• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.347-359
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• 2016

People are destined to live according to the time and fate after they are born. Man is connected with the idea that is called the Chinese zodiac sign related to one out of 12 animals, regardless of one's thought. This paper was written with the expectation that it will be a new turning point understanding the mutual influence and its changing process by catching the ethnic belief and emotion as well as its cultural background in the Asian Zone by investigating the meaning of the 12 Chinese zodiac shown in the folk painting from the viewpoint of folk lore including "Chinese zodiac sign" culture rooted in our daily lives. The animal 'Rat' has been lived well human beings accompanied by the fable or the nature, while the animal 'Ox' has been living together with human history. The 'Tiger' has been considered the 'Power retreating disease or a devil' to humans, which is the most frightening but near at hand. The 'Rabbit' in the fable is inculcating hope and ideals to humans. The imaginary 'Dragon' is rooted in the deep national belief, which is seated as 'Guardian god' of farming culture and mankind, while the 'Snake' is playing a role in protecting humans as the 'Sea God' in Tsushima and Jeju Island, and has been believed and followed in the deep mind of humans. The 'Horse' in the nomad culture has been adorned as the basic creature of nomadic society in the character of a psychic medium between the human and god or their 'Guardian god'. The ancient Japanese regarded 'Monkey' as holy, being connected with treasure. It infers a human's desire to borrow wisdom from 'Monkey'. 'Chicken' includes the meaning of a lucky sign connecting the sky and the human world by arranging together with humans. The 'Dog' is believed and followed as performing the function of a messenger connecting this world with the afterlife in the next world tale of shamanism. The 'Pig' also lives well with humans, being interpreted as fecundity. Although the meaning of the 12 Chinese Zodiac animals has ethnic differences, all of them have been shared with humans, rooted in the human mind, being believed, and followed in human lives.