The myth behind the Chinese zodiac – Megan Campisi and Pen-Pen Chen

The myth behind the Chinese zodiac – Megan Campisi and Pen-Pen Chen

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What’s your sign? In Western astrology, it’s a constellation determined by when your birthday falls in the calendar. But according to the Chinese zodiac (生肖), it’s your shuxiang, meaning the animal assigned to your birth year. Of the many myths explaining these animal signs and their arrangement, the most enduring one is that of The Great Race. Megan Campisi and Pen-Pen Chen recounts this classic myth.

Lesson by Megan Campisi and Pen-Pen Chen, animation by Marta Prokopová.

43 Comments

  1. @alexy7191 on September 9, 2024 at 5:37 pm

    I am a snake



  2. @VeronikaArieveropiscia-qx6ul on September 9, 2024 at 5:38 pm

    そして、あなた方全員が同じチュルネードで自分を売りたいのですから、お互いに迷惑をかけるのはやめてください



  3. @TEDEd on September 9, 2024 at 5:40 pm

    Did you know TED-Ed now publishes animations in Mandarin? Check out and subscribe to our new channel: http://bit.ly/3izGgpo



  4. @casuality6738 on September 9, 2024 at 5:40 pm

    Cheetah has left the chat



  5. @callmethecommentcountess9329 on September 9, 2024 at 5:41 pm

    Their featured and miraculous ladybug



  6. @saigonmonopoly1105 on September 9, 2024 at 5:45 pm

    that is time i learn from thoth it better sense



  7. @SwampNymph522 on September 9, 2024 at 5:51 pm

    My elementary school music teacher of Chinese descent told my class this story which is where I first learned it. She and I are both born in the year of the dog so I know
    our age difference is divisible by 12.



  8. @MedlegNem on September 9, 2024 at 5:53 pm

    Between 3:08 and 3:58 background melody is Mongolian Traditional music of the "Morin Khuur".



  9. @lucioussmoothy on September 9, 2024 at 5:55 pm

    oldy but goodie. Nice simple description



  10. @mizu-t7 on September 9, 2024 at 5:57 pm

    I find this topic really interesting as a Japanese person. I sometimes struggle to explain Kanji to my foreign friends, so I’ll share this video!



  11. @InkWaxstudios100 on September 9, 2024 at 5:59 pm

    3:20 Tepig



  12. @adamkim-1203 on September 9, 2024 at 6:03 pm

    I think the dragon should have won cause he could have flew across but helping creatures is more important and the dragon had karma and made it onto a spot in the zodiac sign



  13. @Henrikboi on September 9, 2024 at 6:04 pm

    Is a dragon part of zodiac



  14. @user-gz3kg9mh8m on September 9, 2024 at 6:05 pm

    The Myths of Ancient Marvel of Mythological Microphones inside Tubes.



  15. @saigonmonopoly1105 on September 9, 2024 at 6:07 pm

    12 month 12yr 12/24 hours it cyclicals 4season 3month 90/360 add 5 quarter pairs keep better even synchonisation or not?



  16. @FreddyFazbearaaa on September 9, 2024 at 6:07 pm

    Dragon
    Born in 2012



  17. @toothlessdancingmeme4863 on September 9, 2024 at 6:12 pm

    If I was born in 2014 then what Chinese zodiac am i



  18. @grdprojekt on September 9, 2024 at 6:13 pm

    3:48 as far as I’m aware, naga is.. dragon. In Indonesia at least, naga _is_ Indonesian for dragon. But the origin of what we Indonesian and Thai call as dragon is the same, a serpent looking mythical animal. We got the idea of Naga from Hinduism that brought by South Asians. Chinese idea of a dragon was largely similar, but conceived thousands of years prior. I’m quite sure South Asian’s idea of Naga copied the idea of Lóng (i.e. Chinese Dragon).

    So all in all, Thais replaced "dragon" with "naga" is simply because of language differences. Thai word for dragon is admittedly Mạngkr not Naga, but the idea is the same. Naga might be Thai’s way to call dragon in religious way.

    I mean, the illustration for dragon and the naga in this video is largely similar, just different colours.



  19. @Dreymidnight on September 9, 2024 at 6:13 pm

    I love how it’s just a bunch of normal animals then *dragon*



  20. @junweipan2494 on September 9, 2024 at 6:13 pm

    The legend of the Chinese dragon first originated in northern China, and the world’s first and earliest dragon-shaped jade pendant was unearthed (6,500 years ago). This is the earliest cultural relic. Be aware that Koreans are crazy about stealing Chinese culture on the international Internet. They claim that dragons originated in Korea. And the Koreans claim that the dragon originally had 7 claws in Korea, and later spread to China and became 5 claws, but the funny thing is that there are no dragon-shaped cultural relics in South Korea that are more than 2,000 years old, and the dragon shape unearthed in China originally had no claws of. I want Koreans to stop stealing because you steal our culture and then when you see us showing our culture you turn to your lies. You have a single nation, a small territory, and are all mountainous. There are no big rivers, so it is difficult to form a large-scale civilization. However, Koreans are crazy about labeling Chinese culture as Korean culture on the Internet. I don’t know if they did it on purpose. Logically speaking, it is difficult for a single nation and a small territory to produce a large number of cultures. Have you ever heard of candied haws on a stick? Candied haws on a stick was introduced to Korea about 4 years ago, and then the Koreans changed it and claimed that the candied haws on a stick originated in Korea. In addition, the landmark building tower in Incheon they are about to build is almost 90% similar to the Canton Tower. Then a few years later, Koreans will say on the Internet that Canton Tower copied Incheon Tower. The thief shouts, catch the thief! A nation of thieves.The legend of the Chinese dragon first originated in northern China, and the world’s first and earliest dragon-shaped jade pendant was unearthed (6,500 years ago). This is the earliest cultural relic. Be aware that Koreans are crazy about stealing Chinese culture on the international Internet. They claim that dragons originated in Korea. And the Koreans claim that the dragon originally had 7 claws in Korea, and later spread to China and became 5 claws, but the funny thing is that there are no dragon-shaped cultural relics in South Korea that are more than 2,000 years old, and the dragon shape unearthed in China originally had no claws of. I want Koreans to stop stealing because you steal our culture and then when you see us showing our culture you turn to your lies. You have a single nation, a small territory, and are all mountainous. There are no big rivers, so it is difficult to form a large-scale civilization. However, Koreans are crazy about labeling Chinese culture as Korean culture on the Internet. I don’t know if they did it on purpose. Logically speaking, it is difficult for a single nation and a small territory to produce a large number of cultures. Have you ever heard of candied haws on a stick? Candied haws on a stick was introduced to Korea about 4 years ago, and then the Koreans changed it and claimed that the candied haws on a stick originated in Korea. In addition, the landmark building tower in Incheon they are about to build is almost 90% similar to the Canton Tower. Then a few years later, Koreans will say on the Internet that Canton Tower copied Incheon Tower. The thief shouts, catch the thief! A nation of thieves.



  21. @SonicCloud7 on September 9, 2024 at 6:15 pm

    Great more fake astrology sh!t



  22. @sivaramakrishnanld5035 on September 9, 2024 at 6:15 pm

    See more and more videos from my Prayers for a successful trip and Best Wishes



  23. @saigonmonopoly1105 on September 9, 2024 at 6:17 pm

    sure the zodiac cycles is a bigger eon age cycle 12000 24000 36000 years



  24. @ezpcsqueezylemonjuicy1461 on September 9, 2024 at 6:18 pm

    In Indonesia,
    Naga means dragon



  25. @bipedalame on September 9, 2024 at 6:18 pm

    I’m an Ox and a Taurus. May 20th 1973



  26. @lidiareyes7048 on September 9, 2024 at 6:18 pm

    So in Thai Zodiac I’m a Naga



  27. @saigonmonopoly1105 on September 9, 2024 at 6:19 pm

    solar calendar time base upon it elipsetical rotation how then it be acurate?



  28. @lufiyaalu5053 on September 9, 2024 at 6:19 pm

    I’m a horse



  29. @Ling_Ling2U on September 9, 2024 at 6:20 pm

    I have a dragon zodiac



  30. @dav1dbone on September 9, 2024 at 6:21 pm

    Then they crawl through plastic tube to appear in a mysterious land of spice and extreme heat, head turns to gaze at the rising aromas and swift mallet hit to head, into the wok you go.



  31. @divijdomah6285 on September 9, 2024 at 6:21 pm

    Am a Yang Wooden Rooster baby



  32. @minthantlin9168 on September 9, 2024 at 6:23 pm

    I still can’t get over the fact that the tiger looks like a thylacine.



  33. @jojoking6638 on September 9, 2024 at 6:23 pm

    mouse



  34. @saigonmonopoly1105 on September 9, 2024 at 6:23 pm

    now the moon is out of synce



  35. @saigonmonopoly1105 on September 9, 2024 at 6:25 pm

    a cylinder strech not perfect circle in aligment right



  36. @julianisaacpili210 on September 9, 2024 at 6:29 pm

    What do you mean the not sheep goat is the right answer



  37. @user4299 on September 9, 2024 at 6:29 pm

    Belonging Tamang community from Nepal,We have also similar year counting system like this. We have Muu (sky) instead of dragon, other are same.



  38. @crossvinburn831 on September 9, 2024 at 6:30 pm

    How to get saved and be right with God for eternal life, from the King James Bible.
    10. "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:"
    23. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
    Romans 3: 10+23 (KJB)

    8. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
    9."Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."
    12. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for all that have sinned:”
    Romans 5: 8-9+12 (KJB)

    “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
    Romans 6: 23 (KJB)

    9. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
    10."For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
    13."For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
    Romans 10: 9-10+13 (KJB)

    27."And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"
    28."So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”
    Hebrews 9: 27-28 (KJB)

    "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
    Revelation 21: 8 (KJB)

    (Lastly here is an example of what to pray to God to get saved and forgiven of your sins for eternal life.)
    “Dear God, I am a sinner and need saving.
    I know I’m not good enough to get to heaven and I need you to save me.
    I need the righteousness of your son, Jesus Christ.
    I believe that Jesus is the Lord, who died, was buried and resurrected so that his precious blood can wash away my sins.
    I trust in him alone to save me.
    Nothing else.
    Not my good works or anything else.
    Only Jesus.
    I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.”



  39. @jessicabickham3402 on September 9, 2024 at 6:31 pm

    I was born in the year of the monkey



  40. @VeronikaArieveropiscia-qx6ul on September 9, 2024 at 6:32 pm

    什么是非洲希腊人或什么其他种族



  41. @saigonmonopoly1105 on September 9, 2024 at 6:34 pm

    i dont know but sure somebody accounted mistake here



  42. @trangkieu1526 on September 9, 2024 at 6:36 pm

    it had no dragons in the world



  43. @Legoepicbricks on September 9, 2024 at 6:36 pm

    yoo we got chinese avatar now
    water bender
    fire bender
    gold bender
    earth bender
    wood bender