Big Talk Twelve Zodiac

Author: Zhao Botao
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-09-01
Features: The zodiac corresponds to the year and cycles every twelve years. For example, if someone is born in 1940, the year's Geng Chen (dry and branch) corresponds to the Year of the Dragon. The Year of the Dragon in 1952 (the twelfth year later), 1964 (the twenty-fourth year later), 1976 (the thirty-sixth year later), 1988 (the forty-eighth year later), and 2000 (the sixtieth year later) are all the person's "Beng Ming Nian" (). The average life expectancy of modern people in big cities has reached around 78 years, except for their birth year, they can experience six Beng Ming Nians, which is much better than ancient times, showing the improvement of modern medical care. There is another saying that only the years that match someone's birth year's Geng Chen are called Beng Ming Nian. Taking the above example, only the Geng Chen Year of the Dragon (2000) is considered their Beng Ming Nian, so it recurs every sixty years, except for their birth year, people generally encounter only one Beng Ming Nian in their lifetime. This may be the reason why the Chinese folk culture pays special attention to celebrating the 60th birthday. In poetry, it is called "Hua Jia Zai Zhi" (), which is worth a grand celebration. Even if calculated by twelve years, the Beng Ming Nian based on the zodiac has great significance as a milestone and is therefore highly valued by the folk. The great Tang poet Bai Juyi wrote in his poem "Seven Years New Year Drinking" () that: "Today Wu and Luo, remembering each other with joy. Have you heard of Meng De? We both have passed Beng Ming Nian." He added a note: "I was born in the Ren Zi year with Liu Langzhong of Suzhou, and this year I am sixty-two." This poem was written on the day of the New Year in the seventh year of the Dahe era (833 AD) of the Tang Dynasty, and Bai Juyi and Liu Yuxi were both born in the seventh year of the Dali era (772 AD) of the Tang Dynasty. By the sixth year of the Dahe era (the year before the poem was written), both were in their fifth Beng Ming Nian. The note mentions "sixty-two," which is the traditional "" (virtual age). In Chinese folk culture, it is generally believed that people encounter misfortune in their Beng Ming Nian and must engage in certain activities to ward off evil and turn misfortune into good fortune. Otherwise, they may suffer misfortune. In the vast northern regions of China, people who encounter Beng Ming Nian need to tie a red waistband to ward off evil. Such red waistbands are still commonly seen in scenic spots and temple fairs during festivals. In some places, children who are twelve years old and encounter Beng Ming Nian must wear red vests or red briefs to pass through this critical year smoothly. In some places, it is forbidden to go out the night before Beng Ming Nian arrives (the last day of the twelfth lunar month) and people can only go out after the sun rises on New Year's Day. These superstitious customs are not necessarily believed by modern people. Some may just follow tradition out of habit, taking a "better safe than sorry" attitude. Nianhua (New Year paintings), as the name suggests, are pasted during the New Year. In the Song Dynasty of China, records of Nianhua existed. Traditional Nianhua were mostly woodblock-printed. Nianhua of the twelve zodiac signs are particularly popular because of their close connection to the New Year. Some Nianhua depict all twelve zodiac signs, while others only show the zodiac sign of the current year. Since they are replaced after one year, it is difficult to preserve them, so few remain. The late Qing Dynasty woodblock print "Twelve Zodiac Child" is lively in scene and compact in composition, making it very suitable for the festive atmosphere of the New Year. Folk paper-cut art, as a two-dimensional art form, has distinct regional characteristics and generational continuity, still retaining strong vitality today. The twelve zodiac signs are an important theme in paper-cut art, featuring both "family reunions" of all zodiac signs and individual zodiac signs, with the latter being more common. In northern China, regions like Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan, and Hebei are home to many skilled paper-cut artists who have left behind a wealth of diverse works, full of local charm. Today, the art of twelve zodiac sign sculptures continues to develop, with many cities and parks featuring such sculptures for people to admire and take photos with. In Suzhou's Lion Grove, the Taihu stones are interwoven in a fantastical manner, each offering a unique view from different angles. Visitors can use their imagination to guess which zodiac sign the stones resemble and enjoy the challenge of finding all of them. This activity of "imagination creating form" adds another vibrant aspect to the culture of the twelve zodiac signs. "Rat Marriage" (), also known as "Rat Wedding" (), "Rat Adding a Wife" (), or "Rat Taking a Bride" (), is often called "Rat Taking a Wife" in northern China. This folk belief custom is widespread across the country, with varying dates but all around the Spring Festival. It is a traditional theme in old Nianhua and paper-cuts. In the Shaoxing area of Zhejiang, people often call Nianhua "Hua Zhi" (). Lu Xun wrote in his essay "Dogs, Cats, and Rats" that: "My bed is adorned with two pieces of Hua Zhi—'Bai Jie Zhao Zhai' (Bai Jie Marrying a Concubine), full of long mouths and big ears, which I find rather unrefined; the other, 'Rat Wedding,' is adorable. From the groom and bride to the attendants and guests, none are not sharp-shouldered and slender-legged, resembling scholars, but all wear red shirts and green pants." I think, only the hidden mice I like could hold such a grand ceremony. Nowadays, it's become vulgar, and when I see wedding processions on the street, I just see advertisements for sexual relations and pay little attention. But back then, I was deeply fascinated by the idea of watching a "Rat Wedding" ceremony, even if it meant waiting for hours, as in the case of the Jiang family in Hai Chang, who waited for three nights. It seems that Nianhua of Rat Marriage are not just decorations for adults during the New Year but also guides for children into the world of fairy tales, truly "suitable for all ages." Zhou Zuoren recalled his childhood in a series of poems titled "Children's Miscellaneous Poems," with the second poem "Hua Zhi" stating: "Rats are also getting married today, with lanterns and torches lighting up the door. The bride is dressed in new clothes and pants, with a few dozen whiskers raised." Below the poem, he added a note: "Rat Wedding Hua Zhi, the ceremony and entourage are just like in the human world, with a pair of long-handled palace lanterns inscribed with 'Bottomless Cave.'" Feng Zikai illustrated this poem, depicting seven rats bowing and smiling, endearing them to the audience. The "Bottomless Cave" lantern mentioned in the poem note was not illustrated by Feng Zikai, clearly inspired by the "Bottomless Cave" of the rat demon in Chapter 83 of "Journey to the West." The date of Rat Marriage in Lu Xun's hometown is the night of the 14th day of the first lunar month, while across the country, it ranges from the 23rd day of the last lunar month to the 2nd day of the second lunar month, varying greatly. In some areas of Shanxi, Shandong, and Shangluo in Shaanxi, the 23rd day of the last lunar month, when the gods ascend to heaven, is considered the auspicious day for Rat Marriage. In Hangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou, Jianghan Plain in Hubei, Foshan in Guangdong, and Jinmen in Fujian, the New Year's Eve is the joyous day for Rat Marriage. Qing Dynasty scholar Liang Yusheng noted in his "Qing Bai Yin Ji" that: "It is said that on New Year's Eve, rats marry their daughters, stealing shoes to use as carriages." Some regions celebrate Rat Marriage on the first day of the first lunar month, such as Lushan in Jiangxi, Changzhou, Wuxi, Jinyun, Longyou, and Yiyuan in Shandong. Others celebrate it on the third day of the first lunar month, such as Meizhou in Guangdong. Additionally, the seventh, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, fifteenth, sixteenth to twenty-fifth days of the first lunar month, and even the second day of the second lunar month, can all be auspicious days for Rat Marriage. Even within a province, the dates for Rat Marriage can vary, fully reflecting the diversity of customs across China's vast and densely populated regions. An old Beijing saying goes, "On the 17th and 18th, rats get married," but Beijing also has the tradition of celebrating Rat Marriage on the 25th day of the first lunar month, the "Fill the Granary" festival (see Wang Shucun's "Rat Marriage," published in the "China Cultural Relics News" on February 18, 1996). The variations in Rat Marriage customs in one place are even more pronounced across the country. This shows that the folk belief of Rat Marriage has a certain degree of arbitrariness and humor, unlike the solemn worship of the Kitchen God, which is fixed on the 23rd or 24th day of the last lunar month, with little change throughout history. A live ox could become a weapon to defeat enemies, and a stone ox could also be used in war. According to the "Records of Shu Wang," King Hui of Qin wanted to attack the state of Shu but did not know the Shu Road. So, he carved five stone oxen and placed gold behind them. The people of Shu saw this and thought the stone oxen could excrete gold, that they were divine oxen, and reported it to their king. The king believed it and immediately sent a thousand soldiers, ordering five strong laborers to drag the stone oxen, thus opening a road to Chengdu. King Hui sent Prime Minister Zhang Yi to attack Shu along the path of the stone oxen, ultimately achieving victory. The role of the stone ox was similar to that of the Trojan Horse in Greek mythology. During the Spring and Autumn period, Ning Qi relied on an ox to recommend himself to Duke Huan of Qi, leaving a famous story. The "Lü Shi Chunqiu" (Rites of the Lü Family) records: "Ning Qi wanted to serve Duke Huan of Qi but had no means to do so. So, he traveled as a merchant, arriving in Qi and staying outside the city gates at night. Duke Huan welcomed guests at the suburbs, opening the gate at night and turning away Ning Qi's cart, with bright torches and many attendants. Ning Qi was feeding the ox under the cart, looking at Duke Huan with sorrow and singing loudly with the ox's horn. Hearing this, Duke Huan said to his attendant, 'Strange! The singer is no ordinary person.' He ordered the attendant to load Ning Qi in the carriage. Ning Qi discussed the affairs of the world with Duke Huan and was eventually given important positions." Similarly, during the Spring and Autumn period, Bi Li wanted to recommend himself to Duke Mu of Qin. Knowing that the king liked oxen, he rented an ox and seized the opportunity to say to the king, 'My strength lies not in raising oxen but in governing the people.' He then returned with the king and was later given important roles (see "Taiping Yuluan," Volume 899). Both of these ancient figures can be called "those who achieved success through oxen," leaving behind stories that have been celebrated for ages. Pu Songling's "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" includes a short story titled "Ox Flying," which also offers profound insights: A man in the county bought an ox, which was very strong. One night, he dreamed the ox grew wings and flew away, thinking it was an omen of loss. He took the ox to the market and sold it at a loss, wrapping gold in a cloth and tying it to his arm. On the way home, he saw an eagle eating a rabbit, approaching it very peacefully. He tied the eagle's leg with the cloth and fed it. The eagle struggled several times, but when the cloth loosened, it flew away with the cloth. Although this was fate, if he had not doubted his dream or greedily picked up the cloth, the eagle would not have been able to fly. There are countless stories and legends about oxen in ancient Chinese notes and fiction, all adding to the charm of the Ox zodiac sign. The Bull Demon King, the husband of the Iron Fan Princess in "Journey to the West," is even more familiar to the Chinese. The famous stories about oxen in history are truly "countless as the sands of the river." Ancient works of art related to oxen can also be described as "countless as the sands of the river." The Dragon is well-known in China but never seen, showing its mysterious nature. There is no such thing as a dragon in the world; only the dinosaurs of the Jurassic period once ruled the Earth, but they were completely extinct in the great disaster of the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago, long before humans appeared. People's understanding of dinosaurs came from modern paleontologists reconstructing fossils, which has nothing to do with the mythical dragon. So, how did the dragon come to be? There are many theories about this, with no consensus. In terms of the prototype of the dragon, in addition to the common "snake theory," there are also theories of crocodiles (including various types like the saltwater crocodile, Yangtze crocodile, and gharial), lizards, hippos, pigs (such as the pig-dragon mentioned in ancient notes), horses, silkworms, birds, fish, clouds, lightning, rainbows, pines and cypresses, and meteorological calendars, among others. Some theories are serious, while others are just sensational. Wen Yiduo argued from the perspective of cultural anthropology that the dragon's main form is that of a snake, that it is a tribe (clan) that worships a large snake as a totem, which gradually absorbed many other diverse totem tribes, enriching and changing its totem over time. Eventually, it accepted the four legs of beasts, the head, mane, and tail of a horse, the antlers of a deer, the claws of a dog, the scales and whiskers of a fish, and became the dragon we know today (see "From the Head and Snake Body Image to the Dragon and Totem"). Among these theories, the author believes that the mixed theory mentioned above has the strongest persuasive power and greatly helps us understand the origin of the dragon. Some scholars argue that the dragon is simply the mystification of a snake, reflecting the transformation of snake totem worship into the worship of spiritual objects. This is also a theory worth considering. Although the dragon is a mythical creature, "manufactured" rather than "natural," its family is surprisingly large, with numerous and fantastical names, filling ancient texts.