Song of the Chinese Zodiac
The little mouse starts
The cow lifts its hoof
The tiger turns its head and growls
The rabbit jumps fast
The dragon and the snake's tail flick
The horse and sheep step forward
The little monkey jumps and jumps
The chicken sings the world. China ancestors felt the cycle of alternating cold and summer, and plants withered and flourished, and called it "one year old". The moon's profit and loss cycle is also related to "age"-twelve full moons are exactly one year old. With Jupiter as the annual cycle, the "old star" orbits for exactly twelve years.
Zhou Li Chun Guan Feng Xiangshi says, "Ten palms are two years old, ten palms are two months old, and ten palms are two days old." In addition to counting years and months, twelve palms are also used as measuring hours.
Historical value of the zodiac: Zodiac culture involves the relationship between man and himself, man and nature, man and man, man and society, etc. It contains profound ideas and is closely linked with reality, and fully reflects the customs, habits, thinking patterns, ethics, values and aesthetic tastes of all ethnic groups. Zodiac culture contains rich traditional ideas:
1. Harmony between man and nature: Zodiac is the image representative of heavenly stems and earthly branches, deeply influenced by the traditional philosophy of Yin-Yang and Five Elements, which embodies the harmony between man and nature;
2. Ecological consciousness: animal worship, emphasizing the role of animals in human production and life, including simple ecological concepts;
3. Traditional morality: fables, idioms and literary works, which insinuate people's moral character and convey traditional values by praising and lashing animal temperament;
4. Community consciousness: The folk custom of the zodiac has a wide audience, which is regional and national, and everyone celebrates and enjoys the festival activities, enhancing the cohesion and identity of the community and even the nation;
5. Equality and closeness to the people: The zodiac is shared by everyone, fair and open, and the imperial power is hard to change. The mainstream of the zodiac culture belongs to civilian culture, which is popular and life-oriented. ?
The zodiac animals are not only integrated into the life of China people as ordinary creatures, but their natural habits are endowed with many cultural meanings, from animals to deities, and they are respected and worshipped. Only the combination of natural creatures and cultural deities can form a complete impression of Chinese zodiac animals.
In ancient and modern historical stories, legends and fables, there are countless animal images related to the zodiac, leaving more than 2, idioms. Most stories of the zodiac are full of fun and profound meanings, which are often included in children's books in modern times.
Liu Zongyuan's fable "The Rat of Yong's Family", four love stories "Cowherd and Weaver Girl", "Legend of White Snake", tang legends's "Biography of Liu Yi" and "Tiger Changing Daughter-in-law", Guangzhou Yangcheng is named after the legend of the fairy sheep sending the ear, the seven pigs of Beidou in Miscellanies of the Emperor of Ming Dynasty, and Liu Ji's works "Chu People Raising Snipers" and "Strange Stories from a Lonely Studio".