The Story of the Twelve Animals of the Korean Zodiac
Tiger
영상
Scenario
#1 Main tile: Tiger
#2 Opening: The tiger is the third of the twelve zodiac animals. The Tiger guards the Northeast direction, and its hours are from 3 o'clock to 5 o'clock before sunrise. The month of the Tiger corresponds to the first month of the lunar calendar. The Tiger is a wise animal that can drive away evil spirits. It is treated as a courteous animal that repays a favor or kindness shown to it.
#3 The Tiger's face: Among all animals, the tiger's face was considered the most important, and was thus expressed in diverse ways by our ancestors. The tiger was also believed to protect people - at times with authority and at times with great kindness. The tiger's face was often associated with the spiritual pride of the Korean people, and Koreans often say they can see the tiger's face in the face of important leaders.
#4 Understanding the tiger: From ancient times, Korea was known as the "Country of Tigers" because it was inhabited by many tigers. Equipped with a powerful physique and great agility when capturing its prey, as well as exceptional intelligence and imposing grace, the tiger was referred to as the "living grace," "mountain god," "mountain hero" and so on. But there was one area in Korea where the king of beasts did not live, namely, Jeju Island. Jeju Island was said to have become isolated because it was not inhabited by tigers. Perhaps the islanders longed to have tigers on their land, thus the name of the island, which means "the state across the land." The tiger was long deemed to be a symbol of holiness and Korea itself.
#5 The tiger and the Joseon politician Han Myeong-hoe (韓明澮): The legend about the politician Han Myeong-hoe and the tiger shows what Koreans thought of when evaluating a person back in the old days. This is how the story goes. As it was usually long after sundown when Han Myeong-hoe arrived home because his study hall was far away, a large tiger would appear and give him a ride home. However, when he didn't see the tiger for some time, he went out to look for it and eventually found it caught in a trap. Han Myeong-hoe saved the tiger by paying the person who had caught it. Deeply moved, the tiger shed tears in his arms.
#6 "Sansindo" (Mountain God Painting) and "Kkachi Horangi" (Magpie Tiger) Painting: In addition to legends associated with famous figures in Korean history, there are many famous paintings that depict situations involving tigers. In the nineteenth-century painting "Sansindo" (山神圖), a white-haired old man with a graceful smile is shown caressing a tiger. This tiger is a symbol of the mountain god’s messenger or of the mountain god itself, thus deified. There is also another type of painting, called "Minhwa" (民畵), which feature the Korean tiger called "Kkachi Horangi" which literally means "Magpie Tiger." The magpie is the national bird of Korea and naturally has an auspicious meaning. In some of these paintings, the tiger is intentionally given a ridiculous or foolish appearance, as if it has been outwitted by the bird, while in others the tiger appears like a messenger delivering the god’s intention sent by the magpie. The animal also symbolizes the requital of gratitude.
#7 The white tiger flag and the symbol of warriors: In representations of ancient processions of soldiers bearing colorful flags, we may also encounter images of tigers. The warrior class was referred to as the "Hoban" (虎班), literally meaning the "Tiger Division," and the image of a tiger embroidered on the breastplate of soldiers reflected the very meaning of the tiger. The image of a tiger on a white flag connotes dignity, authority and bravery, as well as symbolizing military officers. Intimidated enemies would sense the majestic authority of a warrior with piercing eyes, seated on a tiger skin. Next to the warrior and his breastplate usually stands the statue of a tiger, representing bravery, fame, authority, high rank and victory. To military officers, a tiger skin represented authority. A warrior’s home was often decorated with a "Horyeopdo" (胡獵圖) painting, usually in the form of a folding screen, depicting a grand, often panoramic, scene of high-spirited warriors hunting a tiger.
#8 The tiger in everyday life: The tiger's whiskers, also a symbol of authority, cannot be missed here. A man's coarse beard was called a "hosu" (虎鬚), literally meaning "tiger's whiskers," and for this reason real tiger whiskers were used to embellish the red hats worn by military officers. It was believed that a tiger could see a man's previous life through its whiskers. The tiger was also considered a sacred creature that could recognize an ascetic and carry him on his back. In daily commodity goods, we can also encounter images of the tiger. A type of Korean traditional hat for young children aged three or four, called a "gulle," was embroidered with an image of a tiger, embodying a mother's wish for her son to grow strong and righteous. Another type of hat for young boys, called the "hogeon" (虎巾), resembled the tiger's face and was designed to ward off evil spirits while bringing good health to the wearer. A real tiger claw or tooth was specially crafted, or the shape of such items, was used as a women's accessory called a "norigae." The Korean traditional table known as a "hojokban," which means "a table with a tiger's feet," features legs in the shape of the canine limb. The palanquin for the newly-wed bride and the decorative ox horn inlaid box used by noble women, called "Hwagakham (華角函)," are without exceptions decorated with tiger designs. That the tiger's mythical power can drive away evil spirits was evident in everyday life of ancestors in Korea.
#9 "Beomgut" or "Tiger Exorcism" in the East Coast: Folk customs in this region are characterized by one visibly intense event, namely the "Beomgut," or "Tiger Exorcism," which aims to console the spirits of people killed by tigers. The exorcism consists of a role play between a tiger that has eaten a rooster alive and the hunter that has caught the tiger. The purpose of this superstitious ceremony was to wish for the safety of the local villages. The Tiger Exorcism has recently become a festival in which wishes are made for a good catch and the safety of local fishermen.
#10 Tigers on the verge of extinction: Today tiger hunting is prohibited all around the world. News articles from the Japanese colonial era document the gradual extinction of tigers in the Korean Peninsula, while photographs from that time capture the last pitiful scene of a Korean tiger lying dead under the feet of a hunter.
#11 End: In Korea grandmothers used to tell the following tale to young children: "Once upon a time, a tiger showed up and roared: 'If you give me a piece of rice cake, I won't eat you alive." But there was only one piece left… With one ferocious roar, the king of the beasts made frost fall on tens of thousands of peaks and valleys. An encounter with such a tiger might belong to an ancient tale, but the Korean tiger will continue to live on through the tender voice of Korean grandmothers, stimulating children's imagination.
In most countries around the world, different animals carry different symbolic meanings. In China fish were long believed to symbolize good fortune, so images of fish frequently appeared in New Year's greetings cards or wall decorations. In Japan, the cat is often believed to bring happiness, so almost every family or store displays the so-called "maneki-neko," literally "a beckoning cat" with an upright paw. So what is the most beloved animal in Korea?
It is most likely the tiger. Korea's terrain consists mostly of mountains and thus was inhabited by many tigers in ancient times, earning Korea the mane "Tiger Country." During the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, the mascot known as "Hodori the Tiger" represented Korea. Equipped with a powerful physique and great agility when hunting its prey, as well as exceptional intelligence and imposing grace, the king of the beasts was variously described as the "living grace," "mountain god," "mountain hero" among other names. The tiger was understood to be a brutal beast that heralded catastrophes, but was at the same time a sacred creature that drove away evil spirits. It was also treated as a courteous animal that would repay a favor or kindness in return, or at times an idiot easily fooled. Thus the tiger was loved, hated, feared or respected by our Korean ancestors.
"The very first appearance of tigers in the Korean Peninsula dates back some 30,000 years. The Korean tiger has been used to epitomize the Korean spirit in countless works: A wish for prosperity is evident in the tiger depicted in the Petroglyphs at Bangudae Terrace in Daegok-ri, Ulju; the talismanic symbol in the "tiger-shaped buckle" (虎形帶鉤) dating from the Bronze Age; the youthful artistry and humor found in folk artifacts such as roof-end tiles (瓦當) and ceramics; and the simple honesty and religious prayers manifested in "Minhwa" (folk paintings) and "Sansindo" paintings among others. People born in the Year of the Tiger are often precocious at a young age and masterful when leading a great number of people. They tend to succeed early in life and exude an air of superiority. They can become the subjects of respect, as they have a sense of strong responsibility. People born in the Year of the Tiger are also impulsive and highly energetic, and since they like to hustle a lot, they can rush into things out of sheer impatience. Being suspicious, they hesitate or make decisions prematurely. They find it difficult to trust others or control their emotions. Because they tend to rush in all matters, often in a blitz, they often fail in business. But as impetuous as they are, they can also be serious, warm, friendly and generous. Due to their chivalrous spirit they would rather o help others than focus on their own causes, and if they do, they tend to help until the end. If dejected, people born in the Year of the Tiger need authentic sympathy. So don’t be a miser if you want to offer consolation to a person born in the Year of the Tiger. If the situation is reversed, he or she will repay you two-fold.
