Legendary 12 animals in Asia

Legendary 12 animals in Asia 2009 is the year of the ox in Korea. Each year is named after an animal. This originated from the idea of '12 gods.' The twelve gods are comprised of twelve animals: the rat (子), ox (丑), tiger (寅), rabbit (卯), dragon (辰), snake (巳), horse (午), sheep (未), monkey (申), rooster (酉), dog (戌), and boar (亥). They are also known as the 'twelve signs of the zodiac.' Let's find out some more about how they originated through legends. * The first legend about the 12 gods 1) Buddha called all the animals of the world when he was about to leave this world, and only 12 animals came. Buddha named each year after these animals in the order in which they arrived. The rat arrived first and the ox came next, followed by the tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and boar. They became the 12 gods we know today. * The second legend about the 12 gods 2) Once upon a time, god called on all animals and told them, “Pay a visit of respect to me on the morning of New Year’s Day. The first to arrive will receive the first prize and so on, but the prizes will only be given to twelve animals.” The ox was not sure about running and thought that it stood no chance against the boar or the rabbit, not to mention the horse, the dog, and the tiger. It decided to leave earlier than the other animals. The simple and honest ox started walking on the last night of the lunar month while the others were asleep. The quick-witted rat saw the ox and quickly hopped on top of it. The ox arrived at the palace of the god at dawn, but as the gate opened, the rat came down from the ox and quickly ran to the god to become the first to arrive. The tiger ran for miles without resting and came in third, and the fast runner, the rabbit, could have come earlier but it came fourth because it had a nap on the way. The rest of the animals came in the order of the dragon, snake, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and boar. When we look closely, the twelve gods are animals with different characters. Let’s find out about the typical character traits of each animal. * Character Traits by Zodiac Sign Zodiac Sign Character Rat People born in the year of the rat are sensitive by nature and strongly believe in the value of money. They never fail to notice the details and values of things around them. They are quite diligent, patient, and frugal. They are also perfectionists and afraid of failure. They pursue their goals without hesitation. Ox People born in the year of the ox appear quite strict or as having little personality, but they do have warm hearts. They often enjoy favorable opportunities to make their family rich and happy, but too much greed and luxury can bring misfortune. Tiger People born in the year of the tiger value loyalty and justice by nature. They are intolerant to injustice. They are decisive and passionate and can lead many people by cultivating virtue. They are people suitable to become leaders in the political and financial worlds. Rabbit People born in the year of the rabbit have a relaxed and warm temperament and usually make a favorable impression on others. They are idealists born with a good nature and they also have an excellent sense of sensuality, with the spirit of an artist. They have a tender and intelligent attitude and are greatly respected and trusted by others. On the other hand, they can become quite cold for they are too sensitive. Dragon People born in the year of the dragon are generous, full of life, and are always moving forward. However, they are often self-absorbed, self-centered, dogmatic, capricious, demanding, and reckless. They have as many weaknesses as strengths, but the force of their liveliness gives energy to many other people. They are outgoing and nature-loving, and they have the disposition to be activists, travelers, and gifted speakers. Snake People born in the year of the snake have strong will power and they usually want to accomplish everything on their own. They often fail to yield to difficulties. They are the hard workers, and are very cautious people with liberal ideas. Horse People born in the year of the horse are full of life, and are popular and witty. Their easily changeable disposition is expressed as short-temperedness and stubbornness. Their independent spirit stimulates them to find jobs early in life. These quick-witted people understand their circumstances thoroughly and they are good at dealing with people and with things that happen. On the other hand, they can be impulsive and bigoted. Sheep People born in the year of the sheep are mostly genial, and this seems to be why they are characterized with the symbol of a gentle animal. However, sheep love to climb up high and are unreliable. Sometimes, they have negative character traits such as being frivolous and rash. They are also, surprisingly, sometimes very stubborn people. Monkey People born in the year of the monkey quickly seize opportunities, have good judgment, and are quick-witted, sociable, and active. In other words, they are good at many things and have bright and positive characters. However, just as a good marksman may sometimes miss their target, they can get in serious trouble if they trust their talents too much. Rooster People born in the year of the rooster have strong trust in themselves and are up and coming, but they are conservative and stubborn. They have great foresight and great talent in gathering information and getting through with things. They are well prepared and scrupulous and do not make efforts in vain. Dog People born in the year of the dog are smart and intellectual and have a strong sense of confidence and responsibility. They are people that can accomplish anything. However, they need to learn to control their stubbornness and resistant spirit. Boar People born in the year of the boar are indefatigable until they reach their goal. They are not hasty, remaining calm and understanding of others. They tend to listen to others carefully rather than express their own ideas, and they try to understand others instead of cruelly pointing out even the inaccuracies they see. Their weakness is that they tend to hesitate and do not make quick decisions when they start things. They also take too much advice, as they tend to listen to others first. What is your zodiac sign, then? The following shows the zodiac signs according to year of birth. 　 Rat Ox Tiger Rabbit Dragon Snake Horse Sheep Monkey Rooster Dog Boar Year 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Look for the year you were born in and find your zodiac sign.   < Yun-jin Kim, Heroine of LOST > Let’s see how the characters described in each zodiac sign match the characters of famous Hollywood actors/actresses and pop stars that everyone knows. Angelina Jolie, who announced that she will adopt even more children after already adopting three, was born in 1975, the year of the rabbit. She won people over for her good deeds in adopting children, and she seems tender and intelligent. It seems that the character described by her zodiac sign matches her image well. The queen of talk shows, Oprah Winfrey, was born in 1954, the year of the horse. She never stops reading or her intellectual quest even in adverse circumstances. Eventually, she became a quick-witted broadcaster, showing a number of qualities common among people born in the year of the horse. Actress Yun-jin Kim (1973) who plays Sun in the famous American TV series “LOST” became quite successful and is known for her genial personality and charisma. She seems to have many of the qualities of people born in the year of the ox. → See the 'What Is Sibijisin?' column [source : www.visitkorea.or.kr]