The dog is humanity's most loyal friend. Throughout the long course of history, humans and dogs have established a close bond. In some cultures, dogs were even associated with human ancestors and revered in worship, which fully demonstrates the significant role dogs play in people's lives.
Throughout the long river of human development, dogs have accompanied humans like loyal messengers, and human life has gained an extra layer of security because of their presence. Due to the close relationship between dogs and humans, people have even connected dogs with the ancestors of humanity, sometimes regarding dogs as their progenitors and holding them in the highest reverence.
In China, the most widespread belief is that Pangu is the primordial ancestor of humanity. However, there are multiple versions of this legend. One version says Pangu was the hero who separated heaven and earth, and after his death, his body transformed into the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, lakes, seas, animals, and plants. Another version states that Pangu, also called Panhu, is an alternate name for the dog, and is regarded by some ethnic groups as a canine ancestor closely related to human origins.
According to the "Soushen Ji (In Search of the Supernatural)" by Gan Bao of the Jin Dynasty, during the reign of King Gaoxin, an elderly palace maid suffered from an earache. When a physician treated her ear, he extracted a large insect from it. The old woman placed this insect in a gourd and covered it with a plate. Soon, the insect transformed into a colorful dog, and people called it Panhu. Later, the Rongwu tribe from the north repeatedly invaded the border. King Gaoxin issued an order: whoever could behead the Rongwu tribal chief would be rewarded with a thousand pieces of gold, a fief of ten thousand households, and be granted the princess's hand in marriage. Shortly after, Panhu brought back the head of the Rongwu general, carrying it to the palace. However, the court officials argued that although Panhu had performed a great deed, it was merely an animal and thus could not be granted an official position, reward, or marry the king's daughter. The princess, however, upheld the greater principle and said to the king, "Now all the world knows that Panhu retrieved the enemy general's head. Though it has the body of a beast, it possesses intelligence surpassing that of humans. Moreover, if the king breaks his promise to the world, it will bring disaster to the kingdom." In the end, the king agreed and married his daughter to Panhu.
Panhu took the princess to the Southern Mountains, where they lived a carefree life. Three years later, they gave birth to six sons and six daughters. After Panhu's death, these six sons and six daughters intermarried and multiplied, becoming the ancestors of the Yao, Miao, Li, and other ethnic minorities.
To this day, in the Yao ethnic gathering areas of the Greater Yao Mountains in Guangxi, there remains the custom of worshipping the ancestor Panhu. However, Panhu's image has transformed into that of an immortal with a plump red face, broad ears, and long beard and whiskers. Yet on the crown of this immortal, there is still a motif of two dogs facing each other, which serves as evidence that the Yao people once regarded the dog as their totem. The clothing worn by those who perform rituals in Yao regions is also embroidered with a "Pan King" image, at the very center of which is a dog looking back and gazing upward, while above the dog is the image of the Yao ancestor, King Pan.
Miao folk paper-cutting also features patterns of "The Dragon Dog and Six Sons and Six Daughters," which depict the story of the Miao king's dragon dog killing enemies, marrying the Miao king's daughter, and giving birth to six sons and six daughters to propagate humanity, as well as the Miao custom of women tying their hair to imitate dog ears. These legends related to dogs are also a reflection of the worship of maternal life.
Additionally, the Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu), who was simultaneously regarded as the celestial god of punishment and the goddess of the Great Yin (the moon deity), is also a figure closely associated with dogs. According to the Shanhaijing (Classic of Mountains and Seas), the Queen Mother of the West "appears human-like, with a dog's tail, tiger's fangs, and excels at howling. With disheveled hair and wearing a headdress, she governs the celestial calamities and the Five Mutilations." The term "dog's tail" here refers to a hooked or curled tail. In other words, the Queen Mother of the West possesses certain canine characteristics.
The creation myth of the Pumi people, "Catching the Horse Deer," also mentions dogs when narrating the origins of heaven and earth. According to the myth, the heavenly god bestowed upon the divine giant Jian Jianzu a red dog, a white dog, a golden dog, a silver dog, a copper dog, and an iron dog. These six divine dogs helped Jian Jianzu find the magical horse deer. The creator giant shot and killed the horse deer with a single arrow, and each part of the horse deer's body transformed into heaven, earth, the sun, the moon, and all things in the universe. In this story, without the help of the six divine dogs, the giant would have been unable to create the world.
In such a vast number of myths and legends, the dog is mentioned and plays such an important role in both creation and the reproduction of human ancestors, which is more than enough to qualify the dog for inclusion in the twelve zodiac animals.
Further Reading
The Dog brought grain seeds to the human world.
In Chinese ethnic myths and legends, the dog is not only associated with creation and the origin of human ancestors but also brought grain seeds to humanity. According to Uyghur mythology, when Allah first brought wheat to the human world, every part from the root to the stem was a grain. Later, an old woman used an oil cake made from wheat to wipe her grandson's bottom. Unable to endure such mistreatment, the wheat pleaded with Allah to return it to heaven. Only after the dog's repeated requests did Allah reluctantly agree to leave the topmost part of the wheat. In Hani mythology, there were originally no five grains in the human world. The daughter of the Heavenly God took pity on humanity and, after failing to persuade her father to send grain, resolutely brought the five grains to the world. Enraged and ashamed, the Heavenly God turned his daughter into a dog and cast her down to earth. To express gratitude to the dog, people often feed it by their side during meals. These myths and legends are essentially remnants of totemic dog worship, while also reflecting the beautiful bond between humans and dogs.