History of Chinese Astrology and the Chinese Zodiac Signs
There are many legends to explain the origin of the Chinese zodiac signs. Two of the most popular explanations follow.
The Emperors Banquet
Once upon a time, the Jade Emperor (also known as the ruler of Heaven according to Chinese mythology) asked the rat to invite the cat to a banquet for the purpose of being selected for zodiac signs. According to legend, the rat tricked the cat and told him the banquet was on the day after the actual date.
Other invitations were sent on to the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the ram, the monkey, the rooster and the dog, asking for their presence at the banquet. When the animals lined up in front of the Jade Emperor, he realized that there were only eleven, instead of twelve as he had requested. The emperor sent his servant down to Earth to retrieve a twelfth animal. The servant ran into a man carrying a pig, and he hastily grabbed it and delivered it to the king.
All of the animals who arrived were granted a special place on the zodiac, except for the cat who arrived one day late. When he found out that the rat had tricked him, the cat vowed to be a natural enemy to the rat forever.
The River Race
Another popular legend contends that the Jade Emperor held a race across a river to determine which animals would be featured in the Chinese zodiac.
The cat and the rat were actually good friends, but these two animals were among the worst swimmers in the animal kingdom. Still, they were smart and convinced the good natured ox to carry them across the river on his back.
However, midway through the cunning rat decided that in order to win he must do something and promptly pushed the cat into the river. As a result, the cat has since then hated the rat and the water.
After the ox had crossed the river, the rat sprang forward and reached the shore before the ox, claiming first place. The ox won second place and as a result is the 2nd animal in the Chinese zodiac. After the ox came the tiger who used its strength to push against the currents.
The fourth animal to finish was the rabbit who crossed the river by jumping nimbly from stone to stone. The dragon came in fifth although the emperor expected him to be first because he had to stop on his way to make rain to help the creatures of earth.
Next to finish appeared to be the horse, but hidden on the hoof of the horse was the sneaky snake who scared the horse and made the animal jump back while the snake slithered into the sixth spot. The horse followed shortly in seventh place.
Not long after that, the sheep, monkey and rooster came to the shore on a raft. Together, the sheep and the monkey cleared the weeds and pulled the raft to shore. Because of their combined efforts, the emperor was very pleased and promptly named the sheep as the 8th creature, the monkey as the 9th and the rooster the 10th.
The dog, although one of the best swimmers in the group, came in 11th. His explanation for being late was that he needed a good bath, and the fresh water from the river was too big a temptation so he took his time and took a bath.
Finally, just as the emperor was about to call it a day, an oink and squeal was heard from a little pig. The pig arrived last because he got hungry during the race, stopped for a feast then fell asleep. The cat finished too late (thirteenth) to win any place in the calendar and vowed to be the enemy of the rat forevermore.
Article written by The Great Kristeeni
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