Zodiac System—East Asia
The zodiac system popular in China, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan
has its origins in ancient East Asian cosmology, which developed during the centuries before the present era. It posits two basic complementary principles or primordial forces: yin and yang. They produce what are commonly known as the five elements: wood, earth, fire, metal, and water.
In its simplest and most familiar form, this zodiac consists of twelve signs, each represented by a different animal. The elements for which the animals serve as symbols are understood to be the twelve "earth branches." Thus, the first earth branch is symbolized by the rat (or mouse). The second is symbolized variously by the ox, the cow, or (in Vietnam) the water buffalo. The third is symbolized by the tiger. The fourth earth branch is symbolized by the rabbit in most places, but by the cat in Vietnam. The fifth earth branch is usually symbolized by the dragon, but as the system exists in Thailand the symbol is often a naga, a mythical aquatic beast with a more Southeast Asian ancestry. The sixth earth branch is symbolized by the snake; the seventh, by the horse; the eighth, by the goat or sheep; the ninth, by the monkey; the tenth, by the rooster; the eleventh, by the dog; and the twelfth by the pig.
Further Reading:
Hickey, Gerald C. (1964) Village in Vietnam. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Van Huyen, Nguyen. (1995) The Ancient Civilization of Vietnam. Hanoi, Vietnam: Gioi.
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