Sheep god of fertility). Other deities occasionally shown with ram features include the goddess Ishtar, the Phoenician god Baal-Hamon, and the Babylonian god Ea-Oannes. In Madagascar, sheep were not eaten as they were believed to be incarnations of the souls of ancestors. There are many ancient Greek references to sheep: that of Chrysomallos, the golden-fleeced ram, continuing to be told through into the modern era. Astrologically, Aries, the ram, is the first sign of the classical Greek zodiac, and the sheep is the eighth of the twelve animals associated with the 12-year cycle of in the Chinese zodiac, related to the
Goat (zodiac) English, the sign may also be called either. The interpretation of both goats and sheep depends on culture. In Vietnamese, the sign is "mùi", which is unambiguously goat. In Japan, on the other hand, the sign is "hitsuji," sheep; while in Korea and Mongolia, the sign is ram and sheep. Within China, there may be a regional distinction with the zodiacal "yáng" more likely to be thought of as a goat in the south, while tending to be thought of as a sheep in the north. The Chinese commonly regard the sheep as an auspicious animal, and therefore, heralds a