Chrysanthemum (kiku)

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Chrysanthemum (kiku)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: All Autumn and others
***** Category: Plant

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Explanation

Read the story about the Chrysanthemum Festival .. first, this is the next part of the Flower as a Kigo.

More Japanese kigo in connection with Chrysanthemums:

white chrysanthemum, shiragiku　白菊
yellow chrysanthemum, kigiku 黄菊
fine weather to enjoy chrysanthemums, kikubiyori 菊日和
crowded chrysanthemums,　rangiku 乱菊
home full of chrysanthemums, kiku no yado　菊の宿
time for the chrysanthemums, kikudoki　菊時

dew on chrysanthemums, kiku no tsuyu 菊の露
Chiyomigusa 千代見草　("live to see 1000 generations")
Manjuugiku 万寿喜久 (Long Life Chrysanthemum)
Kisewata 着せ綿 ("under the cotton blanket")

Chrysanthemums have been cultivated in Japan since the Nara period. At the Heian court, Chrysanthemum shows and poetry assemblies were very popular.

Chrysanthemums became the symbol of the imperial family of Japan at the time of Emperor Gotoba 後鳥羽 (1180-1239), who loved this flower very much.




As a symbol for long life, the chrysanthemum was already popular in ancient China. Together with Buddhism and other cultural topics the flowers were brought back to Japan by the ambassadors to China (kenzuishi, kentooshi, see below).
To collect the dew on the chrysanthemum petals and drink it would bring you long life (chooju 長寿). The Flower Festival on the 9th of September is also one to celebrate one's wish for longevity 不老長寿.

As an auspicious symbol of long life (kisshoo monyoo 吉祥文様) the chrysanthemum was used for many decoration, on embroydered kimono and as sweets (wagashi).
The Chinese boy Kikujidoo　菊慈童　（きくじどう）drank the dew of the chrysanthemum and lived to gain immortality without ageing, or rather to the ripe age of 800 years. This legend was later incorporated into a famous Noh drama.

To grow big chrysanthemums for the autumn exhibitions is rather difficult. You have to care for the flower in special ways.

Look at : Big Round Heads, atsumono 厚物　
They are said to imitate the Buddhist symbol of a wishfulfilling jewel (hooju 宝珠).

Three flowers from one stem are called "sanbon jitate 三本仕立". They represent Heaven, Earth and Man (ten chi jin 天地人). This is a symbol for "all things shinra banshoo 森羅万象", the cosmos, nature and human society.



Another type looks like 　"hanging from a cliff", kengaigiku 懸崖菊
(click for some photos) .

Here are some photos from "one thousand flowers from one stem 　"one thousand flowers from one stem" senrinsaki 千輪咲き .

Chrysanthemums start to flower after the autumn solstice. They need long hours of darkness, before they start producing their buds. They flower long into winter and enchant us with their manyfold colors and forms.

Gabi Greve

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Worldwide use

Romania

Crizanteme
The floral autumn kigo par excellence.

the chrysanthemums—
left alone under the clouds
withstanding the wind

the owner is late
three chrysanthemums are left
on the piano

she will catch a cold:
watching the chrysanthemums
she forgot her coat

Cristian Mocanu
Romanian Saijiki

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the butterfly grown old,
its spirit plays
with the chrysanthemums

Seifu Enomoto

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Things found on the way

Sweets and the Chrysanthemum, the Culture of Kyoto

Manjuugiku and then Chiyomigusa, another name for the Chrysanthemum with the wish for a long life, is also the name of a small sweet Japanese cake made by in Kyoto.




"Under the cotton blanket", kisewata 着せ綿, reminds of a custom in the Heian period to put a cotton blanket over the flowers at night and then wipe their own body with this in hope to gain longevity.


www.kaho-fukuoka.co.jp/image/2004-10/kisewata.jpg


This is a cake in honor of the "Chinese Chrysanthemum Boy (kiku jidoo)"



Photo of the Manjuugiku sweet cake for Long Life

Click HERE to look at more sweet cakes with chrysanthemums !

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chrysanthemum:
the last-ing taste of
blowfish flesh

Chibi

Chibi is referring to Fugu, a poisonous fish prepared in this manner:

http://www.daifuku.net/ft-02.html


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isogiku いそぎく(磯菊) silver and gold chrysanthemum
a wild kind. Ajania pacifica, chrysanthemum pacificum.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


磯菊に林檎を乗せるあぶない夜
isogiku ni ringoo o nosete abunai yo

placing an apple
on the isogiku chrysanthemum ...
a dangerous night

Noraneko
Tr. Gabi Greve

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HAIKU

sake kusaki tasogare goro ya kiku no hana

the smell of sake
around about dusk...
chrysanthemum

The Chrysanthemum had special importance to Issa, especially after his 1814 marriage to Kiku, who was named after this flower.

ISSA
There are 44 haiku on this ISSA link:
http://cat.xula.edu/issa/searchissa.php?a_id=100&show_e=T&colors=T

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A wren drinks
from white chrysanthemums -
morning fog

Zhanna P. Rader


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chrysanthemums
her cold wedding ring
in his pocket

Petar Tchouhov, Bulgaria, 2007

Origa writes

A poignant and haunting moment of high significance.The direct yet suggestive picture painted in this haiku shows in a symbolic meaning an ambient harmony of the wedding ring and the seasonal flowers offered to the dead wife. In many countries in Europe, chrysanthemums are the flowers for the dead, they are often seen in cemeteries. Chrysanthemum is also a symbol of longevity in Japan, and as such, in this haiku they suggest that the death/departure survived by a long lasting love and memory of the husband/widower.

Multilayered, skillfully composed, "classic" haiku, with obvious relations to the theme and dedication of this contest -- and needless to say, with such an immediate striking effect on the readers. I would suggest (and I kept it in mind while translating) ellipses at the end of L1, both in English and in Russian versions: it will reinforce the effect of the last departure painted by words in this haiku. Bravo, Petar!


RESULTS of the Sixth Calico Cat haiku contest.
Read more Chrysanthemum haiku from the contest HERE

Origa (Olga Hooper) 2007



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Related words

..... Wild Chrysanthemum (nogiku 野菊

婦人会　皆花の咲く　野菊かな

all so active
in the Village Ladies Club -
wild chrysanthemum

Look at the phots by Gabi Greve, September 2006

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***** Spring Chrysanthemum
shungiku 春菊 (しゅんぎく )
leaves of chrysanthemum, kikuna 菊菜（きくな）
..... shingiku しんぎく
Shungiku is often used as food. See WASHOKU SAIJIKI.


seedlings of the chrysanthemum, kiki no nae
菊の苗 (きくのなえ)
kigo for late spring
buds of chrysanthemum, kiku no me 菊の芽（きくのめ）
fresh green of chrysanthemums, kiku no wakaba
菊の若葉 (きくのわかば)


hinagiku 雛菊 (ひなぎ) English daisy

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***** Summer Chrysanthemum
(natsu no kiku, natsugiku　夏菊)

kigo for summer
Some early blooming types, with white or yellow flowers.


Haiku

夏菊やかるき昼餉の手打そば.. .. ..
natsugiku ya karuki hirumeshi no te-uchi soba

summer chrysanthemums -
for a light lunch
handmade buckwheat noodles
(Tr. Gabi Greve)

Usui Musoko (臼井無窓子)
http://www5.ocn.ne.jp/~turu/kukai/g_200407.html

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Reference:

Japanese Historic Embassies to China : Kentooshi 遣唐使
by Gabi Greve

Noh Drama of the Chrysanthemum Boy, Photo

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WASHOKU ... Japanese Food SAIJIKI

Back to the Worldkigo Index
http://worldkigodatabase.blogspot.com/

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