According to another theory, the depicted shape of the creature is a composite of the twelve zodiac animals which represent compass directions: the tiger representing the northeast, the snake representing the southeast, the monkey representing the southwest and the dog and wild boar representing the northwest.
描写される姿形は北東の寅（虎）、南東の巳（蛇）、南西の申（猿）、北西の戌亥（犬とイノシシ）といった干支を表わす獣の合成という考えもある。