Regarding the Year of the Dog...Part One

Yesterday I visited a second-hand store looking for some bits I could use to build some steampunk stuff, and during that visit, I scored major on two things.  First I found the first 19 volumes of InuYasha in great condition for 59 cents apiece!  

Second, I found a really neat book about the Asian Animal Zodiac.  It contains more history and legend material regarding the zodiac  than I have ever seen before.  Not bad for 89 cents, eh?

Anyway, the InuYasha volumes will be given to my nephew Noah, who has just discovered manga and is currently reading One Piece.  I think he is just the right age to really get a kick out of InuYasha.

Today, I sat down and had a look at the zodiac book with one thing in mind:

What, if any, influence might the zodiac have played in InuYasha?  I don't know for a fact that it did, but hey, it's worth taking a good look at.

First, we have to make some assumptions.  We have to assume that Kagome turned fifteen on the birthday mentioned in the first volume of the series.  No age is actually mentioned, but she is described in more than one media source as fifteen years of age.  So, in 1996, she turns 15.  (The American edition of Vol. 1 gives that year as "1997", but that is mis-translated.  I know this is so because I translated it myself from the original Japanese volume.  Why this error persists, I don't know.)

Given this, that gives us the year 1981 as Kagome's birth year.  That means that she is born in the year of the Cock (rooster).

People born in that year are:

profound thinkers
always busy and devoted to their work
undertake more than they can accomplish
are disappointed and frustrated when they can't achieve their goals
always sure they are right
they want to be left alone to do things their own way
tend to distrust others
their relationships with other people often suffer
there is always a certain insecurity deep within themselves
have selfish characteristics
are usually blunt and outspoken
not a whit shy
when the occasion calls for courage, they can reveal true bravery
people find them exceedingly interesting, if a bit difficult
not farsighted in financial matters

It's best if they marry: Ox, Snake, or Dragon
It's maybe OK if they marry: Tiger, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, or Boar
Poor matches:  Rat, Cock, or Dog
Worst match: Hare

Sooo.  InuYasha is the only other character in the series for which we can divine a birth year.  According to my own research, the best possible date for him is 1294 (on the modern calendar).  Given that, I tracked back to that date following the cycles of the zodiac, and have discovered that 1294 is a year of the Tiger.

People born in that year are:

strong, brave, aggressive, active
headstrong and obstinate (traits highly undesirable in Asian women)
Tiger women are likely to stray in relationships
     (The author of the book says that no mention is made as to
      whether or not Tiger men are likely to stray.)
thoughtful, sensitive, sympathetic
prone to indecision and quick temper
have a suspicious nature
don't easily trust others
stubborn, selfish, narrow-minded
bad tempered
the tiger symbolizes protection over human life

It's best if they marry: Horse, Dragon or Dog
It's maybe OK if they marry: Rat, Ox, Rabbit,Tiger Sheep, Cock, or Boar.
Worst match: Snake or Monkey

"the tiger symbolizes protection over human life"

What are the chances that I would hit the one zodiacal character that symbolizes protection of humans, if all this is just random?  Somewhat low, I think.

And in this, I see the same thing that the manga ending had, which is a match between the characters, though not a perfect one.  

There is more in this book in the form of some tradional legends and folktales that I haven't seen before, so I will have to write a Part Two that looks at both the Cock and Tiger legends as well as the legends associated with the year of the Dog.

But for now, back to work....