The Chinese Zodiac is the most Chinese-style chronicle, using twelve different animals to represent the year.
But many people don't know how the Chinese zodiac sign came about, and why should they use these twelve animals to represent the year?
I believe that most people have heard the myth of the zodiac, that is, the Jade Emperor wants to select twelve kinds of animal seat zodiac signs, so the animals launched a zodiac battle. Cat and mouse were originally good friends, saying that the next day who woke up first would wake up the other, but the next day the mouse woke up first, secretly ran to participate in the zodiac competition, and waited for the cat to wake up to find that the Jade Emperor had chosen the zodiac. Since then, cats and mice have become sworn enemies.
Of course, this is just a myth.
In fact, the real zodiac origin should be summed up by the ancients according to the living habits of familiar animals.
At first, the relationship between animals and time was discovered, and twelve hours were invented, as follows:
1. Sub-time:
Midnight, also known as midnight and mid-night: the first hour of the twelfth hour. (23:00 to 01:00 Beijing time).
From 11 o'clock in the evening to 1 o'clock in the morning of the next day, when the genus is sub-rat, it is the time when the rat takes advantage of the late night and is quiet and frequently active, so it is called "sub-rat".
2. Ugly times:
Chicken chirping, also known as pheasant: the second hour of twelve hours. (1:00 to 3:00 Beijing time).
It was ugly from 1am to 3am. Cattle are used to herding at night. Farmers usually wake up at night to feed their cattle, hence the name "ugly cow".
3. Yin Shi:
Bland, also known as dawn, morning, day, etc.: hours refer to the time between day and night. (3:00 to 5:00 Beijing time).
From 3 a.m. to 5 a.m., it was Yin Yin. At this time, the tigers that walk day and night are the fiercest. The ancients often heard the roar of the tiger at this time, so it was called "YinHu"
4. When:
Sunrise, also known as the beginning of the sun, the dawn, the rising sun, etc.: refers to the time when the sun has just appeared and risen. (5:00 to 7:00 Beijing time).
5 a.m. to 7 a.m. At dawn, rabbits come out of their nests, and they like to eat grass and morning dew, so they are called "rabbits".
5. Tatsumi:
When eating, also known as early food, etc.: the time when the ancients "ate" is also the time to eat breakfast, (Beijing time from 07:00 to 09:00).
From 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., it is the time of the day. At this time, it is generally easy to fog, and it is said that the dragon is happy to ride the fog, and it is also worth the rising sun in the east, thriving, so it is called "Chenlong".
6. When:
Yuzhong, also known as Riyu, etc.: It is called Sumuro when it is close to noon. (09:00 to 11:00 Beijing time).
From 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., it is the time of the day. The fog dissipates, the sun shines brightly, and the snakes come out of the hole to feed, so they are called "snakes".
7. Noon:
Feeding time, also known as Ripu, Xishi, etc.: (15:00 to 17:00 Beijing time).
Application hours are from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The sun is facing west, and at this time the monkeys are crying, hence the name "afternoon monkey".
8. From time to time:
Sunrise, also known as sun fall, day central, etc.: the sun is west of the day fall. (13:00 to 15:00 Beijing time).
From 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the afternoon, it is not timely. Some places call this time "sheep out of the slope", which means a good time to herd sheep, so it is called "ungod".
9. When applying:
When feeding, also known as day shop, sunset food, etc.: (15 to 17:00 Beijing time).
From 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., it is application time. The sun is west, and the monkey likes to cry at this time, so it is called "Shen Monkey".
10. Unitary time:
Sunrise, also known as sunset, sun sinking, evening: means when the sun sets. (17:00 to 19:00 Beijing time).
From 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., it is unitary time. The sun has set, and the chickens are swirling in front of the nest, so they are called "unitary chickens".
11. When:
Dusk, also known as sun and sunset, sunset, evening and so on, at this time the sun has set, the sky will not be dark. The heavens and the earth are yellow, and everything is hazy, so it is called dusk. (19:00 to 21:00 Beijing time).
From 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., it is the time of the day. After a hard day's work, the latch is ready to rest. The dog is guarded in front of the door, and as soon as there is movement, it will scream, so it is called "dog".
12. Haishi:
People are fixed, also known as ding, etc.: At this time, the night is late, and people have stopped moving and rested and slept. Human concentration is also human tranquility. (21:00 to 23:00 Beijing time).
From 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. at night, it is the time of the night. In the middle of the night, you can hear the sound of pig arches, so it is called "Hai Pig".
This twelve hours correspond exactly to the twelve zodiac signs, and people use the twelve hours to record the time of day, and the corresponding twelve zodiac signs to record the year. So there was the Year of the Rat, the Year of the Ox, and so on.
Using animal dating is very easy to remember and interesting, so it has been passed down to this day!
"Twelve Genus Poems" Shen Jiong
Rat tracks are dusty, cattle and sheep come down at dusk.
The tiger roared in the empty valley, and the rabbit moon opened to the window.
The dragon yin is far and verdant, and the snake willow is wandering nearby.
Ma Lanfang is far away from picking, and the sheep are planted in the spring.
Monkey chestnut shy fruit, chicken anvil to attract clear nostalgia.
Outside the dog's house, the pig window is leisurely.