Choice of Heroes for the Twelve Signs
(Buyû mitate
jûnishi)
Publisher: Minato-ya Kohei
1840
The Buddhist zodiac consists
of twelve animals—rat, bull (or ox), tiger, hare, dragon, serpent, horse, goat,
monkey, cock, dog and boar. There is a story
that only these twelve animals came when called by Buddha, and this is the
order in which they came. These animals,
including the rat and serpent, have a better reputation in Buddhist countries
than in the West. In this series of
prints, historic and legendary heroes are likened to the twelve animals of the
zodiac. These prints are each about 14
by 5 inches (36 by 13 centimeters), a size known as chûtanzakuban.
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Sign: Rat
(子) Hero:
Raigô Ajari at the Onjôji Monastery in Midera, turning Buddhist scripture
into rats in his disappointment at the Emperor’s disfavor. Ôye no Masafusa, the emperor’s envoy, looks
on in dismay. Robinson:
S17.1 |
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Sign: Ox (丑) Hero: The
bandit Kidô Maru gazing at his own reflection in the water. He disguised himself in the hide of a water
buffalo in order to ambush and kill Raikô. Robinson:
S17.2 |
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Sign:
Tiger (寅) Hero:
Kashiwade no Omi Hatebe (usually known as Hadesu) fighting the tiger that
killed his daughter Robinson:
S17.3 |
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Sign: Hare
(卯) Hero: Iga
Jutarô, the elderly retainer of Sôma Yoshikado, sacrificing a hare in a
Buddhist temple Robinson:
S17.4 NOTE: The
clockwise swastika is an ancient Buddhist symbol that represents Buddha’s
footprint, as well as plurality, eternity, abundance, prosperity and long
life. It is the mirror image of the
counterclockwise swastika adopted by the Nazis. |
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Sign:
Dragon (辰) Hero:
Susa-no-o-no-mikoto standing on a rock watching a dragon swimming under water Robinson:
S17.5 |
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Sign:
Snake (巳) Hero:
Nitta Shirô Tadatsune with snakes and a vision of the goddess of Robinson:
S17.6 |
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Sign:
Horse (午) Hero: Soga
Gorô riding from Hakone to Robinson: S17.7 |
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Sign: Goat
(未) Hero:
Kwanu (Kuan Yu) seated under a pine tree with a drink in his right hand and a
small goat before him Robinson:
S17.8 |
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Sign:
Monkey (申) Hero: Songoku
(Sun Wu K’ung) king of the monkeys conjuring an army of monkeys from the air
to attack his enemy the pig Robinson:
S17.9 |
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Sign: Cock
(酉) Hero:
Kwaidô Maru (also known as Kintoki) umpiring a fight between a cock and a tengu Robinson: S17.10 NOTE: Tengu are forest-dwelling creatures
that are either human-like with wings and long noses or bird-like. |
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Sign: Dog
(戌) Hero: Hata
Rokurozaemon, a follower of Nitta Yoshisada, armed with a variety of weapons
and accompanied by his faithful dog Robinson: S17.11 |
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Sign: Boar
(亥) Hero:
Emperor Yûryaku Tennô (457-480) by a waterfall on Robinson:
S17.12 |
‘Robinson’ refers to listing in Kuniyoshi: The Warrior-Prints by Basil William Robinson (Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1982).
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