May 13rd is the Loved Dog Day in Japan.Primates as a whole should be the most dog-loving animals,after all,humans spend a lot of resources and emotions to get along with their dogs.However,Japanese culture seems to think that monkeys should not be among the ranks of those who are close to dogs.
犬猿の仲(Literally:Relationship between dog and monkey) means that the relationship between the two is particularly bad,for example,there will be fierce disputes and unhappiness at every time they meet,and they cannot even wait peacefully for a minute at the same table.Therefore,the meaning of this idiom is basically the same as "fight like cats and dogs" in English.
There are several theories about the origin of "犬猿の仲" the Japanese idiom.
The most well-known theory is probably the one related to the twelve chinese zodiac.It is said that the dog and the monkey were actually good friends and set out together on New Year Day to visit the god(The order in which the animals arrive will determine their order in the twelve zodiac),but they gradually began to argue over priorities,and as a result,they both fell into the water while walking across a single-plank bridge.The chicken tried to intervene and mediate,and eventually they came before the God together,resulting in the order of the zodiac being established as Monkey - Chicken - Dog.This incident caused the relationship between dogs and monkeys to become bad.
The second one is what about Journey to the West.Earlier in the story,Sun Wu kong the monkey king had a fierce conflict with the Heavenly Court,and Erlang Shen was one of the few Heavenly Court warriors who could match to fight him.When Taishang Laojun secretly attacked Sun Wukong in the fighting between Erlang Shen and him,Erlang Shen's celestial dog,Xiaotian Quan,took the opportunity to bite his foot to restrain him that allow him to be captured.It is said that dogs and monkeys became enemies from then on.
The third one is closer to real natural phenomena.Ancient hunters often brought hunting dogs with them when they went hunting in the mountains, and monkeys have a strong sense of territory,so it is not uncommon for hunters to see monkeys threatening and driving away dogs,and this left the impression that monkeys and dogs could not get along.
The last one is about two japanese historical man,Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Maeda Toshiie.Toyotomi Hideyoshi had a face that looked like a monkey,and Maeda Toshiie's childhood name was "Inuchiyo"(犬千代,"犬" means dog in japanese),so it is said that the two who're in friendship called each other "monkey" and "dog".They are from Owari Province,and their dialect may sound like they are arguing even if they are just good friends happily chatting.Therefore,people may have thought they were at odds and coined the idiom "犬猿の仲" to describe their relationship.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi,the famous military commanders and daimyo in the Warring States Period who with monkey-like face.Art by Kanō Mitsunobu.
Kozenji,the Buddhist temple in Nagano Prefecture,is famous for a legend about a battle between a dog and a monkey.It is said that a baboon(a yokai turned by old monkey) pretended to be the god of Yanahime Shrine and forced the villagers to sacrifice a young girl every year,and he accidentally revealed to a traveling monk that he was afraid of a dog kept by the monk of Kozenji called Hayataro.The monk borrowed Hayatarou from the Kozenji,and let Hayatarou wait for the yokai to come on behalf of the girl on the sacrifice day of the next year.Hayatarou defeated the baboons after a fierce battle,but it was seriously injured and died after returning to Kozenji to meet the monk.There are a statue of Hayatarou and it's grave next to the main hall in the temple.
The grave of Hayatarou in Kozenji.
Hayatarou from Shin Megami Tensei V.
Just like "fight like cats and dogs",the universal relationship described by "犬猿の仲" may not be consistent with reality,because there are many examples of dogs and monkeys getting along well,both in natural environments and in artificial captivity.With the right temperament and experience,dogs can also be loved by monkeys.
犬猿の仲,art by 哲仙.The paint shows a monkey fleeing into a tree after being barked at by a dog.
A special example of 犬猿の仲.
