鼠 Rat

Characteristics

In popular tradition the Rat is pictured as quick-witted, resourceful and observant — the kind of figure who notices an opening and slips through it before anyone else. People born under the sign are commonly described as adaptable and thrifty, sociable in small circles, and clever with detail. As with every sign, these are cultural associations carried in stories and folk sayings, not statements about any particular person.

History

The Rat opens the twelve-year cycle, the first of the earthly branches (子, zǐ), and so it sets the rhythm for the whole sequence. Although small and easily overlooked among grander creatures, its place at the head of the order made it a favourite subject of New Year prints and papercuts, where it often appears nibbling grain or coins as a homely emblem of plenty. Its position at the start of the cycle is the detail most retellings of the zodiac pause on first.

In the Great Race

In the best-loved version of the Great Race, the Jade Emperor decreed that the order of the years would follow the order in which the animals crossed a great river to reach him. The Rat, unable to swim well, talked the good-natured Ox into letting it ride on his back. As the Ox waded out of the water in the lead, the Rat sprang from his head and scampered across the finish line first — which is why the Rat, for all its size, heads the cycle and the Ox comes second.

The five elements

Because each sign returns in five elemental flavours across the sixty-year cycle, tradition colours the Rat differently from turn to turn: a Wood Rat is spoken of as more easy-going, a Fire Rat as more spirited, an Earth Rat as steadier, a Metal Rat as more determined, and a Water Rat as more reflective. These are storytelling shades layered onto the same animal, offered as cultural flavour rather than any prediction.

Recent & upcoming years

Further reading

• Wikipedia: Rat (zodiac)
• Wikipedia: Chinese zodiac
• Britannica: Chinese zodiac (owner to confirm)