Monsoon

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Monsoon

***** Location: India, South Asia
***** Season: See below
***** Category: Seasons

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Explanation

In the India Saijiki
we have MONSOON (july-august) as an extra season within a set of six seasons.


Bill Higginson in HAIKU WORLD suggests to use the word
MONSOON or WET SEASON as a kigo for
“All Summer” in South Asia.

quote
Different tropical climates have monsoons at different times. The southwestern coast of Sri Lanka, experiences the southwest monsoon from late May through October, as does the southwest coast of India. The monsoon season features heavy rains and southwest winds that sometimes cause severe flooding, mudslides and the like, especially in coastal areas. Necessary for agriculture, and a welcome relief from the HOT DRY SEASON of February through early May, when temperatures rise into the mid-90s F (mid-30s C) with high humidity, the storms can still create a grim, gray time.
Note:
in some tropical areas, for example Central America, the WET SEASON is called 'winter' (Spanish invierno) but it is also a very fertile time. Other tropical areas will differ as to the timing of wet and dry seasons.
I recommend that any renku written in the tropics, or involving natives of the tropics, include seasonal topics appropriate to the 'monsoon' or wet season, and the hot or DRY SEASON once each in place of summer or winter in the mid-section of the renku-- and in the hokku, if the poem is written there.
Future attempts at international saijiki may contain a substantial number of wet- and dry-season phenomena, warranting the creation of these as new seasons in the saijiki.
Bill Higginson in HAIKU WORLD


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The Japanese rainy season, tsuyu 梅雨 with all its related words are part of the summer kigo.



Monsoon Sunset and other Photos by Kim Richards
http://www.vistavirtualtours.com/localphotos.htm

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Here are some meteorological explanations:

The word 'monsoon' appears to have originated from the Arabic word 'mausim', which means season. It is used to describe seasonal reversals of wind direction, caused by temperature differences between the land and sea, which occur in a number of countries around the world.

The cause
In some respects it is a large version of the 'land-sea breeze', where on a sunny day at the beach, the land warms more quickly than the ocean. As the hot air rises over the land, it is replaced by the cooler air over the water.
At night, however, the land cools at a quicker rate than the water, so the wind shifts, blowing from the land to the warmer water.
So our two key ingredients for the Asian Monsoon are a large land mass and a large ocean - namely southern Asia (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) and the surrounding Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.

When does it start?
From April, the pre-monsoon heat builds over the land and with time will result in continuous rising of less dense air (as the land warms faster) and form areas of low pressure, most commonly over North India and the Himalayas.
Meanwhile, over the oceans the air is cooler and denser so it is linked to areas of high pressure. The temperature difference between the land and sea can be as much as 20°C - land temperatures in India can even exceed 45°C, while the surrounding water in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea remain in the low 20s.

To maintain the energy balance the air starts flowing from the oceans (high pressure) to the land (low pressure) bringing in the moisture rich southwest winds across southern Asia - the 'wet' phase.
When the 'wet' phase starts, around 25 May, it has two arms. One coming into Sri Lanka and the other one moving up from the Bay of Bengal into parts of NE India and Bangladesh.

The retreat
As the land and ocean begin to cool in late summer and into autumn, the land loses heat quicker than the ocean. The wind reverses during this 'dry' phase, becoming a northeasterly.
From the diagram we can see the movement of this monsoon across southern Asia and then its withdrawal, usually completed by late December.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/weatherbasics/monsoon.shtml

Here is a map that shows the southwest monsoon, showing onset- and withdrawl dates.
http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/india/southwestmonsoon.jpg
http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/india/southwestmonsoon.htm




Monsoon Rainbust by Kim Richards
http://www.vistavirtualtours.com/localphotos.htm

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Gujarat, India

"Oh, it's the naked rain,"
so say the Gujarati people on the first rainfall.
Typically the first rainfall around the state of Gujarat is accompanied by sunshine peeping on and off through the monsoon clouds sweeping through the western region of India in late June or early July.

The naked rain, as it is referred to in Gujarat, is a harbinger of the monsoon and is received like the much-awaited guest that is mildly taunted by the hosts with "What took you so long?"

While children sing folksongs of rains in kindergarten, college students study monsoon romance in classics such as Meghdoot (the messenger of monsoon), written by Kalidas, one of the most acclaimed Indian poets from fourth century A.D.
Every living being, relieved from the heat, now craves love.

Read more here:
http://www.azcentral.com/weather/monsoon/articles/0625monsoonside.html

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Monsoon On Line

Following the Great Indian Drought of 1877, H.F. Blanford, who had established the India Meteorological Department in 1875, issued the first seasonal forecast of Indian monsoon rainfall in 1884. Later, in the early part of the 20th century, Sir Gilbert Walker initiated extensive studies of global teleconnections which led him to the discovery of Southern Oscillation. Walker introduced, for the first time, the concept of correlation for long-range forecasting of the Asian summer monsoon and his findings are relevant even today.



More than 100 years later, forecasts and hindcasts (backcasts) of the Asian summer monsoon are still being made using statistical regression, often with remarkable success.

©　Monsoon On Line
by D.B. Stephenson & K. Rupa Kumar


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Worldwide use

India

In the INDIA SAIJIKI
we have MONSOON (july-august) as an extra season within a set of six seasons.

It includes words like like floods, flooded streets, heavy showers, lightning, raincoat, thunder, umbrella, many of which are kigo in the Japanese saijiki too.


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Northern America

Pineapple Express (also known as Pineapple Connection)
is a non-technical, shorthand term popular in the news media for a meteorological phenomenon which is characterized by a strong and persistent flow of atmospheric moisture and associated heavy rainfall from the waters adjacent to the Hawaiian Islands and extending to any location along the Pacific coast of North America.
A Pineapple Express is driven by a strong, southern branch of the Polar jetstream and is usually marked by the presence of a surface frontal boundary which is typically either slow or stationary, with waves of low pressure traveling along its axis. Each of these low pressure systems brings enhanced rainfall.

The Puget Sound region from Olympia, Washington to Vancouver, BC received several inches of rain per day in November 2006 from a series of successive Pineapple Express storms that caused massive flooding in all major regional rivers and mudslides which closed the mountain passes.

The unusually intense rain storms that hit south-central Alaska in August 2006 were termed "Pineapple Express" rains locally.

In British Columbia especially, Pineapple Express systems typically generate heavy snowfall in the mountains and Interior Plateau, which often melts rapidly because of the warming effect of the system.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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Philippines

Amihan and Habagat monsoon


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Yemen

NE-Monsoon, SW-Monsoon 　



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Things found on the way

It is possible to identify seasons, although these do not occur uniformly throughout South Asia. The Indian Meteorological Service divides the year into four seasons:

the relatively dry, cool winter from December through February;
the dry, hot summer from March through May;
the southwest monsoon from June through September when the predominating southwest maritime winds bring rains to most of the country;
the northeast monsoon, or retreating, monsoon of October and November.
http://www.indianchild.com/climate_india.htm


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THE ELEMENTS

I fall asleep when l meet you,
The hapless sleep of infants
Or animals or violent sleep
Of winter when life goes under
Redically: so quiet,hearing

Abstract poems of Shirley Geok-lin Lim, Monsoon History

- Shared by Mokhtar Sah Malik -
Haiku Culture Magazine, 2013



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HAIKU

Monsoon clouds
Framed by rectangle
Gray above green

http://www.kavitanjali.com/haiku.htm

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wrath of the monsoon
lightning displays with heavy wind
here fast, gone faster

Bernard Howe
http://members.cox.net/berniehpoetry/Haiku.html

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monsoon rain-
the finger-painted poster
dripping..

monsoon rain –
worn tights
caught on the old clothes-pole

monsoon rain –
the pigeons peck
on a discarded guava

Harsangeet Kaur Bhullar
http://haiku.cc.ehime-u.ac.jp/~shiki/shiki.archive/html/9711/0981.html

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Remembering Bombay 30 years ago,
three weeks in Monsoon showers, whoff, wondering how we survived that one !


monsoon shower –
the smell of Bombay
in our hair

The moist air, the endless smell of incense to kill the penetrant smell of mold.
The smell of curry bubbeling in the street stalls.


monsoon shower –
holding on to
black umbrellas

The babus in their white doti, pulling up the legs, balancing with one hand the huge black umbrellas - all in vain, the rain pours from all directions !


Bombay in the Rain !
a place to dance ?
such was youth !

Gabi Greve


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paddy flooded---
herons pace proudly
on monsoon clouds

Izabel Sonia Ganz

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after the monsoon
their nest on the cobbles
the death birdies

walloped
by the monsoon
her umbrella

Geert Verbeke
http://happyhaiku.blogspot.com/2004/01/friends-geert-verbeke.html

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monsoon --
the sound of
my own sobs

© Ella Wagemakers

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silver clouds
with dark lining -
parched ground looks up

onset of monsoon in time (june 1st week) is critical for the farmers and the nation too

M.R. Vinodh, 2005

It is almost normal in India to have floods in one part of the country and drought conditions in another! Isn't it ironical that while normally when speaking of 'hope' we talk about 'dark clouds with silver lining' while pre-monsoon its the other way round? wishing that the rains here do stay a little longer...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/happyhaiku/message/1533

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In Kenya, the rains were late this year, and we are praying that they might last a bit longer than usual... every day, we have been looking upwards...

rain clouds --
where will they shed
their load?

rain clouds --
are they heading for
my mum's home?

So often, one part of Nairobi might be washed away with torrential rain, while other parts have none. Travelling in the front seat of a bus, one might see a clear dividing line -- thus far, the rain came, and no farther...

Isabelle Prondzynski

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monsoon dawn
flowers and greens
just turn visible

June 2005, Narayanan Raghunathan
Read more of his monsoon haiku here:

Monsoon by Narayanan

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Two Monsoon Haiku from the Mainichi Haiku Files
Oct. 1, 2005 (No.676)

monsoon fury
a child’s doll floats past
the second floor window

Angelee Deodhar; Chandigarh, India

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bombay rains…
wade through the water
river-like

Kala Ramesh; Pune, India

http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/entertainment/etc/haiku/

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monsoon rain...
street dogs following
a female's heat

Kameshwara Rao, India

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> the road under water
> I still don't know
> all the potholes

> cloudburst -
> the flies are already
> in the house

> cloudburst -
> two men in the doorway
> chat about war

Johannes Manjrekar, India, September 2006


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monsoon rain ...
between two thunderclouds
our catamaran

Ella Wagemakers
July 2009


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first rains...
the child loads innocence
in the paper boat

Kumarendra Mallick
Hyderabad, India, July 2009


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Monsoon water rising
Cipher machines up on bricks
A canoe ride home

Memories of Malaysia, long ago

A cipher machine is similar to an electric typewriter but is designed to encode or rather encrypt secret messages. At this time I was in the Army, we were protecting Malaysian Borneo from the Confrontation declared by the President of Indonesia. Therefore there was a great need for secrecy in our communications.
As the flood waters rose all electric equipment had to be propped up on bricks to keep them out of the water. After going off duty that morning I borrowed a canoe and went to help local neighbours to carry their refrigerators upstairs too.

- Shared by Res John Burman -
Joys of Japan, 2012



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Related words

***** . Rain in India .

INDIA SAIJIKI


***** KENYA SAIJIKI
Long Rains, a season (Kenya)


***** World Kigo Database : Rain in various kigo

Cloud, clouds(kumo) Various Kigo.

WIND in various kigo


Typhoon 　台風　 Japan
Hurricane


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MOON and related LINKS

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The Moon, O-Tsukisama, Der Mond, La Lune

On this page you find links to the various worldwide kigo and information connected with the moon, in alphabetical order.

Here we also collect haiku about the moon, "Mr. Moon",
o-tsuki sama お月様.

The Moon belongs to the category of "Heaven", naturally.
But some activities around the time of the full moon in Autumn in Japan belong to the categories of Humanity or Observance.

The word MOON without further connotation,
refers to the AUTUMN MOON in Japanese haiku.


a wobbely moon
a wobbely viewer
tonight we get drunk



When I moved out to the countryside, I realized the importance of the moon . . .
Here are no streetlights, no neighbours, no nothing - so at night it is pitch dark.
This is the situation in the world and in Japan before the arrival of Electricity.
Therefore a moonlit night is most welcome, to be up a bit longer, not fear the demons and devils of the dark, sit with friends and compose poetry !

Gabi Greve, 2004

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- Matsuo Basho told his disciples:

. . . behold the clouds over the east bank of the Yangzi River
when you are looking at the moon above the Kasai shore.

The "East Bank of the Yangzi River" refers to Huiji, where Li Bo spent time composing poetry.

source : Peipei Qiu: Basho and the Dao


. Chinese background of Japanese kigo .

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Snow, Moon and Blossoms, Setsugekka - 雪月花 setsugetsuka
Japanese Art and the Japanese View of Nature
To the Japanese mind, nature is more than just physical scenery.
The Japanese love of the imperfect stems from an acknowledgment of the inherent limitations of human creative powers.

© SETSUGEKKA, by Isamu Kurita, MOA
..... Do not miss to read the full essay .

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We have only to say "the moon" when we refer to the autumn moon. We must therefore put such epithets as "spring/vernal", "summer", or "winter" before the moon when we mention the other season's moon.
Takashi Nonin
Read more.
http://www.haikupoetshut.com/themoon.html

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Apogee and Perigee of the Moon
Apogee and perigee refer to the distance from the Earth to the moon. Apogee is the furthest point from the earth. Perigee is the closest point to the earth and it is in this stage that the moon appears larger. Looking at the moon in the sky without anything to compare it to, you wouldn't notice any size difference. But the difference in size can in fact be quite significant.

Effects of Apogee and Perigee
The apogee and perigee of the moon have an effect on the tides here on Earth. When the moon is at apogee, the furthest distance from the Earth, it has less gravitational pull which, along with other factors that influence the tides, can contribute to lower tides or lower variation in the high/low tide level. When the moon is at perigee, closer to the Earth, there is much more gravitational pull which contributes to the opposite effect: higher tides or greater variation in the high and low tide.

source : www.moonconnection.com


snow moon
behind the old tree ...
what a sight !

Gabi Greve, January 10, 2009


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. Tsuki Jinja 調神社 "Moon Shrine" .
waiting for the moon on the 12th day of the 12th month
juuninichi machi 十二日まち

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Japanese Names for the Lunar Months
Since lunar months and solar years do not coincide, the actual beginning of the each lunar month varied from year to year. Most lunar months have two or three names.
Each lunar month has its full moon on the 15th day.

Find the list here:
WKD . Asian Lunar Calendar System


ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo

meigetsu no hoo e korobasu makura kana

I shift my pillow
closer to the
full moon.

Saiba 1858 (Tr. Hoffmann)

By the old Japanese lunar calendar, the full moon was always on the fifteenth of the month; and the eighth month would be our September. Just as a brief aside here, although the Japanese, from a Buddhist standpoint, like the full moon, from an aesthetic standpoint they also like the moons of the thirteenth and the seventeenth as well, because these moons were slightly misshapen from total fullness.

Autumn in Japan by the old lunar calendar consisted of the seventh, eighth, and ninth months (our August, September, and October). The most significant full moon of the lunar year was the full moon of the eight month (September), the Harvest Moon.

Larry Bole
Translating Haiku Forum



As the full moon rises
The swan sings in sleep
On the lake of the mind.

source : Epitaph of Kenneth Rexroth



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by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 月岡芳年

名月や来て見よがしのひたいぎわ
meigetsu ya kite miyogashi no hitaigiwa

The full moon
coming with a challenge
to flaunt its beautiful brow
Tr. John Stevenson

Fukami Jikyu
source : www.myjapanesehanga.com



Autumnal Moonlight Viewing
tsukimi 月見

There is an old custom of celebrating the full moon on the fifteenth day of the eighth month on the traditional Japanese calendar. It's a very poetic and elegant practice, with people placing ornaments and offerings next to windows, on verandas, and in other places where one can see the moon. Vases are filled with pampas grass and autumnal herbs, and seasonal foods like dumplings, pears, persimmons, and grapes are placed on dishes.

Autumn consisted of the seventh, eighth, and ninth months of the year on the old Japanese calendar. The full moon in the middle autumnal month, called chushu no meigetsu, was considered particularly beautiful, as the air became crisper and the heat of summer subsided.

The traditional Japanese calendar and the modern one used by countries around the world today are off by about a month. It's not unusual for chushu no meigetsu to be a day or two off from the day of the full moon.

The practice of celebrating the full moon came from China during the Heian period (794-1185). Records show that chushu no meigetsu was marked with poetry and music by court aristocrats as early as 909.

In the Edo period (1603-1868) the practice of enjoying the beautiful rays of the moon spread to warriors and townspeople. Farmers also incorporated viewing the full autumn moon into agricultural rites. For instance, taro roots (sato imo) were prepared as offerings, and moon-viewing doubled as a harvest festival. This became so widespread that the full moon in mid-fall also came to be known as imo meigetsu.

Eating dumplings - made from rice pounded into paste and shaped into spheres like the moon - made people feel like they were sharing a meal with the lunar god.

There used to be a custom forgiving anyone who stole the dumplings and fruits offered during moon-viewing. When the offerings were taken by children, they weren't scolded. Instead, adults said they were glad the gods liked the food so much to partake of them. This tradition is disappearing today, but the offered foods are still a treat for kids when the moon-viewing is over.
© Kidsweb
http://web-jpn.org/kidsweb/calendar/september/moon.html


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The Chinese Moon Festival

The Chinese Moon Festival is on the 15th of the 8th lunar month. Now it is celebrated sometime between the second week of September and the first week of October. It's also known as the Mid-autumn Festival. Chinese culture is deeply imbedded in traditional festivals. Just like Christmas and Thanksgiving in the West, the Moon Festival is one of the most important traditional events for the Chinese.

The Moon Festival is full of legendary stories. Legend says that Chang Er flew to the moon, where she has lived ever since. You might see her dancing on the moon during the Moon Festival. The Moon Festival is also an occasion for family reunions. When the full moon rises, families get together to watch the full moon, eat moon cakes, and sing moon poems. With the full moon, the legend, the family and the poems, you can't help thinking that this is really a perfect world. That is why the Chinese are so fond of the Moon Festival.

The moon cake is the food for the Moon Festival.
The Chinese eat the moon cake at night with the full moon in the sky. Here are a few pictures of the typical moon cake.

Read more here:
source : chineseculture.about.com


On the night, the moon is believed to appear to be at its biggest, roundest, and brightest. There is a popular Chinese saying that goes like this:
“The moon is especially round and bright in mid autumn.”

The festival is the second most important festival after the Chinese New Year. It is a night of celebration, beginning with a delicious family reunion dinner. When the moon rises high in the sky, people set up tables in their backyards or nearby parks, chatting, sharing life stories, and viewing the moon.

The festival is a millennium-old festival, dating back to 2000 years ago. Different regions or groups of people have different ways to celebrate the festival. Generally speaking, it is mainly a night for family sharing time. During moon viewing, people are constantly moved to share their knowledge about the moon, especially about the moon in Chinese poetry. School-age children or young adults are encouraged to recite moon poems, of which the most famous is Li Po’s “Thoughts in Night Quiet.”
It is believed that this poem is the best known of all Chinese poems, especially among Chinese living overseas.

Seeing moonlight here at my bed,
and thinking it's frost on the ground,

I look up, gaze at the mountain moon,
then back, dreaming of my old home.
- - translated by David Hinton

Li’s poem successfully conveys the nostalgic longing for family through the moon imagery – a symbol of distance and family reunion in the Chinese poetic tradition – portrayed in simple and evocative language. Every time when the Chinese think of their families or hometowns, they recite “Thoughts in Night Quiet.”



Moon Festival
over Taiwan and Toronto
the same moon?

alone in moonlight
no wine, my eyes drink
her in　

in the attic
autumn moonlight pools...
mother's mooncake


Chen-ou Liu
Canada, September 2010




. WASHOKU
Chinese Moon Cakes 月餅 　


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MOON names in different American traditions
From the Farmer’s Almanach
http://www.tempslibres.org/us/en/notes/noteslune.html
http://www.americanindian.net/moons.htm
http://www.wwu.edu/skywise/indianmoons.html
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/970314a.html

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There are many haiku about the MOON on this Link.
http://www.asahi.com/english/haiku/041101.html



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.. .. .. Alphabetical List


. Autumn Moon (aki no tsuki　秋の月) 　Japan
The most important autumn kigo in all details.

The word MOON without further connotation,
refers to the AUTUMN MOON in Japanese haiku.


山里の鐘の音遠き秋の月
yamasato no kane no ne tooki aki no tsuki



Autumn moon
above a mountain village,
The boom of a temple bell in the distance.

月の夜そぞろ歩きの川明かり
tsuki no yoru sozoro aruki no kawa akari

A stroll on a moon night,
The surface of a river
gleaming.

今日の月ふと立ち止まる通勤路
kyoo no tsuki fu -to tachidomaru tsuukin ro

The harvest moon,
I stop unconsciously
on my way home from office.

Great link about autumn haiku and the Sea. With many pictures.
Thanks go to Wada Yoshio.
http://wadaphoto.jp/haiku5.htm


. . . . .

Two Death Poems (farewell poems) (jisei 辞世（じせい）
about the moon

fude nagete tsuki ni mono iu bakari nari

I throw my brush away -
from now on I speak only
to the moon
Tr. Gabi Greve

or

I cast the brush aside -
from here on I'll speak to the moon
face to face.
Tr. Yoel Hoffman


. Reference
Koha (Kooha)　香波, 1897、August 14
. . .Haiga by greenleaf
(the last line, face to face, has no equivalent in the Japanese).



月も見て我はこの世をかしく哉
tsuki mo mite ware wa kono yo o kashiku kana

I have even seen the moon -
now I can say good bye
to this world

Kaga no Chiyoni, September 8, 1775


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"Beans Full Moon", lesser harvest moon, mame meigetsu 豆名月
also
"Chestnut Full Moon", kuri meigetsu 栗名月
..... a treat served whilst watching the full moon
kigo for late autumn

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kigo for mid-autumn

tsukimi 月見 つきみ moon viewing
..... kangetsu 観月（かんげつ）
tsuki matsuru 月祭る（つきまつる）celebrating the moon
tsuki o matsu 月を待つ（つきをまつ）waiting for the moon
see also "entertaining visitors for moon viewing" above.


tsukimizuki 月見月（つきみづき）
month when we can see the moon

. tsukimi mame 月見豆（つきみまめ）
Edamamebeans when viewing the moon
tsukimizake, 月見酒（つきみざけ）rice wine for moon viewing


. "Sweet Potato Full Moon" imo meigetsu 芋名月
Offering sweet potatoes to the deities


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blackberry moon
an american indian (choctaw) name for the october moon


blackberry moon . . .
midnight rain lingers
in a snail's shell

- Shared　by Sandi Pray, USA -
Joys of Japan, October 2012



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"Blood Moon" and eclipses geshoku　月食



. Blue Moon .
"once in a blue moon"


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Bow-string moon, gengetsu 弦月
small quater-moon, crescent moon
kigo for autumn

"Bow-stretched moon", yumiharizuki 弓張月

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Christmas Moon Weihnachtsmond


"cold moon", moon in a cold nicht
(kan no tsuki　寒の月)
kigo for winter

cold moon -
shards of light
on frost

Ella Wagenmakers

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Dawn moon in autumn (ariakezuki) Japan. 有明月（ありあけづき)
moon in the morning, asazuki/moon left over, nokoru tsuki/mist in the morning, ariake gasumi

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dumplings for moon viewing, tsukimi dango, tsukimidango　月見団子　

They are placed on a beautiful tray and put outside as an offering to the deities on the autumn full moon night. Later on, they are eaten by the family.

susuki　すすき grasses (another kigo for the full autumn moon season) are put in a vase beside them.
Click HERE to see some photos.


entertaining visitors for moon viewing,
tsuki no za, 月の座
..... tsuki no en　月の宴
host who invited for moon viewing, tsuki no aruji, 月の主
guests viewing the moon togheter, tsuki no kyaku, 月の客
friends viewing the moon together, tsuki no tomo 月の友
moon viewing restaurant, tsukimijaya 月見茶屋 (つきみじゃや)
boat for moon viewing, tsukimibune 月見船
drinking sake while moon viewing, tsukimizake　月見酒
kigo for mid-autumn


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Evening moon, yuuzuki 夕月
Night moon, yoizuki 宵月
Moon of tonight, kyoo no tsuki 今日の月
the moon tonight, koyoi no tsuki 月今宵
kigo for mid-autumn

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Full Moon (mangetsu 満月）
auspicious moon, mochizuki 望月, meigetsu 名月
kigo for mid-autumn

full moon
keeping an eye
on the stars

full moon
wolf howling
your side of the fence

Ella Wagemakers

o o o o o

There is an Ezine called "Full Moon"
http://fullmoonmag.bravehost.com/index.html


. tsuki 月 (つき) moon, der Mond
The Full Moon of Autumn ... more KIGO 　


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France, names of the moon

new moon, nouvelle lune (French)
shingetsu / saku (" new moon")

new crescent, croissant (French)
mikazuki ("the third day's moon")

half-moon, premier quartier (French)
hangetsu ("half-moon"),
jougen no tsuki("an upward bow" )

full moon, pleine lune (French)
mangetsu, mochizuki("full moon"),
juugoya ("the fifteenth night")

half-moon, dernier quartier (French)
hangetsu ("half-moon"),
kagen no tsuki ("a downward bow")

http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~NW6E-MTMR/moon/name_e.htm

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Germany, names of the moon
Namen des Mondes

Januar: Hartmond, Eismond, Schneemond, Wolfsmond
Februar: Narrenmond, Schmelzmond, Taumond
März: Frühlingsmond
April: Ostermond
Mai: Weidemond, Wonnemond, Marienmond
Juni: Brachmond, Rosenmond
Juli: Heumond
August: Erntemond, Sichelmond
September: Herbstmond
Oktober: Weinmond, Dachsmond
November: Nebelmond, Wintermond, Windmond
Dezember: Julmond, Christmond, Heiligmond, Wolfsmond, Schlachtmond
www.wetter-mensch-natur.de


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Harvest Moon, North America


Hunger Moon


Hunter's Moon

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. WKD : Ice Moon - February
'Moon of the Dark Red Calf'　　


India
Moon, waxing (moondraam pirai)

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Moon Names
Colonial American
Chinese
American Indian (Choctaw)
American Indian (Dakotah Sioux)
Celtic
English Medieval
Neo Pagan
New Guinea
source : krcool

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. Meigetsu 名月 (Japan)
The full moon of Mid-Autumn (September)
"famous moon". The full moon of the eighth lunar month, usually in September.
also translated as : harvest moon.
kigo for mid-autumn

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.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. MOON

handblown glass -
cirrus clouds curve
around the moon

Hortensia Anderson

oo oo oo oo oo

moonlit bridge –......................... яркая луна --
my shadow checks the path .......тень нащупывает путь
before my steps .........................по мостику

Origa (Olga Hooper)

Read more of Origa's Moon Haiku here:
http://www.livejournal.com/users/origa/30603.html?nc=12

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MOON kigo for mid-autumn


New Moon, shingetsu 新月, 初月
the moon appears small for the first time in the eigth month of the lunar calendar, now September. Crescent moon.

New Moon on the second day, futsukazuki 二日月
..... sengetsu 繊月（せんげつ）
..... futsuka no tsuki 二日の月（ふつかのつき）


New Moon on the third day, mikkazuki 三日月
..... mikka no tsuki 三日の月（みっかのつき, tsuki no mayu 月の眉（つきのまゆ）, mayugakizuki 眉書月（まゆがきづき）, mayuzuki 眉月（まゆづき）, mikkazuki mayu 三日月眉（みかづきまゆ）
..... new moon, shingetsu 新月（しんげつ）, young moon, jakugetsu 若月（じゃくげつ）
..... sword of the moon, tsuki no tsurugi 月の剣（つきのつるぎ）
..... gabi 蛾眉（がび）, shohaku 初魄（しょはく）



No Moon (mugetsu, 無月 Japan)
The "invisible moon" , refers to the night of the full moon in September, when he is hidden by the clouds.
When it rains on that day, we have the "rain moon", ugetsu 雨月.

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October Full Moon (nochi no tsuki 後の月)
kigo for late autumn
"the next full moon"
Spetember in the Asian lunar calendar. In America: Hunter's Moon.
The moon a month after the really bright moon of august.

nochitsuki no kanashiki hodo no shirosa kana

October full moon
moonshine is too white
for sadness

Etsuko Yanagibori

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paper moon
topic for haiku

Paper Moon is a 1973 American comedy film directed by Peter Bogdanovich and released by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was adapted from the novel Addie Pray by Joe David Brown, and the film was shot in black-and-white. The film is set in Kansas and Missouri during the Great Depression. It stars the real-life father and daughter pairing of Ryan and Tatum O'Neal, as on-screen father and daughter Moze and Addie.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !




Poacher's Moon




Snow Moon
kigo for winter


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Spring Moon kigo for all spring
Vollmond im Frühling
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


haru no tsuki 春の月 moon in spring
... shungetsu 春月（しゅんげつ）
haruzukiyo 春月夜（はるづきよ）night with a spring moon
haru mangetsu 春満月（はるまんげつ）full moon in spring


haru mikazuki 春三日月 (はるみかづき) crescent moon in spring
... 春の三日月（はるのみかづき）


oborozuki 朧月 (おぼろづき) hazy moon in spring

tsuki oboro 月朧（つきおぼろ）moon is hazy
oborozukiyo 朧月夜（おぼろづきよ）night with a hazy moon
tangetsu 淡月（たんげつ） lightly hazy moon
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



Spring Moon Haiga
Beautiful Haiga by Victor P. Gendrano
http://www.geocities.com/vgendrano/moon.html


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Sugar Moon / Sap Moon Full Worm - March Moon. Maple Moon.
North America and Canada. Making Maple Syrup.

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Young woman viewing the summer moon
Suzuki Harunobu (1725-1770)


Summer moon

natsu no tsuki 夏の月 (なつのつき) moon in summer
summer moon
It refers to a cool evening (tsuki suzushi 月涼し)
It has been the subject of many poems since old times, when people enjoyed the full moon on a cool summer night.
When it shines on the earth, it colors the ground white "like frost" (yoru no shimo　夜の霜), to bring a cool feeling to the viewer.

. cool moon, tsuki suzushi 月涼い 　


takotsubo ya hakanaki yume o natsu no tsuki
Basho and the Octopus pot



夏の月無きずの夜もなかりけり
natsu no tsuki mukizu no yoru mo nakari keri

summer moon--
there's no such thing
as a flawless night

Issa
(Tr. David Lanoue)



late summer moon . . .
the remnants of a gull’s wake
floats on the river

Bruce Ross , Bangor, ME, USA
http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/haiku/03/selection2002.html

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kigo for mid-summer

tsuyu no tsuki 梅雨の月 (つゆのつき)
moon in the rainy season

. tsukimizu tsuki 月見ず月（つきみずつき）
month when we can not see the moon


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Snow and Moon

. . yukizukiyo 雪月夜（ゆきづきよ）
night with snow and a full moon 　



Yukitsukiyo
I read your Haiku
before sleep

Etsuko Yanagibori

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WINTER MOON

fuyu no tsuki 冬の月 (ふゆのつき) winter moon, moon in winter
tsuki sayuru 月冴ゆる（つきさゆる）brigh clear winter moon
tsuki kooru 月氷る（つきこおる）"freezing moon"
kangetsu 寒月（かんげつ）"moon in the cold", moon on a cold night
("cold moonlight" is something else.)

fuyu mikazuki 冬三日月（ふゆみかづき）cresecent moon in winter
kan mikazuki 寒三日月（かんみかづき） crescent moon in the cold

- - - - - Yosa Buson - - - - -

寒月や開山堂の木の間より
kangetsu ya kaisandoo no ki no ma yori

this cold moon -
among the trees
of the founder's hall

- - - - -

寒月や枯木の中の竹三竿
kangetsu ya kareki no naka no take sankan

this cold moon -
among the bare trees
three stalks of bamobo

- - - - -

寒月や小石のさはる沓の底　
kangetsu ya koishi no sawaru kutsu no soko

this cold moon -
the soles of my shoes
touch small pebbles

- - - - -

寒月や松の落葉の石を射る
kangetsu ya matsu no ochiba no ishi o iru

this cold moon -
fallen needles of pines
shoot into stones

- - - - -

寒月や門を敲ば沓の音
kangetsu ya mon o tatakeba kutsu no oto

this cold moon -
after knocking at the (temple) door
the sound of wooden clogs

- - - - -

寒月や鋸岩のあからさま
kangetsu ya nokogiri-iwa no akara sama

this cold moon -
the red glow
on Nokogiri-Iwa rocks

ーPossibly
. Nokogiriyama 鋸山 Mount Nokogiri . Chiba prefecture
nokogiri - saw


- - - - -

寒月や衆徒の群議の過ぎて後
kangetsu ya shuuto no gungi no sugite nochi

this cold moon -
after the monk-soldiers left
the war meeting

monk-soldiers (soohei 僧兵) armed monks of the Heian period and later, mostly adherent to the large temples in Kyoto and other regions of Japan.

- - - - -

寒月や僧に行き合ふ橋の上
kangetsu ya zoo ni yuki-au hashi no ue

this cold moon -
I meet a monk
on the bridge


. Yosa Buson 与謝蕪村 and the moon .

- - - including

寒月に木を割寺の男哉
kangetsu ni ki o waru tera no otoko kana

寒月や門なき寺の天高し
kangetsu ya mon naki tera no ten takashi

kangetsu ya tani ni cha o kumu mine no tera


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寒月や我ひとり行く橋の音
kangetsu ya ware hitori yuku hashi no oto

moon in the cold -
only my own footsteps
on the bridge

Tan Taigi 炭太祗
Tr. Gabi Greve



cold moonlight
through the window
still no dreams

source : Haiku Bandit Society, March 2009


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Haibun about the Moon
by Takashi Nonin
http://www.haikupoetshut.com/themoon.html

We have only to say "the moon" when we refer to the autumnmoon. We must therefore put such epithets as "spring/vernal", "summer", or "winter" before the moon when we mention the other season's moon.The autumn moon makes the difference. My old SAIJIKI has 126 words or phrases with regard to the autumn moon. Which shows how profoundly the Japanese have affiliated with the moon since ancient times.

Today, October 5th (September 15th according to the lunar calendar) is the Full Moon. Tonight TV stations across the Archipelago telecast the full moon with a few seasonal comments. "A poet can not but be jocund." We look up and admire the moon tonight.When it happens to be cloudy and we cannot see the moon, we don't complain but try to see the "invisible" moon way beyond the clouds.

This is Mugetsu or No Moon. When it's raining, we call the Rainy Moon Ugetsu 雨月. We miss the moon, to which our thoughts go out through the rain.We praise the moon and enjoy everything about the way the moon looks tonight. Eared pampas grass and several other flowering plants fresh from the autumn fields arranged in a vase, together with"moon-viewing dumplings"(Tsukimi-dango) are placed near the open window as the gifts for the moon.
Our hearts are filled with anticipation on the Eve of the Full Moon (Oct.4th this year). This is Matsuyoi or The Moon-awaiting Evening.

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Sitting all alone
facing a still white paper:
behind me the moon

Vasile Moldovan
Read more about the Moon in Europa

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三日月の 頃より待ちし 今宵かな
mikazuki no koro yori machi shi koyoi kana

since the sickle moon
we waited so impatiently
for the moon tonight

Matsuo Basho,
the last woodblock print in the following series

One Hundred Aspects of the Moon
Tsuki Hyakushi 月百姿
by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892)

One Hundred Aspects of the Moon is the last major work of Yoshitoshi. 100 Aspects of the Moon consists of a hundred single sheets with very diverse subjects and only one common theme - the moon, more or less visible on each design.

Read the full article with more prints here:
© Artelino.com Art


Here is my dear Daruma in this MOON series



　©　GALERIE AM HAUS DER KUNST • MÜNCHEN


Yoshitoshi's moon prints on display in Leiden, Holland
By MARJAN BEX, November 2006


Harvest Moon and Geese Haiku / WHR 3

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harvest moon above
lights the evening sky
silver fields below

Paul Oxberry, October 2007

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Super Moon May 2012


photo : Maya Lyubenova, 05 May 2012; Plovdiv, Bulgaria


between us
there also lives
super moon

- Shared by Louis Osofsky -



super moon-
pull me closer to the sea
out beyond the surf

- Shared by Lisa Hills -
Joys of Japan, May 2012



the pond’s depth ~
this perigee moon
reflection

- Shared by Elaine Andre -
Joys of Japan, 2012


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supermoon...
the craters closer
ever closer

a couple on the pier
peer into eachother

- Shared by Dennis Chibi -
Joys of Japan, 2012


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at midnight
the last gift of Golden Week
a silver supermoon

- Shared by Kit Nagamura -
Joys of Japan, 2012


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my old dog
gazing at the supermoon
I fall asleep

Chen-ou Liu

Kigo Hotline


The perigee full moon on May 5, 2012 will be as much as 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than other full moons of 2012.
LOOK at the NASA video here:
source : www.nasa.gov


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THE HEBREW LUNAR CALENDAR

Nisan was determined by a celestial event.
The Nisan moon was the first moon that would become a full moon after the passing of the spring equinox. Nisan thereby marked the first month of the year on the Hebrew calendar for the religious year. The Nisan moon, confirmed by the ripening of the barley harvest determined the month in which Passover would be celebrated.

source : endtimepilgrim.org


. WKD : Nisan Moon haiku .


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WASHOKU ... Japanese Food SAIJIKI


[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
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Mistletoe

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO　　TOP . ]
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Mistletoe (Viscaceae)

***** Location: USA, other countries
***** Season: All Winter
***** Category: Plant

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Explanation


Mistletoe is the common name for various evergreen parasitic plants of the families Loranthaceae andViscaceae, especially "European Mistletoe" Viscum album and "American Mistletoe" Phoradendron flavescens, with waxy white berries and smooth-edged oval leaves in pairs along the woody stem.
http://www.mistletoe.org.uk/mtoenewweb2003/InArtChristmas2003.htm

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Martha Brockenbrough on the plant:

Mistletoe is an interesting plant. It's a parasite; in fact it's the only plant that is actually considered a true parasite because it sometimes kills the hardwood trees it infests. Mistletoe grows slowly in trees, and doesn't put roots in the ground.

This liberation from the earth made the ancient Druids believe mistletoe was sacred. It was even considered bad luck to let any mistletoe touch the ground.

The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe probably got its start with the Druids as well.

According to one explanation, the Norse god Balder was killed with an arrow made of mistletoe. The rest of the gods were sad, so they decided to bring him back to life. The Goddess of Love then dedicated the mistletoe to Balder--and anyone passing under it must receive a kiss to show tribute to this symbol of love.

Others point to the Druid tradition of laying down arms and exchanging greetings under the mistletoe as the origin of the kissing tradition. They credit the English for taking peace one step further by puckering up, then plucking a berry from the bunch and discarding it. The kissing ended when the berries ran out, inspiring people to find hearty bunches.

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/columns/?article=questionmistletoe

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National Geographic News
Harvesting Mistletoe: Gunfire Gets The Job Done
by Steven Ginsberg

Plucking, Climbing, Shooting

Here's the ugly truth: Mistletoe digs through tree bark to suck out sap, leeching water and nutrients from its host. Sometimes it kills its host. Hunters have been known to shoot it to save a tree.

The mistletoe Americans are familiar with, Phoradendron serotinum, grows primarily in the Southeast and as far west as Texas and Oklahoma.

In swamps, it can be plucked off low-hanging branches by hand. Elsewhere, it can sometimes be taken by ladder or by climbing a tree.

As mistletoe's popularity surged, it gave rise to commercial growers. But many farmers markets, roadside stands, and nurseries still rely on the old-fashioned method of shooting it down.

Blowing it out of the sky is "the West Virginia way," said Charlie Spencer, a state forestry specialist who's hunted mistletoe for years.

"A shotgun is just the most effective way to get it out."

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/12/1219_mistletoe.html

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The mistletoe is a common decoration.
Here is a link to Art Nouveau with some great pieces.
http://www.mistletoe.org.uk/mtoenewweb2003/InArtNouveau2003.htm
Check out more on Art on the link above.

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Worldwide use

Italy

In Italy a special plant for the New Year is the mistletoe. It is considered a plant of good omen. The holly is typical for Christmas time together with the poinsettia.

kiss under the
mistletoe, as long
as the year

Moussia from a frozen Roma, 2006

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North America

In the US, it is a traditional Christmas decoration, while in Europe, it is used to celebrate the New Year.
In Scandinavia, it is a symbol of peace.
Sarah

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Things found on the way

The Pickwick Papers, Charles Dickens

"From the centre of the ceiling of this kitchen, old Wardle had just suspended with his own hands a huge branch of mistletoe, and this same branch of mistletoe instantaneously gave rise to a scene of general and most delightful struggling and confusion; in the midst of which, Mr. Pickwick, with a gallantry that would have done honour to a descendant of Lady Tollimglower herself, took the old lady by the hand, led her beneath the mystic branch, and saluted her in all courtesy and decorum."
http://www.candlegrove.com/mistletoe.html

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I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus
Underneath the mistletoe last night
She didn't see me creep
Down the stairs to have a peep
She thought that I was tucked up in my bedroom fast asleep

Then I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus
Underneath his beard so snowy white
Oh, what a laugh it would have been
If Daddy had only seen
Mommy kissing Santa Claus last night

http://wilstar.com/xmas/isawmommykissingsantaclaus.htm

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an article on Australian mistletoe
http://www.forests.qld.gov.au/educat/btl/mistle.htm

legends and stories regarding the mistletoe
http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/noel/angl/gui.htm

the celtic origins of mistletoe
Allheal or Golden Bough

In Victorian times, kissing under the Mistletoe was a Christmas ritual that old-timers hoped would lead to romance and marriage among the younger generation. Today, the Mistletoe is familiar to us as a Christmas decoration that results in some innocent mischief at the annual Christmas office party. But in ancient times, the Mistletoe was known by the Celts and the Vikings as a healing plant upon which superstition and myth had bestowed miraculous healing powers.

More about other celtic and viking traditions is here:
Mistletoe



WKD : Mistletoe, Its Celtic Origins


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HAIKU

Just below
the mistletoe
A kiss

Sarah

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on the visor
of his cap
mistletoe

Michael Baribeau

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slowing
the French train passes
trees with mistletoe

Alan Summers
Blithe Spirit Vol. 19 No. 1 (March 2009)

WKD Facebook


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Related words

***** World Kigo Database: Poinsettia -

***** Fern and other plants for the New Year in Japan

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

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Migrating Birds (wataridori)

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
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Migrating Birds (wataridori)

***** Location: Japan, other regions
***** Season: Autumn
***** Category: Animals

*****************************
Explanation

migratory birds, birds of passage, wataridori 渡鳥
birds migrate, tori wataru 鳥渡る

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Just to mention, "migratory birds", is an autumn kigo in part because migrating birds arrive in Japan from Siberia to winter. They also depart in the spring, but in the culture of kigo, migrating birds migrate only one way, in one season, as far as the kigo wataridori is concerned.

Quote from A Kigo Essay by Richard Gilbert


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Worldwide use

Chesapeake Bay, USA

Canada geese fly north
Canada geese, like many other birds, winter in the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding areas. We are the southern end of the migratory route for these birds, so we have them in reverse. This is one of the things that makes the Chesapeake different from much of the Northern Hemisphere: They arrive in fall and go home in spring!

M. Kei
Chesapeake Bay Saijiki

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Romania
Migrating birds leave, Plecarea păsărilor călătoare
September till early October

Swallows and wild geese are said to leave around “Little St.Mary’s” (Nativity of the Virgin Mary, Sept.8th), storks and cranes somewhat later.

Cristian Mocanu
Romanian Saijiki

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Things found on the way





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HAIKU

. WKD : Kobayashi Issa 小林一茶 in Edo .


叱らるることも馴てや渡り鳥
shikararuru koto mo narete ya watari-dori

birds heading south
unfazed even when they're
getting bawled out
Tr. Chris Drake

This humorous autumn hokku is from the 9th month (October) of 1822.
Various kinds of migrating birds are now heading south for the winter, stopping for a day or two at places along their route. Birds didn't winter in the snowy area in which Issa's hometown was located, so these birds are just passing through. When a flock lands it temporarily takes over a bit of new territory and ignores the local residents. Rice has recently been harvested, so some birds are probably going after all the grains they can eat, while others feed on people's hedges and in their gardens, causing people to greet them with shouts and expletives.

Issa is amused by how cool and nonchalant the birds are. They seem to have experienced so much criticism from humans that they don't respond to it anymore. The word "even" implies the birds are cool and unfazed by everything on their trip, even the tongue-lashings they get from humans. As a fellow migrant bird, the well-traveled Issa seems to sympathize with the birds and understands their need to stay calm and cheerful on their long, hard journey.

There may possibly be a reference here to Issa's treatment by many of his fellow villagers in his hometown. He wasn't bawled out, but he was criticized by some villagers as an outsider selfishly trying to force his way back into a village where he was no longer welcome. He seems impressed and heartened by the lively equanimity shown by the birds.

Chris Drake


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[NOTE: The following sequence was triggered by the publication, in the “National Geographic” magazine, of a map showing the impressive distances covered each year by migrating birds around the world.
Already published in “Haiku Harvest”-].

a stork named “Princess”
flew over seven seas for
three months of sunshine.

the disabled child
tracking the wild geese’s route
on the NG map

“Bon voyage”, old stork!
would you send me some postcards
from South Africa?

8th of September:
Mary’s blue cloak sheltering
the youngest swallows

Cristian Mocanu

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Related words

***** Snow Geese and other geese

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Mermaid Parade

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. Amabie アマビエ .
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Mermaid Parade

***** Location: Coney Island, N.Y., USA
***** Season: Summer
***** Category: Observance

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Explanation

The Mermaid Parade is an annual Coney Island event where people dress up as mermaids and other creatures. It happens in late June, and is being threatened by impending gentrification of Coney Island.

Judy Kamilhor

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The Mermaid Parade is a completely original creation that is that nation's largest art parade and one of New York City's greatest summer events.

Founded in 1983 by Coney Island USA, the not-for-profit arts organization that also produces the Coney island Circus Sideshow, the Mermaid Parade pays homage to Coney Island's forgotten Mardi Gras which lasted from 1903 to 1954, and draws from a host of other sources resulting in a wonderful and wacky event that is unique to Coney Island.

The Mermaid Parade celebrates the sand, the sea, the salt air and the beginning of summer, as well as the history and mythology of Coney Island, Coney Island pride, and artistic self-expression. The Parade is characterized by participants dressed in hand-made costumes as Mermaids, Neptunes, various sea creatures, the occasional wandering lighthouse, Coney Island post card or amusement ride, as well as antique cars, marching bands, drill teams, and the odd yacht pulled on flatbed.

Each year, a different celebrity King Neptune and Queen Mermaid rule over the proceedings, riding in the Parade and assisting in the opening of the Ocean for the summer swimming season by marching down the Beach from the Boardwalk, cutting through Ribbons representing the seasons, and tossing fruit into the Atlantic to appease the Sea Gods. In the past, David Byrne, Queen Latifah, Ron Kuby, Curtis Sliwa, Moby and Theo have graced our shores, presiding over the assembled masses.
http://www.coneyisland.com/mermaid.shtml

Read about the 2004 Mermaid Parade

2005 Mermaid Parade

2005 Parade Photo Galleries


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way

The Littel Mermaid
by Hans Chritsian Andersen



Far out in the ocean, where the water is as blue as the prettiest cornflower, and as clear as crystal, it is very, very deep; so deep, indeed, that no cable could fathom it: many church steeples, piled one upon another, would not reach from the ground beneath to the surface of the water above. There dwell the Sea King and his subjects. We must not imagine that there is nothing at the bottom of the sea but bare yellow sand. No, indeed; the most singular flowers and plants grow there; the leaves and stems of which are so pliant, that the slightest agitation of the water causes them to stir as if they had life.

Fishes, both large and small, glide between the branches, as birds fly among the trees here upon land. In the deepest spot of all, stands the castle of the Sea King. Its walls are built of coral, and the long, gothic windows are of the clearest amber. The roof is formed of shells, that open and close as the water flows over them. Their appearance is very beautiful, for in each lies a glittering pearl, which would be fit for the diadem of a queen.

Copyright © Zvi Har’El

Read the rest of this long story here:
The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen

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The Little Mermaid Statue in Copenhagen

The Little Mermaid was a present from brewer Carl Jacobsen (The Carlsberg Breweries) to Copenhagen, and was made by a little known sculptor called Edvard Erichsen. She was unveiled at Langelinje in 1913, as part of a general trend in Copenhagen in those days, which demanded that classical and historic figures be used as decoration in the city's parks and public areas.



In 1909, brewer Carl Jacobsen saw solo dancer Ellen Price dance in Fini Henriques' ballet "The Little Mermaid" at the Royal Theatre. He was so taken with her that he asked her if she would pose for a sculptor. She agreed in principle, but was not very interested in posing in the nude, when she found out just how publicly the statue would be placed. So Edvard Erichsens wife stepped in and modeled for the body. On September 14, 1912, the statue was first test positioned at its location, and on August 23, 1913, it was placed at its permanent location.

Copyright © Hans-Henrik T. Ohlsen

Look at some more photos here:
http://www.copenhagenpictures.dk/mermaid.html

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HAIKU

Coney Island
after the Mermaid Parade:
apocalypse, sequins

Judy Kamilhor, 2005

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mermaid parade!
coney island ushers in
a new summer

Carol Raisfeld


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Related words

***** Manatee North America

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. - yookai, yōkai 妖怪 Yokai monsters - - Introduction .

- quote -
Amabie (アマビエ)
is a legendary Japanese mermaid who allegedly emerges from the sea and prophesies either an abundant harvest or an epidemic. There are other mermaids and mermen known by other names but considered identical. The male amabiko (アマビコ, 天日子) or amahiko (尼彦, あま彦, 天彦), the amahiko-nyūdo (尼彦入道), and the elusive arie (アリエ).


CLICK for more photos !

- Legend
Amabie appeared in Higo Province (Kumamoto Prefecture) according to legend, around the middle of the 4th month, in the year Kōka-3 (mid-May, 1846) in the Edo era. A glowing object had been spotted in the sea, almost on a nightly basis. The town's official went to the coast to investigate, and witnessed the amabie. She had a mouth like bird's bill, and was covered in scales from the neck down. Addressing the official, she identified herself as an amabie and told him that she lived in the open sea. She went on to deliver a prophecy: "Good harvest will continue for six years, if disease spreads show a picture of me to those who fall ill and they will be cured." Afterwards, she returned the sea. The story was printed in the kawaraban (ja) (woodblock-printed bulletins), where her likeness was printed, and this is how the story disseminated in Japan.

- Similar yōkai
A yōkai creature considered identical to Amabie is the merman named Amahiko (尼彦?), which reputedly appeared in the sea of Higo Province. This Amahiko resembled Amabie in that it also made predictions of bountiful harvests or pestilence, and prescribed displaying the picture of his likeness in order to avoid catastrophe. The Amahiko Nyūdo (尼彦入道 "the amahiko monk"?) of Hyuga Province (Miyazaki prefecture) was another creature considered of the same kind, who appeared and pronounced his prophecy.

A similar creature named Arie (アリエ) appeared in "Aoshima-gun" county, Higo Province, according to the Yamanashi Nichinichi Shinbun (ja) newspaper dated 17 June 1876, although this report has been debunked by another paper.[a] The Yūbin Hōchi Shinbun (ja) dated 10 June 1876 also carried an article about Amahiko.

The three creatures share these common characteristics: 1) appearance from the sea, 2) prediction of good harvest and the plague, and 3) a solution of disaster by showing the apparition's picture, and on that account have been considered identical.

The Amahiko no Mikoto (天日子尊 the holly Amahiko) was spotted in a rice paddy in Yuzawa, Niigata, as reported by the Tokyo Nichinichi shinbun (ja) dated 8 August 1875. The yamawarawa (山童 the mountain child- Kappa) in the folklore of Amakusa is believed to haunt the mountains. Although neither of these last two emerge from sea, other similarities such as prophesying indicate they belong to the same kind.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

. Amabie アマビエ .

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- #amabie -
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