Cycle

IMG:p149_9.png:Chinese characters chia-tzu. The Chinese cycle is a period of 60 years, each year being distinguished by a name of two characters. The characters are taken, one from the Ten heavenly stems, IMG:p149_10.png:Chinese characters the other from the Twelve earthly branches IMG:p149_11.png:Chinese characters % The ten stems in order and the twelve branches m ordeir are given below. The first stem with the first branch is IMG:p149_12.png:Chinese characters chia-tzu, the first year of the cycle. Tne second stem with the second branch gives the name of the second year, i-ch'ou Zj 31 IMG:p149_13.png:Chinese characters and so on to the tenth stem and tenth branch. The eleventh branch is then joined with the first stem, the twelfth with the second stem, and so on. Sixty years can be numbered in this way. after which chia-tzu comes again and a new cycle begins. The present cycle began in 1864, and the year 1917 is therefore X B ting- H, being the- 54th year in what is sometimes called the 76th cycle. The system is attributed to Huang -Ti, 2637 B.C., but it is certain that before the Han dynasty, K.c. 206, there is no evidence of the stems and branches being used to mark years but only days and hours, etc. The cyclical signs play an important part in divination, the twelve branches also mark the twelve (Chinese) hours cli'Cn IMG:p149_14.png:Chinese characters the day and the twelve points of the compa ; and stem and branches are used in many other ways. (See Giles' Dictionary, Tables Vd, Ve.). Buddhism IMG:p149_15.png:Chinese characters invented twelve spirits as rulers of the aycle, — the twelve Yiian chia 7c IMG:p149_16.png:Chinese characters or YU-in rh'en %Sk- Their names and pictures may be seen in DoRF.'s book, Berherches sur Its Sujierstitions. ting Branches. IMG:p149_17.png:Chinese characters Stems. chia ¥ i n ping keng IMG:p149_18.png:Chinese characters tzu Zlc wu J S ch'ou a chi tfwu m 5P mao H yin IMG:p149_19.png:Chinese characters hsin IMG:p149_20.png:Chinese characters ch'en i kue i m B u IMG:p149_21.png:Chinese characters wei IMG:p149_22.png:Chinese characters shen IMG:p149_23.png:Chinese characters hsii