The four pests referred to the four zodiac signs of rat, tiger, dragon, and snake. Among them, the rat was the first of the twelve zodiac animals and the first of the four pests. The tiger, dragon, and snake were ranked behind the mouse.
There was no definite answer to the question of which zodiac animals the three evils referred to. Different cultures and regions might have different versions. There was a saying that the "three pests" referred to snakes, tigers, and monkeys. Another saying was that the three pests referred to dragons, chickens, and rats. There was also a saying that the "three evils" referred to the tiger, the dragon, and Zhou Chu. Therefore, there was no definite answer as to which zodiac animals the "three evils" referred to.
In traditional China culture, the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, horse, sheep, monkey, dog, and pig were all four-legged animals. In some cultural phenomena, an imaginary zodiac such as the dragon, because it was regarded as omnipotent, may also be related to the concept of the four corners. In addition, in the auspicious carving paper of the Water Splashing Festival in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, the twelve zodiac animals were surrounded in a circle, and the four corners were heavenly kings and strong men instead of zodiacs. In the Vacheron Constantin Master of Art series, the time display on the four corners ensured the integrity of the zodiac picture, but the four corners here did not refer to the zodiac. In general, when it comes to the relationship between the four horns and the zodiac, the common four-legged zodiac animals may be covered, but the specific meaning may vary according to different cultural situations. The novel " Glittering Four Seasons " is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
The three pests of the twelve zodiac animals were snakes, tigers, and pigs. The origin of this saying was related to folk tales. According to legend, the snake and tiger were gods in the sky. They had a conflict because of the fight. After the Jade Emperor knew about this, he ordered the snake, tiger and pig to be sent to the mortal world to suffer as punishment.
The three pests of the zodiac are the snake, the tiger, and the pig. This saying originated from a folk story. It was said that snakes and tigers were gods in the sky. Because of their struggle, they were chased to the mortal world by the Jade Emperor to suffer. Pigs were ranked last because of their inferiority. The snake and the pig were dissatisfied with their ranking in the zodiac, which eventually led to a conflict between them. However, there are other theories that say that dragons, chickens, and mice or tigers, dragons, and monkeys are the three evils of the twelve zodiac signs. Therefore, there were different versions of the three pests in the twelve zodiac signs. There was no definite answer to which of the three pests were.
The three pests referred to Zhou Chu, the flood dragon, and the white-fronted tiger, not the zodiac. The allusions of eliminating the three evils came from "New Words of the World" and "Biography of Zhou Chu in the Book of Jin." They described Zhou Chu's violent and powerful youth, which was regarded as a great scourge by the villagers. In addition, there were flood dragons in Yixing's rivers and white-fronted tigers on the mountains. They also invaded the people. Therefore, the people of Yixing called them the three evils, and Zhou Chu was considered the most serious one. This allusion did not mention anything related to the zodiac. Therefore, eliminating the three evils did not refer to the zodiac.
The Five Blessings referred to the tiger, sheep, rat, pig, and dragon of the twelve zodiac signs.
The 'bustling' was referring to the zodiac monkeys. The first document mentioned the word lively and bustling, explaining that it was a grand scene with a lively atmosphere. The source was Cao Xueqin's Dream of the Red Chamber. Although other documents also mentioned the word lively, they did not clearly point out the meaning related to the zodiac. Therefore, according to the information provided, the 'lively' was referring to the zodiac monkeys.
The word 'eliminate violence and appease good' referred to the zodiac sign of the snake.