The Story of the Twelve Animals of the Korean Zodiac
Monkey
영상
Scenario
# 1 Main title: Monkey
# 2 Opening : The Monkey is the ninth animal of the twelve zodiac animals. Monkey Hours are from 3 o'clock to 5 o'clock in the afternoon. The Monkey guards the direction west-southwest. Monkey Month corresponds to the seventh month of the lunar calendar. In ancient times, Korea was described as “the country uninhabited by monkeys (東國無猿); note, however, that many works such as folk paintings, figurines, and tombstones featured the image of monkeys. Ancestors are presumed to have aimed to emulate and learn from the Monkey's wisdom and wit.
# 3 The image of a monkey in Jeondeungsa Temple and corners of the eaves of Gyeongbokgung Palace buildings: An unusual trace of monkeys can be spotted in Jeondeungsa Temple on Ganghwado Island. Legend has it that a carpenter who was building Jeondeungsa Temple was in love with a woman working at a tavern in the nearby village, but the woman stole his money and ran away. The carpenter wanted the woman to be purged of her sin for life by holding up the temple's roof and hearing Buddhist scriptures, and so he carved the image of a naked woman, or monkey (裸婦像), on all corners under the roof. Similar images of the monkey can be found on the roof rafters in royal palace buildings. The images of Monkey King (孫悟空) and Tang Sanzang (三藏法師) from the Ming dynasty novel "Journey to the West (西游記)" on the roof are known to have been meant to drive away evil spirits.
# 4 Monkeys featured in painting and pottery: Along with the transmission of Buddhism, monkeys started to be featured in artworks in Korea. With regard to Buddhism, a monkey is seen guarding a Buddhist monk, holding a peach representing longevity or, together with grapes, representing wealth. Likewise, the Monkey carried good meaning like protection, longevity, wealth, etc.
# 5 The Monkey in mask dance scenes: The meaning of the Monkey in Korean mask dances is a little different. Monkey characters appear in traditional mask dances like Songpasandae-nori, Gangnyeong Talchum, and Bongsan Talchum; here, the monkey character portrays an old Buddhist monk who fails to resist a woman's temptation and becomes an apostate in criticism of the monk via satire and farce. The red-faced Monkey dressed in red dances to the traditional rhythm, and the Shoe Seller (鞋商) Monkey impersonates the Shoe Seller and collects his money. In mask dances, the Monkey who helps the Shoe Seller also helps the Medicine Seller. When the Medicine seller gathers a crowd of customers, the Monkey does the selling.
# 6 Monkey-shaped seals and stationery supplies: It is interesting to see that classical scholars in Korea were quite fond of monkeys. From the seals personally carried by scholars, we found the image of a monkey. The seals are very small, usually measuring 3 or 5 centimeters high, but the fine details of a monkey’s movement on it appear witty. The image of a monkey can be found even in the inkstone and water dropper (硯滴), and the animal is portrayed with specific details, like a monkey holding a child or hanging onto a grape tree. A small jar, one of stationery goods, also bears the image of a monkey, which, interestingly, is holding a jar with its hands or on its back.
# 7 The physiological characteristics of the monkey: Both humans and monkeys are primates, sharing a few physiological and behavioral characteristics especially in terms of internal organs and freely moving limbs. Both are mammals, so they are born with strong maternal instinct. A zookeeper says, "Monkeys are very close to humans. Like us, they dream and even sleep-talk. They stretch and yawn. They snore, sneeze, and hiccup, too."
# 8 The English expression "monkey trap": A cage or a jar containing a banana with a hole large enough for a monkey's hand to fit in but not large enough for the monkey's hand clutching a banana or a fistful of corns to come out, because monkeys lack the intelligence to let go of the food and run away. Figuratively, the expression refers to a clever trap of any sort that owes its success to the ineptitude or gullibility of the targeted victim.
# 9 Ending: The beloved Monkey represented the Evil Deflector (辟邪) banishing evil, a facetiae satirizing foolish humans, and an animal bringing long life, wealth, and prosperity. Their natural instincts provided us with our animal-like nature, whereas their ineptitude or gullibility was human-like. The meaning of the Money being part of the twelve zodiac animals might have something to do with the wisdom of ancient philosophers: Crafts and talents alone will not make you a person of great character, so work hard to become an authentic human being.
The Year of the Monkey, the ninth animal of the twelve zodiac animals, repeats in the cycle of "Water Monkey (壬申)," "Wood Monkey (甲申)," "Fire Monkey (丙申)," "Earth Monkey (戊申)," and "Metal Monkey (庚申)." The Monkey guards the hours from 3 o'clock to 5 o'clock in the afternoon and the direction west-southwest. Monkey Month corresponds to July of the lunar calendar.
Monkeys share key physiological and behavioral characteristics with humans, representing multiple talents and strong and delicate love for spouse and children. In the East, except for a few countries with a large Buddhist population, people regarded monkeys as "the emblem of ugliness and trickery" but could expel evil spirits. In China, the monkey was believed to have the power to bring good health, success, and protection. Monkeys were widely known as one of the smartest animals with crafts but, due to their human-like appearance and trickery, were not everyone's favorite. Koreans still use the old Korean expression "Jannabi" to refer to the Monkey. The general impression of the Monkey by ancient Koreans was known, often through orally transmitted tales, as a crafty, tricky, and playful prankster and mimicry master. The image of the Monkey in paintings or potteries portrays the animal as having strong maternal instinct, guarding Buddhist monks, and symbolizing long life holding a peach.
The Monkey's clever and crafty personality and theatrical behaviors such as feigning to be sick, sad, or dead and capriciously ever-ready to adapt to situations – looking jolly on fine days and gloomy on dull days -- were formulated through folk cultures into a specific type of persona or destiny. For example, people born in the Year of the Monkey were believed to be naturally good at numbers, so they engaged in number-related professions like mathematicians or engineers. Monkeys did not exist in the Korean Peninsula but were often part of various folk and traditional artworks. Through popular media, ancient Koreans were always familiar with the animal's shape, behaviors, and even physiological traits; thus assigning symbolism and implications to the Monkey.
Originally, Koreans regarded the Monkey as an unlucky creature, calling it "Jannabi" with a negative undertone and avoiding speaking about monkeys in the morning. Such negative image was changed somewhat, due mostly to the influence of Buddhism and Chinese and Japanese customs associated with monkeys transmitted to Korea. The image of a monkey in folk customs might be somewhat negative, but that in traditional artworks showed otherwise due to Chinese influence. Stories on the monkey mostly dealt with its features, mimicry, craft, and tricks but cautioned not to trust its talent or tricks too much. In some traditional mask dances, a monkey character boldly imitated a man with an aim of directly criticizing, through satire and humor, the superficial morality of an old monk or the misdemeanors of a shoe seller. In folk customs influenced by China, the Monkey was believed to have the power to drive away all sorts of evil spirits, so their image was carved onto large buildings or temples. Most of them depict grief, misfortune, or sad mischief. A clay monkey was used as a talisman and a funerary or a decorative object. The image of the Monkey in the twelve zodiac animals had changed over time, becoming the god of time or direction. Many objects of art, from blue-green celadon to blue and white porcelain, as well as seals, calligraphy, small jars, water droppers, and chairs vividly describe the Monkey in nature, often highlighting a loving relationship between a mother and her child. In classical paintings, the Monkey represents longevity and prosperity of offspring or portrays their life in nature and the role of protecting a Buddhist monk in accordance with Buddhist teachings as well as the Chinese novel "Journey to the West."
