Sign of the Chinese zodiac
Zodiac rat, showing the
sh?
(鼠) character for rat/mouse
Stone monument with a carving of a mouse, at Mount Horai-ji Buddhist Temple,
Aichi Prefecture
,
Japan
, showing the
z?
(子) character designating the first of the twelve
Earthly Branches
The
Rat
or
Mouse
(
鼠
) is the first of the repeating 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the
Chinese zodiac
, constituting part of the
Chinese calendar
system (with similar systems in use elsewhere). The
Year of the Rat
in standard Chinese is
Chinese
:
鼠年
;
pinyin
:
sh?nian
. The rat is associated with the first branch of the
Earthly Branch
symbol
子
(
z?
), which starts a repeating cycle of twelve years. The Chinese word
sh?
(
鼠
) refers to various small rodents (
Muroidea
), such as
rats
and
mice
. The term "
zodiac
" ultimately derives from an
Ancient Greek
term referring to a "circle of little animals". There are also a yearly month of the rat and a daily hour of the rat (
Chinese double hour
, midnight, 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.). Years of the rat are cyclically differentiated by correlation to the
Heavenly Stems
cycle, resulting in a repeating cycle of five years of the rat (over a sixty-year period), each rat year also being associated with one of the Chinese
wu xing
, also known as the "five elements", or "phases": the "Five Phases" being
Fire
(
火
hu?
),
Water
(
水
shu?
),
Wood
(
木
mu
),
Metal
(
金
j?n
), and
Earth
(
土
t?
).
First Year of the Rat
[
edit
]
The ancient
shell end bone
style Chinese character
sh?
(鼠), for rat/mouse
In Chinese tradition, the first year was the equivalent of 2637 BCE (although others give other dates). The Prime Minister of the first emperor,
Huangdi
(also known as the Yellow Emperor), is said in this year to have worked out the
sixty-year
zodiacal cycle. Part of this achievement was the discovery and incorporation of the
nineteen-year
so-called Metonic cycle which correlates lunar and solar dates, as part of the system (using leap months).
[1]
Years and the Five Elements
[
edit
]
Sexagenary cycle years
People born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the "Year of the Rat", while bearing the following
elemental
sign:
[2]
[3]
The following is a
chart
of the dates of the
Gregorian calendar
.
Start date
|
End date
|
Heavenly branch
|
11 February 1804
|
30 January 1805
|
Wood
Rat
|
23 January 1816
|
16 January 1817
|
Fire
Rat
|
14 February 1828
|
3 January 1829
|
Earth
Rat
|
2 February 1840
|
22 January 1841
|
Metal
Rat
|
20 February 1852
|
3 February 1853
|
Water
Rat
|
8 February 1864
|
26 January 1865
|
Wood
Rat
|
26 January 1876
|
12 February 1877
|
Fire
Rat
|
12 February 1888
|
30 January 1889
|
Earth
Rat
|
31 January 1900
|
18 February 1901
|
Metal
Rat
|
18 February 1912
|
5 February 1913
|
Water
Rat
|
5 February 1924
|
23 January 1925
|
Wood
Rat
|
24 January 1936
|
10 February 1937
|
Fire
Rat
|
10 February 1948
|
28 January 1949
|
Earth
Rat
|
28 January 1960
|
14 February 1961
|
Metal
Rat
|
15 February 1972
|
2 February 1973
|
Water
Rat
|
2 February 1984
|
19 February 1985
|
Wood
Rat
|
19 February 1996
|
6 February 1997
|
Fire
Rat
|
7 February 2008
|
25 January 2009
|
Earth
Rat
|
25 January 2020
|
11 February 2021
|
Metal
Rat
|
11 February 2032
|
30 January 2033
|
Water
Rat
|
30 January 2044
|
16 February 2045
|
Wood
Rat
|
15 February 2056
|
3 February 2057
|
Fire
Rat
|
3 February 2068
|
22 January 2069
|
Earth
Rat
|
22 January 2080
|
8 February 2081
|
Metal
Rat
|
7 February 2092
|
26 January 2093
|
Water
Rat
|
Lunar Mansion
[
edit
]
In traditional
Chinese astrology
as well as traditional
Chinese astronomy
the sky was mapped into various
asterisms
or what are sometimes referred to as
Chinese constellations
. This is actually more similar to the zodiac of
Western astrology
than is the 12-animal cycle. The stars along the plane of the ecliptic were divided into groups known as the
Twenty-Eight Mansions
. Because the moon during its monthly cycle could be observed to appear to move from one mansion (or "camp") into the next each night in turn, they are also known as Lunar Mansions. Traditionally, these mansions were divided into four groups of seven each, and associated with one of
four spiritual entities
. The rat is generally associated with the celestial region of the
Mystical Warrior
, or
Xuanw?
((玄武)), and specifically with the mansion
X? (虛)
, which in turn is associated with the direction North and the darkest part of the winter season, in the northern hemisphere.
[4]
(X? (虛) is more-or-less equivalent to
Beta Aquarii
, also known as Sadalsuud).
Hour of the Rat
[
edit
]
In old Chinese tradition, the hours of a day-night period were divided into 12
double-hours
, each corresponding to one of the twelve signs of the
Chinese zodiac
, with similar symbolic motif and astrological significance. The first of the twelve double hours encompasses midnight, at the middle of the double hour, corresponding with 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., with midnight being the midpoint of the first double-hour, which is the Hour of the Rat, or the hour
z?
(
子
).
[5]
Popular culture
[
edit
]
A sign in
Gardens by the Bay
,
Singapore
, 2016
In popular culture, the zodiacal idea of year of the rat is associated with various beliefs about prognostications for the upcoming year, lucky numbers, lucky colors, auspicious romantic connections, similarities between persons born in those years, correlations between
Chinese astrology
and
Western astrology
and the like. Traditional Chinese astrology and horoscope has paid much more attention to the
Heavenly Stems
and
Earthly Branches
than to the zoology or symbolism of the 12 animals; rather the reference to the animals was more of a way of
horology
, keeping track of time. Nevertheless, modern times have shown an increased interest in the zodiacal animals, with a great deal of popular interest, in various places of the world. In any case, the rat has long been associated with keen and quick intelligence.
[6]
Basic astrology elements
[
edit
]
The Jade Emperor and the race for zodiacal place
[
edit
]
The rat and the other animals as shown on a Romanian postage stamp
A popular modern story has it that the order of the animals in the twelve-year cycle was due to a competition between animal candidates, held by the ruler of
Heaven
,
Earth
, and
Hell
? the
Jade Emperor
. According to one version of this tale, the emperor's advisors selected twelve candidates from among the animal types, including the rat and the cat. The winner was to be selected based upon merit, as to personal appearance, lifestyle, and contributions to the world. Before the competition, the cat asked the rat for a wake up call in order to get to the show on time; however, the rat apprehensive of the competition, especially as to the cat's apparent beauty, did not wake the cat, who then overslept (and, ever afterwards, the embittered cat became a ratter and a mouser). The Jade Emperor mystified as to why there were only eleven candidate animals to show up inquired of his servants. These servants hastily acquired the first possible replacement animal which they encountered, (a
pig
). After the start of the competition, the rat achieved first place by performing on the flute while upon the back of the
ox
. Impressed, the Jade Emperor placed the rat at the beginning of the twelve-year cycle (and the ox second, for being so generous as to allow the rat to play the flute upon the ox's back). Then the other animals were placed in order according to the Jade Emperor's judgment.
[7]
The zodiacal rat around the world
[
edit
]
Postal stamp issued in Indonesia, commemorating the Year of the Rat/Mouse, 2008
The zodiacal rat is known in other cultures besides China, in Asia and beyond. Generally, the rat/mouse is the first of a twelve-year animal cycle, although some of the other animals tend to vary. In Japan, the rat is known as
nezumi
, and is the first in a twelve-year zodiacal cycle of animals.
[8]
The Year of the Rat and the years of the subsequent other zodiacal animals is celebrated during
Chinese New Year
, in many parts of the world, with the animal appropriate to each new year serving as an artistic motif for decorations. The Rat and other zodiacal animals are also a popular motif on
Chinese lunar coins
and other coin series minted by various countries and also on various internationally issued
postage stamps
.
In English, Rat Years are sometimes referred to as Mouse Years instead, although in Chinese there is no distinction between the terms.
[9]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Palmer, Martin
, editor,
et al
, (1986).
T'ung Shu
: The Ancient Chinese Almanac
. Boston: Shambala,
ISBN
0-394-74221-4
, 29-30.
- ^
"Chinese New Year"
. Retrieved
9 June
2017
.
- ^
"Chinese Zodiac - Rat"
. Retrieved
9 June
2017
.
- ^
Wu, Zhonxian and Karin Wu (2014, 2016).
Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches:TianGan DiZhi
. London and Philadelphia: Singing Dragon,
ISBN
978-1-84819-208-9
, 25-28 and 98
- ^
Palmer, Martin
, editor,
et al
, (1986).
T'ung Shu
: The Ancient Chinese Almanac
. Boston: Shambala.
ISBN
0-394-74221-4
, pp. 34-35
- ^
Palmer, Martin
, editor,
et al
, (1986).
T'ung Shu
: The Ancient Chinese Almanac
. Boston: Shambala,
ISBN
0-394-74221-4
, 35
- ^
Alston, Isabella and Kathryn Dixon (2014).
Chinese Zodiac
. (China: TAJ Books International)
ISBN
978-1-84406-246-1
, pp. 14-15
- ^
"Japanese Zodiac Signs and Symbols"
. japanesezodiac.org/. 5 January 2012
. Retrieved
24 March
2020
.
- ^
Lary, Diana (2022).
China's grandmothers : gender, family, and aging from late Qing to twenty-first century
. Cambridge, United Kingdom:
Cambridge University Press
. p. 37.
ISBN
978-1-009-06478-1
.
OCLC
1292532755
.
Further reading and references consulted
[
edit
]
- Alston, Isabella and Kathryn Dixon (2014).
Chinese Zodiac
. (China: TAJ Books International)
ISBN
978-1-84406-246-1
- Hale, Gill (2002).
The Practical Encyclopedia of Feng Shui
. New York: Barnes and Noble Books.
ISBN
0-7607-3741-X
- Wu, Zhonxian and Karin Wu (2014, 2016).
Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches:TianGan DiZhi
. London and Philadelphia: Singing Dragon.
ISBN
978-1-84819-208-9
External links
[
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]
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Chinese Zodiac members
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Other Zodiac members
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Volga Bulgars
,
Kazars
, etc.)
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