The relationship between agriculture and the zodiac in ancient China

The usage of the 12 zodiac signs has changed at any time in the long river of history, and the relationship with agriculture is sparse and dense, depending on the knowledge and understanding of the people at that time, as well as the customary usage at that time, it is difficult to generalize. The main reason is that the literacy and cultural popularization rate of ancient people is insufficient, and it is simplified into an easy-to-see, easy-to-speak, easy-to-understand animal, which is easy to spread and use.

Answer: The zodiac has a lot to do with agriculture, specifically with the corresponding sexagenary branches of each genus.

Sunspots erupted about once every 11 to 12 years in ancient times, and Jupiter also changed every 11 to 12 years. all have a huge impact on the planet. Therefore, the ancient Chinese regarded 12 years as a cycle to know production and life.

The 12 zodiac signs are used to record the birth year of a person, also known as the 12 zodiac signs, and when they are used to record the year, month, day or hour, it is called the 12 animal calendar. The zodiac (animal calendar) is widely popular among the peoples of Asia and some countries in Eastern Europe and North Africa, and is almost a worldwide folklore phenomenon.

The composition and order of the zodiac (animal calendar) vary from nation to nation or country. At present, the 12 zodiac signs (animal calendars) of the Han, Hui, Tibetan, Hani, She, Lahu, Naxi, and Altaic language groups, as well as Korea, Korea, and Japan, are completely consistent in composition and order, as follows: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.

For example, the zodiac (animal calendar) of some ethnic groups is different from the previous one, such as the zodiac (animal calendar) in most regions of the Li nationality is the same as before, while the Maodaoli people replace the "tiger" with "worm", "rabbit" with "cat", "snake" with "fish", "meat" instead of "horse", and "human" instead of "sheep"; In most areas, the 12 zodiac signs (animal calendar) of the Yi people are the same as before, while the names and orders of the 12 zodiac signs (animal calendar) of the Yi people in Ailao Mountain in Yunnan are: tiger, rabbit, pangolin (dragon), snake, horse, sheep, monkey, chicken, dog, pig, rat, and cow. Except for one difference (there is now a saying that "dragon" is used instead of "pangolin"), the order is also different from the previous one.

The reason why the Yi people in Ailao Mountain put the "tiger" first is said to be because they think they are the descendants of the tiger and respect the tigress as their first appearance. Held every three years, the festival is held on the first day of the Tiger Moon (the first month) of the Tiger Moon at the local Tiger Temple. The door of every house must be painted in the shape of a tiger to show respect for the tiger.

That's why there is such a sorting. If it is pushed forward or backward in order, it is still the same as before. The 12 zodiac signs (beast calendar) of the Yi people in western Guizhou are:

Dragons, phoenixes, horses, ants, people, chickens, dogs, pigs, finch, cows, tigers, snakes; The zodiac signs (animal calendar) of the Dai people in the Dehong area are the same as before, and the Dai people in the Xishuangbanna area have changed "pig" to "elephant", "dragon" to "jiao" or "big snake", and "sheep" to "ant".

In addition, the names of the zodiac signs (animal calendars) in some countries are also quite different from the previous ones, such as Vietnam, where "cat" is replaced by "rabbit"; Indian: rats, oxen, lions, rabbits, dragons, snakes, horses, sheep, monkeys, goldfinches, dogs, pigs; Ancient Babylon: oxen, goats, lions, donkeys, dung beetles, snakes, dogs, cats, crocodiles, flamingos, apes, eagles; Egypt and Greece are essentially the same as those of ancient Babylon, except that the word "crab" replaces the "dung beetle" [1].

The order of "lion" and "snake" is the same as that of India, and both use "flamingo" instead of "gold-winged bird" [2]. The zodiac signs of other nations or countries are "Tiger" in the order of "Lion", and "Rooster" in the order of "Flamingo". That is to say, all beasts in the first order are beasts, and those in the latter order are birds.

It can be inferred that the 12 zodiac signs (animal calendars) in the world should have the same origin.