Monkeys in Mythology, Folklore, and Religion
By Anniina Jokinen.
This essay is permalinked at Luminarium.
I have received a constant "Sign of the Monkey" in the past few weeks (See previous post), so I thought I'd do my research. Here are my gatherings so far. Any and all additions and helpful suggestions appreciated.
Monkey lore in India dates from before 500 BC.1 One of the most popular Hindu gods is Hanuman the Monkey, in some tales said to be an incarnation of Shiva. He is revered for his bravery, strength, loyalty, devotion, and dedication to justice. His tale and heroic exploits are told in both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. It is common to chant the name of Hanuman when one needs heavenly intervention. Every year, his birthday is celebrated "on the full-moon day of Chaitra (April) at sunrise."2 Monkeys in general are revered in several parts of India, for bearing the likeness of Hanuman. He is connected to the sun, the wind, and thunder.
Monkey lore in China predates Buddhism, for the Monkey appears in the Chinese Zodiacal beliefs, believed by scholars to date to around 1100BC. In some parts of China, the Monkey (申) is worshipped as the "Great Sage Equal to Heaven."3 Of interest is also that the rough Western equivalent for the Chinese astrological sign of Monkey is the sign of Leo (which I am). In Chinese mythology, the monkey god was Sun-Wukong, the Monkey King, a trickster god. He is the hero of the 16th-century Chinese book Journey To The West (Xiyou Ji).4 The Monkey God Festival is still celebrated in China and Hong Kong.
Monkey lore in Japan took hold after the arrival of Buddhism (mid-6th century AD) and is tied to Japanese Shinto-Buddhism.5 The monkey was alternately a messenger to the gods or a physical manifestation of a god. The origin of the three monkeys, "Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil, See No Evil," is also thought to have originated at the Hiei Shrine at Mt. Hiei.6 In folklore and geomancy beliefs, the Monkey was thought to protect against demons as well as disease and is a patron of fertility, safe childbirth, and harmonious marriages.
Before moving away from the Far East, I'd like to quote Shumacher's summary of the monkey gods:
In the Americas, the Mayans of Guatemala and Mexico worshiped a howler monkey god ( sometimes depicted as twin-gods), who was the patron of the arts; music, scribes and sculptors.8 In the Mayan Calendar, the Howler Monkey corresponds to knowledge of history and rituals, as well as prophecy.9 There is a fabled "Ciudad Blanca" in Honduras, dedicated to the Monkey God, but so far its location is unknown—it is mentioned in pre-Columbian Toltec and Maya texts as "The ancient place where the aurora originates."10 In Aztec mythology of Mexico, the monkey was connected to the sun, and was guarded by Cochipilli (Kokopelli), the god of flower, fun, and fertility.
I was unable to find out anything about monkey beliefs in Africa. It is quite hard to imagine that a whole continent filled with monkeys would yield no monkey beliefs? Perhaps this just goes to show how disinterested the western world is in Africa in this as well as other areas. Please contribute if you possess any monkey information relating to Africa.
To wit, I don't quite know what to do with all of this. What is the universe trying to tell me? To stop being restless, to stop being fooled by appearances, and to devote myself to meditation and the seeking of wisdom? Does anybody have any ideas here?
1 Monkey Deities. Mark Shumacher.
2 Hanuman, Simian symbol of strength. About.com
3 Monkey (Zodiac). Wikipedia entry.
4 Monkey. "Chinese Mythology." Godchecker.com.
5 Shumacher.
6 Ibid.
7 Ibid.
8 Howler Monkey Gods. Wikipedia entry.
9 Ibid.
10 Madrid, Ricardo. "White City legend has curious history."
Honduras This Week. 4 Sep 2001. 8 Mar 2007.
This essay is permalinked at Luminarium.
I have received a constant "Sign of the Monkey" in the past few weeks (See previous post), so I thought I'd do my research. Here are my gatherings so far. Any and all additions and helpful suggestions appreciated.
Monkey lore in India dates from before 500 BC.1 One of the most popular Hindu gods is Hanuman the Monkey, in some tales said to be an incarnation of Shiva. He is revered for his bravery, strength, loyalty, devotion, and dedication to justice. His tale and heroic exploits are told in both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. It is common to chant the name of Hanuman when one needs heavenly intervention. Every year, his birthday is celebrated "on the full-moon day of Chaitra (April) at sunrise."2 Monkeys in general are revered in several parts of India, for bearing the likeness of Hanuman. He is connected to the sun, the wind, and thunder.
Monkey lore in China predates Buddhism, for the Monkey appears in the Chinese Zodiacal beliefs, believed by scholars to date to around 1100BC. In some parts of China, the Monkey (申) is worshipped as the "Great Sage Equal to Heaven."3 Of interest is also that the rough Western equivalent for the Chinese astrological sign of Monkey is the sign of Leo (which I am). In Chinese mythology, the monkey god was Sun-Wukong, the Monkey King, a trickster god. He is the hero of the 16th-century Chinese book Journey To The West (Xiyou Ji).4 The Monkey God Festival is still celebrated in China and Hong Kong.
Monkey lore in Japan took hold after the arrival of Buddhism (mid-6th century AD) and is tied to Japanese Shinto-Buddhism.5 The monkey was alternately a messenger to the gods or a physical manifestation of a god. The origin of the three monkeys, "Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil, See No Evil," is also thought to have originated at the Hiei Shrine at Mt. Hiei.6 In folklore and geomancy beliefs, the Monkey was thought to protect against demons as well as disease and is a patron of fertility, safe childbirth, and harmonious marriages.
Before moving away from the Far East, I'd like to quote Shumacher's summary of the monkey gods:
| Monkey mythology is an important part of both Hindu / Buddhist lore (India) and Zodiac / Taoist / Buddhist lore (China). In the various tales... the monkey is portrayed initially as foolish, vain, and mischievous. Yet, in each tradition, the monkey learns valuable lessons along the way, makes changes, and eventually gains redemption. The monkey thus embodies the themes of repentance, responsibility, devotion, and the promise of salvation to all who sincerely seek it.7 |
In the Americas, the Mayans of Guatemala and Mexico worshiped a howler monkey god ( sometimes depicted as twin-gods), who was the patron of the arts; music, scribes and sculptors.8 In the Mayan Calendar, the Howler Monkey corresponds to knowledge of history and rituals, as well as prophecy.9 There is a fabled "Ciudad Blanca" in Honduras, dedicated to the Monkey God, but so far its location is unknown—it is mentioned in pre-Columbian Toltec and Maya texts as "The ancient place where the aurora originates."10 In Aztec mythology of Mexico, the monkey was connected to the sun, and was guarded by Cochipilli (Kokopelli), the god of flower, fun, and fertility.
I was unable to find out anything about monkey beliefs in Africa. It is quite hard to imagine that a whole continent filled with monkeys would yield no monkey beliefs? Perhaps this just goes to show how disinterested the western world is in Africa in this as well as other areas. Please contribute if you possess any monkey information relating to Africa.
To wit, I don't quite know what to do with all of this. What is the universe trying to tell me? To stop being restless, to stop being fooled by appearances, and to devote myself to meditation and the seeking of wisdom? Does anybody have any ideas here?
1 Monkey Deities. Mark Shumacher.
2 Hanuman, Simian symbol of strength. About.com
3 Monkey (Zodiac). Wikipedia entry.
4 Monkey. "Chinese Mythology." Godchecker.com.
5 Shumacher.
6 Ibid.
7 Ibid.
8 Howler Monkey Gods. Wikipedia entry.
9 Ibid.
10 Madrid, Ricardo. "White City legend has curious history."
Honduras This Week. 4 Sep 2001. 8 Mar 2007.
Labels: Everything's coming up Monkeys, folklore, mythology
posted by Anniina | 5:43 PM
10 Comments:
Would you like to buy a monkey?
ahhhhhhhhhhhh, monkeys!
I believe that there are signs sent from...uhm...wherever...
The whole monkey-business might be a sign to you, especially b/c you have perceived the sign.
Is your Chinese astrological sign a monkey, too?
(I serached the entry for a proof of this, but I could not find, sorry.) So, if you ARE, than it must be the sign that redirects you to yourself, to your journey.
*just guessing here*
Noo, the last year of the monkey was 1980 and I, alas, am not that young, tehee!
Anniina, these years keep returning in every 12 years. Monkey was the year of 2004.
check again.
:-P
I'm a Rooster for example...
No I mean I'm not old enough to be born in '68 nor young enough to be born in '80....
I got a monkey singing in my brain
I should have known already we're the same
I got some monkey business to attend
I think i'll ask him if he'd hold my hand
And ask him to be a friend of mine
Together we'll fly up to cloud number nine
And share his cup made of tin
Maybe then you'd like to let us in
Monkeyboy by Hellacopters
I was going to add this song to my blog. I said on Thursday, that I have a monkey song for you :) It is going to be on your next cd...
allright finally I got it. I've never been REALLY good at mathematics, you know...
Heheh, you can make me a MONKEY CD - "Arctic Monkeys" and this Hellacopters' "Monkey on my Brain" and what's that "Fairground Attraction" song with the "clockwork monkey beating the drum"... I see a lot of potential here.
"In the worlds before Monkee, Primal Chaos reigned.
Heaven sought order.
But the phoenix can fly only when its feathers are grown.
The four worlds formed again and yet again,
As endless eons wheeled and passed.
Time and the pure essences of heaven, the moisture
of the Earth, the powers of the sun and the moon
all worked upon a certain rock, old as creation.
And it became magically fertile.
That first egg was named 'Thought'.
Tathagata Buddha, the Father Buddha, said,
'With our thoughts, we make the world.'
Elemental forces caused the egg to hatch.
From it came a stone monkee.
The nature of Monkee was....irrepressible!"
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