# Origin of "no evil" monkeys **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 22, 2005, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-no-evil-monkeys/313728 "2005-07-22T23:24:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2005, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-no-evil-monkeys/313728/1 "2005-07-22T23:24:23Z")
Everyone’s seen the three monkeys covering their respective eyes, ears, and mouth: see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. But where did they first come from? Were they from some classical fable or some 20th century kitsch? ---
**Author:** ![Bewildebeest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Bewildebeest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bewildebeest)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-no-evil-monkeys/313728/2 "2005-07-23T00:43:01Z")
Three? My monkey statue has four. :eek: I always heard that it was chinese. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-no-evil-monkeys/313728/3 "2005-07-23T00:52:39Z")
They’re closely associated with a certain temple in Japan, but may have been originally Chinese. See [http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin\_board/8/messages/383.html](http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/8/messages/383.html) ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-no-evil-monkeys/313728/4 "2005-07-23T01:06:38Z")
We had an interesting thread on this a few months ago: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=288510&highlight=no+evil](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=288510&highlight=no+evil) ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-no-evil-monkeys/313728/5 "2005-07-23T03:14:19Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > They’re closely associated with a certain temple in Japan, but may have been originally Chinese. See [http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin\_board/8/messages/383.html](http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/8/messages/383.html) Slight nitpick. The famous carving of the three monkeys is found at the [Toshogu](http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3801.html), the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, in Nikko, Japan. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-no-evil-monkeys/313728/6 "2005-07-23T04:47:36Z")
> [@Bewildebeest](#): > > Three? My monkey statue has four. :eek: > > I always heard that it was chinese. There are 5. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-no-evil-monkeys/313728/7 "2005-07-23T04:47:41Z")
> [@bizzwire](#): > > Slight nitpick. The famous carving of the three monkeys is found at the [Toshogu](http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3801.html), the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, in Nikko, Japan. Isn’t that what his cite said? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-no-evil-monkeys/313728/8 "2005-07-23T05:31:18Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > There are 5. Let’s see, there’s “See No Evil,” “Speak No Evil,” “Hear No Evil,” and “Have No Fun,” what’s the fifth monkey? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-no-evil-monkeys/313728/9 "2005-07-23T05:32:53Z")
Koko. ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-no-evil-monkeys/313728/10 "2005-07-23T05:34:13Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > Let’s see, there’s “See No Evil,” “Speak No Evil,” “Hear No Evil,” and “Have No Fun,” what’s the fifth monkey? Love. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-no-evil-monkeys/313728/11 "2005-07-23T05:43:36Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > There are 5. I thought there were 12 Monkeys. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-no-evil-monkeys/313728/12 "2005-07-23T05:53:24Z")
I always like Bob Dole’s remark when seeing ex-presidents Carter, Ford and Nixon in a celebration - “Look: See No Evil, Hear No Evil… and Evil”. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-no-evil-monkeys/313728/13 "2005-07-23T07:52:12Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Koko. Koko is an APE, goddamnit, not a monkey. Sorry, it’s just like when someone says “irregardless” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-no-evil-monkeys/313728/14 "2005-07-23T09:20:02Z")
> [@betenoir](#): > > Koko is an APE, goddamnit, not a monkey. Ook. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-no-evil-monkeys/313728/15 "2005-07-23T11:40:26Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > Let’s see, there’s “See No Evil,” “Speak No Evil,” “Hear No Evil,” and “Have No Fun,” what’s the fifth monkey? He’s the little guy wearing the fez, & banging on the cymbals. You _gotta_ love the Fez, man! ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-no-evil-monkeys/313728/16 "2005-07-23T11:56:29Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I thought there were 12 Monkeys. I am pretty sure a barrel holds more than 12. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-no-evil-monkeys/313728/17 "2005-07-23T14:21:43Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I thought there were 12 Monkeys. Hmmm. . . 1. See-No-Evil 2. Hear-No-Evil 3. Speak-No-Evil 4. King Kong 5. Donkey Kong 6. Mighty Joe Young 7. Cheeta 8. J. Fred Muggs 9. Phoebe B. Beebee 10. Mr. Teeny 11. Bubbles 12. ? Who am I missing ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-no-evil-monkeys/313728/18 "2005-07-23T14:27:57Z")
Lancelot Link, Secret Agent ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-no-evil-monkeys/313728/19 "2005-07-23T15:50:43Z")
Bonzo! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cheapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8e7dd6/32.png) [@El\_Cheapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cheapo)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-no-evil-monkeys/313728/20 "2005-07-23T17:40:23Z")
The Evil Monkey in Chris Griffin’s closet? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-no-evil-monkeys/313728.md?page=2)