Zodiac horse,showing the mǎ (⾺) character for horse
The Horse (⾺) is the seventh of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. There is a long tradition of the Horse in Chinese mythology. Certain characteristics of the Horse nature are supposed to be typical of or to be associated with either a year of the Horse and its events,or in regard to the personality of someone born in such a year. Horse aspects can also enter by other chronomantic factors or measures,such as hourly. The year of the horse is associated with the Earthly Branchsymbol午.
The lunar calendar paved the sequence of the Chinese zodiac animals. This calendar can be traced back to the 14th century B.C. Myths say that Emperor Huangdi,the first Chinese emperor,in 2637 B.C. invented the Chinese lunar calendar,which follows the cycles of the moon. In a folklore story that explains the origins of the cycle,the animals hold a race to determine their order. The custom of pairing an animal with a year in a 12-year cycle can be traced back to at least the Han dynasty (201 BC –220 AD),and there are many legends and folktales surrounding the 12 zodiac animals,which are often depicted in East Asian art and design. A group of Chinese figures in the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection shows the zodiac animals with human bodies but animal heads. This way of portraying them became popular in the Tang dynasty (8th century).[1]
Hale, Gill (2002). The Practical Encyclopedia of Feng Shui. New York: Barnes and Noble Books. ISBN0-7607-3741-X
“V&A · The Lunar Zodiac.” Victoria and Albert Museum, https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-lunar-zodiac#slideshow=8683334511&slide=0.
“Chinese Zodiac: Cultural Significance.” Chinese Zodiac | Cultural Significance, https://depts.washington.edu/triolive/quest/2007/TTQ07030/culture.html.
Chiao, Fefe Ho & Chloe, et al. “Year of the Horse: Fortune and Personality – Chinese Zodiac.” Chinese New Year, https://chinesenewyear.net/zodiac/horse/.
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