The cultural symbol of the genus of sheep

　　Sacrifice one's life for righteousness, and pass on the breeding of the gods-the myths and legends of the sheep

　　In Chinese folklore, the sheep is as great as Prometheus in Greek mythology. Prometheus was sent to the altar for stealing fire from the sky, and the sheep was sacrificed for stealing grain and seeds to the world. Take meaning.

　　In the ancient times, there were no grains in the world. Humans depended on vegetables and weeds for their livelihoods. They were severely malnourished and had yellowish muscles.

　　One autumn, a sacred sheep came to the mortal world from Tiangong and found that humans had a disheveled look and looked wilted. After asking the reason, they knew that humans don't grow food, and they don't even know what food is. The god sheep showed great kindness and immediately told people to bring them some food next time. It turned out that nutritious food was only grown in Tiangong Yutian at that time. The stingy Jade Emperor did not want to share the delicacy of food with mankind. After the sacred sheep returned to the Tiangong, while the guardian god was sleeping in the middle of the night, he sneaked into the Mitian, plucked the grains (rice, grass, wheat, beans, hemp), held it in his mouth, and slipped to the earth before dawn. Human beings are very curious when they hear that the god sheep has brought them grains and seeds. The sacred sheep gave the seeds to the humans, and instructed the method of planting grains, and then quietly returned to the heavenly palace.

　　Human beings sow the seeds of grains and grow crops that year. When harvesting, humans see the ears of grains, which are like sheep's horns and sheep's tails. The harvested grain is fragrant and sweet, and the clothes made of the harvested linen are light and warm. After harvesting in autumn and hiding in winter, people held a grand peasant sacrificial ceremony to thank the gods for their kindness. Such farm sacrifice ceremonies for harvesting in autumn and harvesting in winter are still being held in some rural areas.

　　The grand ceremony of sacrificing sheep alarmed the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor thought of the emergence of grains in the world, and immediately thought that it was the god sheep who brought the grain seeds to the world. After finding out the situation, the Jade Emperor was furious and ordered the heavenly officials to slaughter the sheep in the world. And want people to eat the lamb.

　　In the second year, a strange thing happened. At the place where the god sheep was executed, grass grew first, and then lambs grew. The sheep passed on from the mortal ancestry to generations, eating grass for a living, and selflessly using their own meat and milk. Earth tribute to mankind. Mankind, out of gratitude for the delivery of seeds from the sheep, holds a wax sacrifice every year as a commemoration.

　　When human beings heard that the Jade Emperor would choose twelve animals as human signs and gave them the title of gods, they unanimously recommended sheep as a category of signs. Although the Jade Emperor was stubborn about the sheep stealing the grain, he could not confuse everyone's opinion and had no choice but to agree that the sheep should be the zodiac sign.

　　For a long time, sheep has become people's favorite domestic animal. Therefore, people often use sheep to describe different words. These words can be said to have different interests:

　　Self-trouble or death is called "making the sheep lead the wolf"; it is a metaphor for the ruthless ruling class and corrupt officials, people call it "like a wolf and shepherding a sheep"; losing the small and gaining the big is described as "losing the sheep and gaining the cow" "In fact, it was a blessing in disguise. A certain local government has many officials but few people, and it is described as "ten sheep and nine shepherds", which can be said to be exaggerated and true. A person who has no perseverance or perseverance in learning or doing things makes it difficult to make progress or success.

　　Once a meek, weak sheep falls into the tiger group, the consequences can be imagined. Therefore, people often call that the weak fall into the hands of the strong or the good fall into the hands of the bad as "the sheep enter the tiger's mouth."

　　Sheep fat condensation gives people a very soft, delicate, white and tender feeling, so people often use "white as mutton fat" to describe the white and tender skin color.

Sheep