chao Tien Temple in Peikang. They repel demons.
A marvellous papercut combining the twelve zodiac animals with the twelve earthly branches. (photo by Pu Hua-chih)
Have you ever seen a dragon made from watermelon, banana, pineapple, ginger, kidney beans etc.? This was displayed at a temple ceremony in Tachia, in 1989. (photo by Arthur Cheng)
Zodiac animals shaped from dough drew a lot of attention at the 1991 ROC Food Exhibition.
In ancient China there was a custom for modelling the twelve zodiac animals in human form. The picture shows one, the "ox" god.
The twelve zodiac animals are matched with the five elements and the eight trigrams for fortune-telling, with a long history in China.
People born in the year of the rabbit are said to be gentle-natured, straightforward and diplomatic. They are easily liked by their seniors and peers.
Generals painted in the form of the twelve zodiac animals, on the doors to Chao Tien Temple in Peikang. They repel demons.
A marvellous papercut combining the twelve zodiac animals with the twelve earthly branches. （photo by Pu Hua-chih）
Have you ever seen a dragon made from watermelon, banana, pineapple, ginger, kidney beans etc.? This was displayed at a temple ceremony in Tachia, in 1989. （photo by Arthur Cheng）
Zodiac animals shaped from dough drew a lot of attention at the 1991 ROC Food Exhibition.
In ancient China there was a custom for modelling the twelve zodiac animals in human form. The picture shows one, the "ox" god.
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