The Story Behind the Chinese Zodiac

The Jade Chinese Zodiac Bracelet

From left to right: Snake, Dog, Tiger, Rooster, Dragon, Ox, Monkey

Clockwise: Rabbit, Sheep (goat or ram), Rat, Pig, Horse

Hello, friends! I would like to feature the interesting and well-known stories behind the Chinese Zodiac and how each year is named after the twelve animals. All the animals are featured in a jade bracelet.

 The 12 Zodiac animal signs (生肖 shengxiao) are, in order, the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep (ram or goat), monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. There are many legends to explain the beginning of the zodiac. One of the most popular reads, in summarized form, as follows:

The rat was given the task of inviting the animals to report to the Jade Emperor for a banquet to be selected for the zodiac signs. The cat was a good friend of the rat, but the rat tricked him into believing that the banquet was the next day. The cat slept through the banquet, thinking that it was the next day. When he found out, the cat vowed to be the rat’s natural enemy for ages to come.

Interestingly, the cat does make it into the Vietnamese Zodiac, in place of the rabbit (see below).

Another popular legend has it that a race was used to decide the animals to report to the Jade Emperor.

The cat and the rat were the worst swimmers in the animal kingdom. Although bad swimmers, they were both 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 a naïve and good-natured animal, agreed to carry them across. However, overcome with a fierce competitiveness, the rat decided that in order to win, it must do something and promptly pushed the cat into the river. Because of this, the cat has never forgiven the rat, and hates the water as well. After the ox had crossed the river, the rat jumped ahead and reached the shore first, and it claimed first place in the competition.

Following closely behind was the strong ox, and it was named the 2nd animal in the zodiac. After the ox, came the tiger, panting, while explaining to the Emperor just how difficult it was to cross the river with the heavy currents pushing it downstream all the time. But with powerful strength, it made to shore and was named the 3rd animal in the cycle.

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 the rabbit was lucky enough to grab hold of a floating log that later washed him to shore. For that, it became the 4th animal in the zodiac cycle. Coming in 5th place was the dragon, flying and belching fire into the air. Of course, the Emperor was deeply curious as to why a strong and flying creature such as the dragon should fail to reach first. The mighty dragon explained that he had to stop and make rain to help all the people and creatures of the earth, and therefore he was held back a little. Then, on his way to the finish line, he saw a little helpless rabbit clinging on to a log so he did a good deed and gave a puff of breath to the poor creature so that it could land on the shore. The Emperor was very pleased with the actions of the dragon, and he was added into the zodiac cycle. As soon as he had done so, a galloping sound was heard, and the horse appeared. Hidden on the horse’s hoof is the snake, whose sudden appearance gave the horse a fright, thus making it fall back and gave the snake 6th spot while the horse took the 7th.

Not long after that, a little distance away, the ram, monkey and rooster came to the shore. These three creatures helped each other to get to where they are. The rooster spotted a raft, and took the other two animals with it. Together, the ram and the monkey cleared the weeds, tugged and pulled and finally got the raft to the shore. Because of their combined efforts, the Emperor was very pleased and promptly named the ram as the 8th creature, the monkey as the 9th, and the rooster the 10th.

The 11th animal is the dog. His explanation for being late—although he was supposed to be the best swimmer amongst the rest—was that he needed a good bath after a long spell, and the fresh water from the river was too big a temptation. For that, he almost didn’t make it to finish line. Just as the Emperor was about to call it a day, an oink and squeal was heard from a little pig. The pig got hungry during the race, promptly stopped for a feast and then fell asleep. After the nap, the pig continued the race and was named the 12th and last animal of the zodiac cycle. The cat finished too late (thirteenth) to win any place in the calendar, and vowed to be the enemy of the rat forevermore.

In Buddhism, legend has it that Buddha summoned all of the animals of the earth to come before him before his departure from this earth, but only twelve 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.

This jade bracelet is now more meaningful and unique as you can enthrall your friends with the intriguing and mesmerising stories behind it.

The Jade Chinese Zodiac bracelet is available at:

http://www.tmour.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=45_49&products_id=338

 

Taken from www.wikipedia.org

Lucky Charmer Scampers In

By ANDREW SIA

Taken from www.thestar.com.my

Around this time every year, a certain animal zodiac sign gets the spotlight. This year is no different: Ladies and gentlemen, we present the Rat.

THE cunning rat, as folklore tells it, made it to become the first animal of the Chinese horoscope by piggy backing on another animal’s efforts.

What happened was the legendary Jade Emperor invited 12 animals to participate in a race across a river to determine their positions on the Chinese calendar.

A Filipino kissing his pet rat in a Manila church during the annual feast of St Francis. Pets are blessed then to promote love for all living things.

However, the rat used brain rather than brawn – he hitched a ride on what it perceived was the mightiest swimmer. Just before the buffalo reached the other bank, the rat jumped off the buffalo’s back and crossed the finish line ahead of the poor puffing beast.

An interesting footnote here, according to chineseastrologyonline.com, is that the cat was one of the original 12 participants. So why is it missing from the Chinese calendar? Well, that ratty fellow told the cat that the race would be held at another time. When the cat failed to show up for the race, the Jade Emperor sent his official to earth to grab the first animal that he saw – which happened to be a pig being carried to market by a farmer. When the cat eventually realised that it had been tricked out of celestial fame, it swore to go rat hunting forever….

This story also reflects the luck of people born in the Year of the Rat. Dr Christopher Lau, an expert lecturer/author from Global Fengshui Net Sdn Bhd, who accurately predicted that our stock market would hit record highs in 2007, says that a rat has “selfless people” around him to help his career along. Does that sound like the buffalo?

The rat is regarded as a symbol of good luck and wealth in China and Japan. According to chinese.astrology.com, it is respected for its quick wits, stylishness and charming exterior.

“However, behind that sweet smile, a rat is a keen and unapologetic promoter of its own agenda,” notes the website. Ahem… that seems like how that rodent got first place in the Chinese calendar!

Monetary greed can become a problem if the rat isn’t careful. But if it often hoards, a rat can also be very generous to those in their pack, namely friends and family members who have proven their loyalty. It can also be quick-tempered and sharp-tongued, something that people will quickly learn to love or hate.

The rat’s keen mind always seeks out new knowledge, to be stored away for future use. If boredom sets in the rat is no fun at all, but then again, it usually knows how to keep itself entertained.

The website adds, “A valuable lesson for the rat is to learn to consider others above themselves, at least sometimes. (In doing so), the rat might well find true happiness.”

Mouse dolls are the rage in Hong Kong as markets sell all sorts of rodent-themed items and souvenirs for the coming Year of the Rat

Global Fengshui’s Lau has similar views. A rat is sociable, makes friends easily and is highly persistent. However, for the coming year, he is advised to “be sincere” in everything he does so that it will be reciprocated.

Now, doesn’t this all sound exactly like Templeton, the rat in the movie Charlotte’s Web, whose mean spirit is in sharp contrast to Wilbur, the piglet with the heart of gold? Yet, in the end, the rat overcomes his own selfishness for the greater happiness of all.

A fascinating piece of Chinese folklore involving the creature is the “Rats’ Wedding Day”. In his book, Rat, Kwok Man-ho recounts that once upon a time in China, on a peaceful night at the Wah Chiu family home, the father suddenly heard strange noises coming from a room that had been locked for years. When he peered in, he saw an amazing sight – a traditional marriage procession of rats, dressed in fine robes.

A few days later, a Taoist priest came by and told the father that the house had an evil spirit and needed to be cleansed. When the priest was done, he told the father that he must leave out food and drink to thank the household god. However, the father ignored the priest’s advice and the very next day, the house was overrun by rats, driving the family out.

In another book, Chinese Creeds and Customs, by V.R. Burkhardt, it is added that the 19th day of the first month of the lunar calendar is thus observed in some Chinese households as the “Rats’ Wedding Day”. Everyone goes to bed early so as not to disturb the revels of their four-footed tenants. An offering is put out to induce the more benevolent rodents to exercise restraint over their more unruly brothers, and to moderate their appetites during the year.

If a very large rat takes up residence in a house, it is treated as an honoured guest, for this is the Money Rat which will attract wealth, more than compensating for his board and lodging.

Paintings of a rat’s wedding procession were traditionally hung up at home during Chinese New Year, notes the book, Mooncakes and Hungry Ghosts: Festivals of China. These would often feature a charming rat bride and groom accompanied by musicians, lantern-bearers, gong-beaters and palanquin carriers. If the rat’s wedding went undisturbed, it was believed that the grateful rats would leave the humans alone for the rest of the year.

What about rats in real life? Are they in any way associated with their Chinese horoscope characteristics?

Take “single-minded get-ahead instincts”. The brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) is, according to the BBC website, the “most widespread terrestrial mammal” on earth. They originated in the grasslands of China, spread to Europe and eventually, via ships, to the Americas. They are now so common that they are found everywhere from sewers, to laboratories and even homes, where they are kept as pets!

Then there is the Polynesian Rat, or Pacific Rat (Rattus exulans). This fellow is incapable of swimming long distances yet it managed to spread from its home in South-East Asia to as far as Hawaii, Fiji and even Easter Island. They accomplished this by hitching rides, no, not on the back of cosmic Chinese buffaloes, but inside the paddle-driven canoes of Polynesians as they migrated eastwards.

While the celestial rat constantly seeks out knowledge to chew on, the earthly rat incessantly seeks out food. Polynesian rats are omnivorous, eating insects, centipedes, spiders, worms, snails, fruit, seeds, leaves, roots and sometimes even lizards and birds. They are considered as pests in this region, as they feed on sugar cane, coconuts, cocoa and other crops.

The global “success story” of the rats has been due to their extraordinary ability to adapt to different environments, and by riding on hard-working “buffaloes” – humans who conquered the earth while throwing away everything from caveman food scraps to half-eaten mee goreng.

Rats aren’t just good at going forth and multiplying. They are really clever – just as the Chinese horoscope make them out to be.

Lab rats, for example, have proved valuable in psychological studies of learning and other mental processes. The researchers, Foote, Allison and Jonathon, noted last year in the journal Current Biology that rats actually possess “metacognition”, a mental ability previously only found in humans and some primates.

For animals, metacognition is a quantum leap in intellectual capabilities as it involves “thinking about thinking”. This means developing a plan before action (“What should I do?”), monitoring the plan during execution (“Am I on the right track?) and even evaluating the plan after (“How can I improve?”).

So the rat is clever. In fact, it has been brilliant in seeking out profitable alliances. But perhaps it’s not all selfishness? After all, thousands of rats have “sacrificed” their lives for medical research. As for live rats, the Chinese horoscope does point out that it is generous to its friends. And that’s precisely why rat lovers think that it makes an ideal pet.
“Rats are extremely social! What does this mean for you? Love, love, and more love! They will absolutely beg to be with you. The more time you spend with them, the closer your bond will grow with them. You will be showered with affection!” advocates the website, rattyrat.com

And due to their intelligence, they can be taught tricks and they love games. They are also adorable in riding on your shoulder, grooming you, yawning, hopping around, playing tag and more.

What about that plague stuff? And their reputation as vermin?

After all, in the West, the rat is reviled as a filthy disease carrier, the worst of which was the bubonic plague or Black Death which wiped out some 50 million Europeans in the 14th century. An anti-rat bias has entered the English language. For example, a high-powered lawyer might be “ratted upon” by his own brother about allegedly buying houses and handphones for judges. And people watching the whole proceedings may even “smell a rat”.

Despite all that, it’s not really the critters’ fault. For one, the poor rats were merely unwitting carriers of plague-causing fleas, and they themselves also succumbed to the disease. Secondly, who asked us humans to leave all that food lying around? Besides, they can be domesticated, litter trained and end up as extremely clean animals, grooming themselves more frequently than cats.

“Rats love to please. They can easily learn your schedule. Many people feel their personality is like that of a dog, and many people refer to their rats as pocket puppies,” enthuses rattyrat.com

So there we have it: Clever, cunning, charming, ambitious, gluttonous, adorable and loyal. That’s the Rat – whether animal or human!.

Limelight on the Rat

 

   

WITH the exception of Mickey Mouse and the adorable Jerry from the Tom & Jerry cartoon, rodents – rats, particularly, – are a rare find on anyone’s favourite list.From the days of old, these animals have been commonly and understandably viewed as pests, no thanks to the trail of domestic and health-related destruction they leave in their wake.While in reality, the rat is looked upon with distaste, literature and the silver screen, ironically, paints a more endearing picture of these animals.Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows, Tor Seidler’s A Rat’s Tale and Steven Spielberg’s animation direction of The American Tail are examples of works that more often than not stirred heart-warming feelings.Despite the mixed responses of disgust and affection that they inspire, rodents have been kept as pets from as early as the late 19th century.According to a number of pet storeowners and managers, there is a market out there for rodents, as the animals are sociable, intelligent and easy to keep.“Rodents, particularly those more similar to the rat species, are actually quite well-received especially among teenagers and the younger ones,” Pets Wonderland Mid Valley branch manager Dr Wong Won Hong said.These rodents include the various species of hamsters, guinea pigs and mice, as well as gerbils.And, this being the Year of the Rat, an increased demand for rodents as domestic pets is expected.To meet the expected demand, pet stores are also increasing the quantity and variety of rodents, and giving special discounts and promotions.Pets Wonderland will be giving away a pair of mice with every purchase of a starter kit that comprises food, bedding and cage.“Customers get either a pair of satin mice, Syrian long-haired hamster, dwarf hamster or Roborovskii hamster,” Wong said.He said that the promotional package costs RM108.80 or RM138.80.Petsmore.com will be giving away discounts from 10% to 20% on accessories to its members with every purchase of a rodent, in all its store branches.“We are expecting an increase in the sale of rodents during the two weeks before and after Chinese New Year, because that’s when the youngsters have received their ang pow money,” Petsmore.com retail manager Sean Saw said.This practice of having promotions to coincide with the zodiac year is not a new one.“We always try to have some kind of promotion to mark the new zodiac year whenever possible,” Saw said.According to Jusco Home Centre Pet House manager Daniel Lee, although the store will not be selling imported and more exotic species of rodents this year, there will be a special promotional discount on white mice and various types of hamsters.“Hamsters are going at only RM15 each and white mice cost RM3 each,” Lee said.Although pet stores expect a demand, a chat with a few pet store visitors revealed mixed responses.“I’ve always wanted a winter pearl hamster, but my mother doesn’t agree. I’m giving it more thought this year,” Winnie Lim, 22, said.While his girlfriend is not too keen, Ian Heng, 25, is quite interested in keeping rodents as pets.“They’re quite cute, but I’m not too sure if I can keep them, what with work commitments and all,” he said.David Tong, 29, will never keep a rodent as a pet, Year of the Rat or not.“I don’t like rats, and because the Year of Rat does not really hold a significance for me, I’m not going to change my sentiments,” he said

By VIVIENNE PAL

www.thestar.com.my

Gifts for Chinese New Year

      

One of the best gifts to bring to your friends during Chinese New Year is the Mandarin oranges, “Kum” in Cantonese means gold, so it signifies bringing gold to your friends and wishing them prosperity for the year. You can present the Mandarin oranges in attractive traditional hand-painted bamboo basket.  It should always be accompanied by the red packet, the traditional “hong bao” which contains money. More about Chinese New Year in my next blog.