Year of Tonguz
Meaning: boar, pig
A short history
"Tonguz" means pig in Old Turkic. As the last year that closes the cycle, it is an image of gathering a period's harvest and preparing for a new beginning.
Cultural background
The Old Turkic "tonguz" means pig; it is the last year in Kashgari's list, while the Orkhon inscriptions name the same year "lagzın". In Kazakh it is "doñyz". As the last animal of the cycle it carries the theme of closing in a symbolic reading; since the next year begins again with the rat, the ending here is like the threshold of the cycle.
Symbolic qualities
- generous
- sincere
- tolerant
- knows how to enjoy
Tonguz is the symbol of generosity that shares the taste of life. It approaches people in good faith and opens its table. Its shadow side is struggling to set limits and neglecting itself.
Things you might reflect on
- What would you like to take with you from a period that is closing?
- Is there a place where your generosity needs a limit?
- When did you last set aside an enjoyable moment for yourself?
Years it falls on
Each year begins on 21 March and ends on 20 March of the following year.
1911 · 1923 · 1935 · 1947 · 1959 · 1971 · 1983 · 1995 · 2007 · 2019 · 2031 · 2043 · 2055 · 2067 · 2079 · 2091
Chinese counterpart: Pig →Where does the Turkic 12-animal calendar come from?
In the Divanu Lugati't-Türk, written in the 11th century, Mahmud of Kashgar explains that the Turks counted years by the names of twelve animals and lists them in order. The work also tells a story about the origin of the cycle: of the animals driven into the Ila (Ili) river before a ruler, the names of the twelve that crossed were given to the years.
An older witness is the Orkhon inscriptions (8th century). The Kül Tegin inscription dates his death to the "koń yıl" (year of the sheep, 731) and the Bilge Kagan inscription dates the kagan's death to the "it yıl" (year of the dog, 734). So animal year names were already used to give dates in that period.
The cycle follows the same order as the Chinese calendar and is a heritage shared with neighbouring cultures. Sources reckon the start of the year differently; this page takes Nevruz (21 March) as the start of the year.
- Kaşgarlı Mahmud, Divanu Lugati't-Türk (1072–1077).
- Kül Tegin yazıtı (732) ve Bilge Kağan yazıtı (735), Orhun Vadisi.
- Erkoç, H. İ., Divanü Lugati't-Türk'te Vahşi Hayvanlarla İlgili Kelimeler ve Terimler, Hacettepe Üniversitesi Türkiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi 23 (2015), 177-208.
- Karimova, G. ve Türkmen, F., Kazakistan'da Hayvan Kültü ve 12 Hayvanlı Halk Takvimi (2022).
The twelve animals
For entertainment and self-reflection. Year animals are presented as cultural history and character symbolism; they do not tell you what a year holds.
The images on this page were generated with AI.