The legend of the 12 animals of the Eastern calendar. Chinese horoscope of animals. Myths and legends
Table distribution of animals by years for a quick search:
Refers to the Chinese millennium calendar and Feng Shui directions of the compass school. It is known that each year, month and main direction in the Lo Pan compass corresponds to some kind of animal. In any compass of Lo Pan, the most important ring is the “24 mountains” ring, which consists of the hieroglyphs of 12 animals, four trigrams and 8 celestial stems. Twelve animals are associated with the elements and seasons of the year. For example, the year according to the Chinese calendar begins on February 3-4 with the month of the tiger, the first month of spring. And the tiger symbolizes the yang tree, since in spring the most powerful element is the tree. There is a peculiar relationship between animals, some are friends and love each other, others attack or clash.
Here are the main descriptions of 12 animals, as well as the dates of the years they belong to.
RAT(creativity). Yang water, winter, December. Born under the sign of charm and aggressiveness. At first glance, it seems calm, balanced and cheerful. But this apparent appearance hides constant excitement. It is enough to talk with her longer to discover her nervousness, anxiety and choleric temperament. Any rat prefers to live by cunning, rather than work, and often achieves a lot in life at the expense of others working for her by the sweat of her brow. Years: 1900/12/24/36/48/60/72/84/96.
BULL,(performance, diligence). Yin land, end of winter, January. Patient and silent, restrained and slow, inconspicuous and balanced, precise and methodical, the Ox hides an original mind under a somewhat rustic appearance. He has a gift to call for frankness, this is one of the trump cards of his success. He is a contemplative. Maybe that's why he loves being alone. He is a true hard worker who brings prosperity to his family. Years: 1901/13/25/37/49/61/73/85/97.
TIGER(master of the situation, aggressive invader of the territory). Yang tree, beginning of spring, February. Tiger - Fronder. Undisciplined, he has a short temper. It's hard to resist its magnetism. Always goes forward, despises established authority, hierarchy and conservative minds. Likes all kinds of activities in which there is a risk. This is a warrior, sensitive, emotional and capable of deep reflection, strong love. Years: 1902/14/26/38/50/62/74/86/98.
RABBIT(calm, charming person). Yin tree, spring, March. The cat always falls on its paws. This is the lucky one. Gifted, ambitious, pleasant companion, modest, reserved, refined, virtuous. He speaks well and knows how to evaluate himself, but he is superficial and his best qualities are superficial. This is a secular person, likes to receive guests. Usually not out of balance, calm and unruffled. Conservative, committed to comfort and safety. Years: 1903/15/27/39/51/63/75/87/99.
THE DRAGON(Showman, bright personality). Yang land, end of spring, April. The Dragon has an excess of health, vitality, and activity. Open and pure, he is incapable of pettiness, hypocrisy or slander. Scrupulous, demands a lot, but brings much more. Proud, capable, strong-willed, hardy and generous. He is powerful and does not need anything all his life. He is a winner! Years: 1904/16/28/40/52/64/76/88/2000.
SNAKE(wisdom, spirituality). Yin fire, the beginning of summer, May. Intellectual and philosopher, not talkative and deep in thought. He dresses elegantly and pretentiously. Strongly developed intuition, which trusts more than facts. Calm by nature, she makes decisions quickly and always decisively brings her work to the end. But be vigilant, think before turning to the Snake for help: it tries to wrap itself around the debtor and strangle it. Just. Because of the tendency to exaggerate. Years: 1905/17/29/41/53/65/77/89/2001.
HORSE(honesty, activity). Yang fire, summer, June. Representative, she has a good stature, knows how to dress. He loves spectacles, theater, concerts, everything connected with the crowd. Knows how to make a compliment, cheerful, talkative, pretty and popular. Can succeed in politics, brilliant, loves and knows how to manage people. The mind grasps people's thoughts before they are spoken. A hard worker, dexterous in handling money, a good financier. Years: 1906/18/30/42/54/66/78/90/2002.
GOAT(home). Yin land, end of summer, July. Elegant, artistic, in love with nature. Brings despair to those around him with his whims. Timid and feminine, likes to complain. She likes to be talked about, guided and advised. Not knowing which direction to choose, always relies on others. She has good taste and talent, but she is not able to lead, as she was created for obedience. Smart. Of the year: 1907/19/31/43/55/67/79/91/2003.
A MONKEY(ability to use technology). Yang metal, early autumn, August. The most eccentric character of all signs. The soul of society, but crafty and cunning. Very selfish. Playful, amiable, even obliging, she masks her miserable opinion of others with her ostentatious courtesy and affability. Monkey is an intellectual. She read everything, knows a lot of things, is aware of everything that happens in the world. Well educated and has an excellent memory. Inventive and capable of solving the most difficult problems with surprising speed. Years: 1908/20/32/44/56/68/80/92/2004.
ROOSTER(original ideas, fashion). Yin metal, autumn, September. He is not shy in expressions and sometimes manifests himself sharply aggressively. He really says what he thinks. But this is a tendency towards selfishness: he is indifferent to the vulnerability of others and believes that there is no reason to spare them. Likes to be noticed and dresses accordingly. At the same time, he is deeply and completely conservative, thinks that he is completely right and knows what he is doing. Does not trust anyone, relying only on himself. Courageous and brave. Years: 1909/21/33/45/57/69/81/93/2005.
DOG(loyalty, protection of the home). Yang land, late autumn, October. Always restless, as if on guard, never resting. Closed, rarely shows his feelings. She is stubborn and often a cynic: she is feared for her harsh and unpleasant remarks. Always boldly acts against injustice. A skeptic, but her critical mind, sense of humor and greatness of spirit save her from pettiness. Dislikes gatherings, crowds. But at the same time she is loyal, faithful, honest and has a sense of duty. You can rely on her: she will not betray. Years: 1910/22/34/46/58/70/82/94/2006.
PIG(kind, loving comfort). Yin water, beginning of winter, November. Knight character. Gallant, helpful, scrupulous to the extreme. Naive, trusting, defenseless. Will never sell. She has few friends, but those few she keeps all her life and for them she is capable of great sacrifices. Attentive. Will never argue or object to you if he loves you. Due to his sensitivity, he can succeed in art. Clever, but ingenuous. Helpless against hypocrisy and entangled in attempts to justify herself. Years: 1911/23/35/47/59/71/83/95/2007.
Niitlegsen ognoo: 2017-02-14 09:36:00
The Eastern or Chinese calendar consists of five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal and water) and 12 animals (rat, bull, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig). The full cycle of such a calendar is 60 years.
Let's see: Why does each year in the Chinese calendar correspond to a certain animal? Why are there twelve of them? And why are they in that order?
There are several legends about this:
Legend one
The first legend about how the Jade Emperor - the supreme deity of the Taoist pantheon, the lord of heaven - chose twelve animals, each of which rules a year once every twelve years.
The Jade Emperor ruled over the sky and everything in heaven. And he never descended to the bottom of the earth, so he was interested in the appearance of all creatures living on earth. Somehow the emperor summoned his chief adviser to him.
I have been ruling the heavens for a long time, - the emperor said to the adviser, - but I have never seen these strange animals and I do not know what they look like. I would like to know their characteristic features and properties. I would like to see how they move and hear the sounds they make. How smart are they and how do they help people?
There are thousands of different creatures on earth, - the adviser answered the emperor, - some of them run, others fly, others crawl. It will take a very long time to collect all the earthly beings. Do you want to see them all?
No, I can't waste so much time. Select for me the twelve most interesting animals and bring them to me so that I can classify them by color and shape.
The adviser went over in his head all the animals he knew, and decided, to begin with, to call a rat, but asked her to convey the invitation also to her friend the cat. He also sent invitations to the bull, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster and dog, and ordered them to appear before the emperor tomorrow at 6 o'clock in the morning.
The rat was very flattered by this invitation, she immediately went to convey the good news to her friend cat. The cat was also very happy, but was alarmed that at 6 in the morning it was too early and he might oversleep. Therefore, he asked the rat to wake him up in time. All night the rat thought about how cute and shiny the cat was and how ugly it would look compared to him in front of the emperor. And I decided that the only way to make sure that all the praise did not go to the cat was not to wake him up in the morning.
At six o'clock in the morning, all the animals except the cat lined up in front of the Jade Emperor, who slowly began to examine them. When he reached the last animal, he turned to the adviser and said:
All animals are interesting, but why are there only eleven?
The adviser could not answer and immediately sent a servant to earth, ordering him to deliver to heaven the very first animal that he met. The servant went down to the country road and saw a peasant carrying a pig to market.
Please stop, the servant begged. - I need your pig. The Jade Emperor wishes to see this creature immediately. Think of the great honor - for your pig will appear before the very ruler of heaven.
The peasant appreciated the words of the servant and gave him his pig. And she was immediately taken to heaven.
Meanwhile, the rat, fearing that it would go unnoticed, jumped onto the back of the bull and began to play the flute. The emperor liked this unusual animal so much that he gave it the first place. The emperor gave the second place to the bull - after all, he was so generous that he allowed the rat to sit on his back. The tiger, for its brave appearance, got third place, and the rabbit, for its delicate white fur, got fourth place. The emperor decided that the dragon looked like a powerful snake with paws, and put it in fifth place. The snake received sixth place for its supple body, the horse seventh place for elegant posture, and the ram eighth place for strong horns. The agile and restless monkey got ninth place, the rooster for beautiful feathers - tenth, and the vigilant guard dog - eleventh. The pig was at the end: it may not have been as interesting as the other animals, but it still went to heaven and therefore was awarded the last place.
When the ceremony came to an end, a cat ran into the palace and began to beg the emperor to evaluate him too, but it was too late: the emperor had already chosen twelve animals. Seeing the rat in the first place, the cat rushed at her with the intention of killing, because she did not wake him up. That is why to this day, the cat and the rat remain the worst enemies.
Legend two
One day, the Buddha invited all the animals inhabiting the earth to his New Year's Eve. To those who come first to congratulate him and express their respect, he promised to give a whole year each, which will henceforth be called by their names. The mouse was ahead of everyone. A bull followed her, then a tiger, a cat, a dragon, a snake, a horse, a goat, a monkey, a rooster, a dog. The pig came twelfth. Having taken possession of its own year, each animal, as it were, transferred to it the typical features of its character, and the person acquired the properties inherent in the animal in the year of which he was born.
Legend three
Before the Buddha left the Earth, he called all the animals to him to say goodbye to them. But only 12 of them came to this call: the cunning Rat, the diligent Ox, the brave Tiger, the quiet Rabbit, the strong Dragon, the wise Snake, the elegant Horse, the artistic Goat, the quick-witted Monkey, the colorful Rooster and the faithful Dog. The last to run into the sacred meadow was a happy Pig. She was a little late, but she was not at all embarrassed by this circumstance.
When parting with the animals, the enlightened Buddha gave each of them one year of reign as a token of gratitude for coming to say goodbye to him.
The last days of the outgoing year and the threshold of the new one always seem to us significant, special, filled with deep meaning. We dream of getting rid of the failures and worries that have bothered us for the past 12 months, and we look to tomorrow with hope, trying to predict what it has in store for us? And, of course, we are curious: what symbolic animal will come into its own with the last strike of the clock at
Myths and legends
Let's look at what animals are by year. Many legends and myths are associated with its origin. The most famous one says that once the Buddha called all the creatures of the earth to him on an important matter. And those 12 that appeared before the eyes of the deity before the others received a wonderful reward: to rule over the destinies of peoples and states for 12 whole months. So the eastern calendar of animals by years was created.
Astronomical data
It is difficult to say now how everything actually happened. It is only known that it is based on the astronomical cycles of the two main celestial bodies for the Earth - the Sun and the Moon, as well as Saturn and Jupiter. The Eastern calendar of animals by years includes a periodicity of 12 years. This is how long it takes Jupiter to make a complete revolution around the Sun. And if we take into account that in ancient times the nomadic peoples inhabiting the present territories of the East Asian region revered Jupiter as their patron and endowed it with mystical properties, it is understandable why the eastern calendar of animals by years is calculated exactly for 12 years. The Chinese were the first to think of it. It was almost 4 thousand years ago. And now this calendar is the main one not only in China, but also in Japan, Korea, Kampuchea, Mongolia, Thailand and many other countries. Moreover, the signs of the Zodiac according to the eastern calendar are gladly recognized in the Old and New Worlds as symbols of the year. And in Russia too!
star zoo
Let's list those lucky ones whom the Buddha noted with his special disposition. It is known that the animals resorted to it not all at once, but one by one. As a result, preference was given to one or the other. The countdown of the new year began with the second full moon, which came after the winter - December in our opinion - solstice. according to the eastern calendar, they begin with the Rat. Further, in order, follow the Tiger, the Rabbit (or Hare) and the Dragon, the Snake and the Horse. The last animal, by the way, is a symbol of the outgoing year, and we can hear the rhythmic clatter of its hooves for several more days. And in place of the Horse, a restless hard worker with a noble, but restive character, the melancholic, sometimes loving to put out horns and buck, but in general a peaceful domestic Goat, is in a hurry. The signs of the zodiac according to the eastern calendar are not the same in all Asian countries. The goat is revered in China. And in Japan, they believe that 2015 will be ruled by the Sheep. This is followed by Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig (or Boar). This is such a heavenly zoo!
Elements and elements
Astrologers note that the symbols of the Eastern calendar are not limited to animals. They include the main natural elements and elements. These are Fire, Wood, Earth, Water, Metal. Each has a specific symbolic meaning. The tree is the personification of the East itself, the place from where the sunrise begins, the beginning of life, spring, youth, flowering, emergence, the birth of all life processes. The main one among the Chinese - the Dragon - is located precisely in the eastern part of the house or temple. Fire is the South, it is associated with. Metaphorically, the element of fire is equated to progress, prosperity, the disclosure of one's own potentials in various spheres of life, the growth of prosperity and abundance. It is also associated with fame, self-realization. Thus, Fire is the manifestation of the most powerful and bright flowering, the culmination of something.
Philosophy of the East
The table of the eastern calendar will be incomplete without the elements of the Earth - the central one in the eastern philosophical system. In the cosmic spheres, its correspondence is the Polar Star, the prototype of the earthly imperial power. Consequently, the earth element is associated with ordering, legitimizing any processes, manifestations of control and order, as well as confrontations because of them. And if the Chinese philosophers associated the Tree with spring, then the Earth is the middle of summer, the ripening of fruits and fruits, as well as the wise time for the maturity of human life. Metal is reliability, strength, justice, hardness. The element is associated with the Sun, just setting, and is associated with the West - the sunset. Metaphorically, it means the sunset of human life, wise contemplation, "time to collect stones" and reap the harvest. And water, fluid and changeable, is considered the most incomprehensible and mysterious by the eastern sages. It is associated with the North, old age and its inherent wisdom, the rejection of false illusions, peace.
Goat Dereza
But let us return to the present day, to our urgent affairs. The coming year, according to the eastern calendar, is the year of the Goat. What interesting things can be learned about him from astrological characteristics? In the 21st century, we will meet the "bearded beauty" for the second time - the first came in 2003. In Russian folklore, a goat is a rather capricious and crafty animal. It’s hard to please her, Dereza is much in the dirty tricks, that’s why she is peeled, and her sides are peeled. At the same time, a goat is a nurse, a kind, unpretentious, very clean animal, her milk is healthier and more valuable than cow's. In the East, especially among the poor, Dereza was very much appreciated. But the attitude towards goats was somewhat different: they were both dissolute, and stupid, and pugnacious. And for some reason "old". The abusive expression "old goat" wanders from people to people, from one national culture to another.
Symbol of the year
What is the characteristic year of the Goat according to the eastern calendar? If we take into account the fact that goats are very fond of affection, they respond to it with pleasure, then from the years of which it is the totem, one should also expect calmness, goodwill, peace and the wise resolution of many global and minor conflicts. Calmness and stability, without sharp jumps and changes, should please everyone who is tired of crises and changes and is an adherent of eternal values. Therefore, if you treat others with sincere friendliness and cordiality, the support of Goat-Dereza is guaranteed to you! The ruler of the cosmic mysteries in 2015 will be Jupiter - a planet that brings with it world harmony and order, the highest justice and establishes the most important laws of human coexistence and mercy. It is no wonder that many people associate with the "year of Jupiter" hopes for positive changes in their lives.
Pastoral with sheep
According to the Eastern calendar, the Sheep shares the New Year's throne with the Goat. She was chosen as a totem by the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun. Sheep, as we know, are extremely peaceful and sweet animals. Someone considers them stupid, true, but in Christian mythology, Christ himself was compared with a lamb - a meek and defenseless lamb. Nature, indeed, did not take care that the lambs could stand up for themselves - they have neither strong hooves, nor sharp horns, nor ferocious fangs. That is why they are so dependent on the person. But the year of the Sheep, in this case, should not be warlike, with cataclysms and natural disasters. On the contrary, the meek Sheep should bring peace and calm.
"Horned" varieties
It was not in vain that we noted the connection of the Chinese calendar not only with the animal world, but also with the natural elements and elements. Indeed, in accordance with them, each totem abides in one form or another. So, the past years 1931 and 1991 and the coming decades in 2051 refer to the Metal Goat. The Water Goat was 1943, 2003 and will be 2063. The Wooden Goat walked around the world in 1955, will return in a few days - in 2015, and then nods its horns affably in 2075. The kingdom of the Fire Goat fell on 1907 and 1967, then it will come in 2027. And, finally, the Earth Goat greeted the world with its "bleep" in 1919 and 1979, and we will hear it again in 2051. Happy new year friends? Yes, Happy New Year!
The Eastern or Chinese calendar consists of five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal and water) and 12 animals (rat, bull, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig). The full cycle of such a calendar is 60 years. The current cycle began in 1984 - the year of the wooden rat.
Let's see: Why does each year in the Chinese calendar correspond to a certain animal? Why are there twelve of them? And why are they in that order?
There are several legends about this:
Legend one
The first legend about how the Jade Emperor - the supreme deity of the Taoist pantheon, the lord of heaven - chose twelve animals, each of which rules a year once every twelve years.
The Jade Emperor ruled over the sky and everything in heaven. And he never descended to the bottom of the earth, so he was interested in the appearance of all creatures living on earth. Somehow the emperor summoned his chief adviser to him.
I have been ruling the heavens for a long time, - the emperor said to the adviser, - but I have never seen these strange animals and I do not know what they look like. I would like to know their characteristic features and properties. I would like to see how they move and hear the sounds they make. How smart are they and how do they help people?
There are thousands of different creatures on earth, - the adviser answered the emperor, - some of them run, others fly, others crawl. It will take a very long time to collect all the earthly beings. Do you want to see them all?
No, I can't waste so much time. Select for me the twelve most interesting animals and bring them to me so that I can classify them by color and shape.
The adviser went over in his head all the animals he knew, and decided, to begin with, to call a rat, but asked her to convey the invitation also to her friend the cat. He also sent invitations to the bull, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster and dog, and ordered them to appear before the emperor tomorrow at 6 o'clock in the morning.
The rat was very flattered by this invitation, she immediately went to convey the good news to her friend cat. The cat was also very happy, but was alarmed that at 6 in the morning it was too early and he might oversleep. Therefore, he asked the rat to wake him up in time. All night the rat thought about how cute and shiny the cat was and how ugly it would look compared to him in front of the emperor. And I decided that the only way to make sure that all the praise did not go to the cat was not to wake him up in the morning.
At six o'clock in the morning, all the animals except the cat lined up in front of the Jade Emperor, who slowly began to examine them. When he reached the last animal, he turned to the adviser and said:
All animals are interesting, but why are there only eleven?
The adviser could not answer and immediately sent a servant to earth, ordering him to deliver to heaven the very first animal that he met. The servant went down to the country road and saw a peasant carrying a pig to market.
Please stop, the servant begged. - I need your pig. The Jade Emperor wishes to see this creature immediately. Think of the great honor - for your pig will appear before the very ruler of heaven.
The peasant appreciated the words of the servant and gave him his pig. And she was immediately taken to heaven.
Meanwhile, the rat, fearing that it would go unnoticed, jumped onto the back of the bull and began to play the flute. The emperor liked this unusual animal so much that he gave it the first place. The emperor gave the second place to the bull - after all, he was so generous that he allowed the rat to sit on his back. The tiger, for its brave appearance, got third place, and the rabbit, for its delicate white fur, got fourth place. The emperor decided that the dragon looked like a powerful snake with paws, and put it in fifth place. The snake received sixth place for its supple body, the horse seventh place for elegant posture, and the ram eighth place for strong horns. The agile and restless monkey got ninth place, the rooster for beautiful feathers - tenth, and the vigilant guard dog - eleventh. The pig was at the end: it may not have been as interesting as the other animals, but it still went to heaven and therefore was awarded the last place.
When the ceremony came to an end, a cat ran into the palace and began to beg the emperor to evaluate him too, but it was too late: the emperor had already chosen twelve animals. Seeing the rat in the first place, the cat rushed at her with the intention of killing, because she did not wake him up. That is why to this day, the cat and the rat remain the worst enemies.
Legend two
One day, the Buddha invited all the animals inhabiting the earth to his New Year's Eve. To those who come first to congratulate him and express their respect, he promised to give a whole year each, which will henceforth be called by their names. The mouse was ahead of everyone. A bull followed her, then a tiger, a cat, a dragon, a snake, a horse, a goat, a monkey, a rooster, a dog. The pig came twelfth. Having taken possession of its own year, each animal, as it were, transferred to it the typical features of its character, and the person acquired the properties inherent in the animal in the year of which he was born.
Legend three
Before the Buddha left the Earth, he called all the animals to him to say goodbye to them. But only 12 of them came to this call: the cunning Rat, the diligent Ox, the brave Tiger, the quiet Rabbit, the strong Dragon, the wise Snake, the elegant Horse, the artistic Goat, the quick-witted Monkey, the colorful Rooster and the faithful Dog. The last to run into the sacred meadow was a happy Pig. She was a little late, but she was not at all embarrassed by this circumstance.
When parting with the animals, the enlightened Buddha gave each of them one year of reign as a token of gratitude for coming to say goodbye to him.
Sly Rat 
Zealous Bull 
Brave Tiger 
Silent Rabbit 
strong dragon 
Wise Snake 
Elegant Horse
Artistic Goat
Smart Monkey
colorful rooster 
Faithful Dog 
Happy Pig
Oriental or Chinese calendar consists of the five elements(wood, fire, earth, metal and water) and 12 animals(rat, bull, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig). The full cycle of such a calendar is 60 years. The current cycle began in 1984 - the year of the wooden rat.
Let's figure it out: Why does each year in the Chinese calendar correspond to a certain animal? Why are there twelve of them? And why are they in that order?
There are several legends about this:
Legend one
The first legend is about how the Jade Emperor - the supreme deity of the Taoist pantheon, the lord of heaven - chose twelve animals, each of which rules a year once every twelve years.
The Jade Emperor ruled over the sky and everything in heaven. And he never descended to the bottom of the earth, so he was interested in the appearance of all creatures living on earth. Somehow the emperor summoned his chief adviser to him.
I have ruled the skies for a long time,” the emperor said to the adviser, “but I have never seen these strange animals and I don’t know what they look like. I would like to know their characteristic features and properties. I would like to see how they move and hear the sounds they make. How smart are they and how do they help people?
There are thousands of different creatures on earth - the adviser answered the emperor, - some of them run, others fly, others crawl. It will take a very long time to collect all the earthly beings. Do you want to see them all?
No, I can't waste so much time. Select for me the twelve most interesting animals and bring them to me so that I can classify them by color and shape.
The adviser went over in his head all the animals he knew and decided to start by calling a rat, but asked her to convey the invitation to her friend the cat as well. He also sent invitations to the bull, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster and dog, and ordered them to appear before the emperor tomorrow at 6 o'clock in the morning.
The rat was very flattered by this invitation, she immediately went to convey the good news to her friend cat. The cat was also very happy, but was alarmed that at 6 in the morning it was too early and he might oversleep. Therefore, he asked the rat to wake him up in time. All night the rat thought about how cute and shiny the cat was and how ugly it would look compared to him in front of the emperor. And I decided that the only way to make sure that all the praise did not go to the cat was not to wake him up in the morning.
At six o'clock in the morning, all the animals except the cat lined up in front of the Jade Emperor, who slowly began to examine them. When he reached the last animal, he turned to the adviser and said:
All animals are interesting, but why are there only eleven?
The adviser could not answer and immediately sent a servant to earth, ordering him to bring to heaven the very first animal that he met. The servant went down to the country road and saw a peasant carrying a pig to market.
Please stop, the servant begged. - I need your pig. The Jade Emperor wishes to see this creature immediately. Think of the great honor - for your pig will appear before the very ruler of heaven.
The peasant appreciated the words of the servant and gave him his pig. And she was immediately taken to heaven.
Meanwhile, the rat, afraid that it would go unnoticed, jumped on the back of the bull and began to play the flute. The emperor liked this unusual animal so much that he gave it the first place. The emperor gave the second place to the bull - after all, he was so generous that he allowed the rat to sit on his back. The tiger, for its brave appearance, got third place, and the rabbit, for its delicate white fur, got fourth place. The emperor decided that the dragon looked like a powerful snake with paws, and put it in fifth place. The snake received sixth place for its supple body, the horse seventh place for elegant posture, and the ram eighth place for strong horns. The agile and restless monkey got ninth place, the rooster for beautiful feathers - tenth, and the vigilant guard dog - eleventh. The pig was at the end: it may not have been as interesting as the other animals, but it still went to heaven and therefore was awarded the last place.
When the ceremony came to an end, a cat ran into the palace and began to beg the emperor to evaluate him too, but it was too late: the emperor had already chosen twelve animals. Seeing the rat in the first place, the cat rushed at her with the intention of killing, because she did not wake him up. That is why to this day, the cat and the rat remain the worst enemies.
Legend two
One day, the Buddha invited all the animals inhabiting the earth to his New Year's Eve. To those who come first to congratulate him and express their respect, he promised to give a whole year each, which will henceforth be called by their names. The mouse was ahead of everyone. A bull followed her, then a tiger, a cat, a dragon, a snake, a horse, a goat, a monkey, a rooster, a dog. The pig came twelfth. Having taken possession of its own year, each animal, as it were, transferred to it the typical features of its character, and the person acquired the properties inherent in the animal in the year of which he was born.
Legend three
Before the Buddha left the Earth, he called all the animals to him to say goodbye to them. But only 12 of them came to this call: the cunning Rat, the diligent Ox, the brave Tiger, the quiet Rabbit, the strong Dragon, the wise Snake, the elegant Horse, the artistic Goat, the quick-witted Monkey, the colorful Rooster and the faithful Dog. The last to run into the sacred meadow was a happy Pig. She was a little late, but she was not at all embarrassed by this circumstance.
When parting with the animals, the enlightened Buddha gave each one a year of reign as a token of gratitude for having come to say goodbye to him.
Sly Rat
Zealous Bull
Brave Tiger
Silent Rabbit