Part Two - April, May and June
April
(deutzia flower month)
Fuji
(Wisteria)
The name for April, ‘Uzuki’, refers to the deutzia flower or ‘Unohana’, a flowering
shrub. This is a popular flower in Japan that signals the beginning of summer.
April
is represented by the ‘Fuji’ (Wisteria)
blossom. In April and May, purple Fuji blossoms hang from boughs in many
gardens. The Cuckoo and Wisteria are
often shown together as symbols of late spring and the beginning of summer. The
cuckoo usually calls in the dark of summer nights. The call of the Cuckoo is
said to sound like someone calling, ‘return home’. The Japanese Cuckoo or
‘Hototogisu’ is often shown flying across the face of the moon. This image signifies
honour and advancement in status and refers to the story of the samurai Yorimasa. The story is told in the Tale
of Heike about the battles between two warring clans at the end of the twelfth
century. The Heike Emperor was plagued every night by a flying monster. After
several nights of failed attempts to banish the monster, someone suggested that
the samurai Yorimasa ‘is a man who could subdue a monster’.
Yorimasa
was a distinguished samurai who had served with bravery and success in many
battles but had not gained the recognition or honours that he deserved. Yorimasa
was already in his mid-forties and had semi-retired to be a Buddhist monk when
the monster appeared. He was not interested in fighting any flying monsters but
he could not refuse an Imperial order. Yorimasa stood bravely in the Imperial
courtyard waiting for the monster with his bow and arrows. He armed himself
with only two arrows. One for the monster and in case he missed the monster,
one for the man who nominated him for the job. Fortunately, Yorimasa shot the
monster out of the sky with one arrow.
After the monster died, the Emperor rewarded
Yorimasa with a special sword. As he was being awarded, a cuckoo flew overhead
calling in the night. Yorimasa then recited the following poem:
hototogisu
na o mo kumoi ni
aguru ka na
yumihari tsuki no
iru ni makasete
na o mo kumoi ni
aguru ka na
yumihari tsuki no
iru ni makasete
Translation:
The
cuckoo's name soars,
its cadence resounding
in the realm of the clouds
It was merely drawn forth
by the sinking crescent moon
its cadence resounding
in the realm of the clouds
It was merely drawn forth
by the sinking crescent moon
The first verse speaks of how he finally returned
from retirement and achieved the great name and honour he deserved in the
Imperial Palace or ‘Realm of the clouds’. The second verse acknowledges that
his greatness is only due to his service to the Emperor, symbolised by the
moon. The second verse can also be read to mean, ‘The shot from my drawn bow
was in the hands of fate’ and that modesty is very important.
May
(rice shoot planting month)
Ayame
(Iris)
The name of
the month refers to the time when Rice seedlings are transplanted. When
cultivating Rice, the seeds are sown in a small field in the spring. When the
seedlings have sprouted they are transferred to a flooded field where they will
grow until they are harvested. The flooded fields not only provide water for
the Rice but also control weeds and rats that can damage the young crops.
May is
represented by the ‘Ayame’ (Iris
blossom). The Ayame represents virility and is often displayed on Boys’ Day
(5 May). The five point card depicts the ‘Ayame’ alongside a bridge. This is a
reference to a chapter from ‘The Tale of Ise’, a collection of poems from tenth
century Japan. ‘The Tale of Ise’ is a very well-known piece of Japanese
literature.
The story is about a member of the Imperial Court in Kyoto who was assigned to a new post far to the East. He left his family behind in the capital as he travelled on his long journey. Along the way, he and his companions lost their way. They came to a place called ‘Yatsuhashi’ or ‘eight bridges’. This was a swampy area where a large river split into eight smaller rivers. Each of the rivers was crossed by a bridge. The whole area was filled with blooming Irises. The court official was feeling rather sad, was lost and missed his wife. The men stopped to rest and the court official wrote the following poem:
Karagoromo
kitsutsu narenishi
tsuma shi areba
harubaru kinuru
tabi wo shi zo omou
kitsutsu narenishi
tsuma shi areba
harubaru kinuru
tabi wo shi zo omou
Translation:
I have a
beloved wife
Familiar as the skirt
Of a well-worn robe
And so this distant journeying
Fills my heart with grief
Familiar as the skirt
Of a well-worn robe
And so this distant journeying
Fills my heart with grief
At first
glance, the poem seems to have nothing to do with Irises. However, the poem is
an acrostic. The first letters of the Japanese poem spell out ‘ka-ki-tsu-ba-ta’
which is the Japanese name for the species of iris that filled the marshes.
The story had special significance to the lords of
Edo Japan. At the time, the Tokugawa Shogun came up with a way to keep any
rivals from starting a rebellion from their home provinces. He required every
lord to spend part of the year in the capital Edo (present day Tokyo) and part
in their home province. When the lords returned home, their families were kept
as hostages in Edo—a guarantee that they would stay loyal while away. Also, the
additional expense of maintaining two households and travelling back and forth
prevented any rivals to the Shogun from getting to be too powerful.
June (month of water)
Botan (Peony)
The name for
the month ‘Mi-na-zuki’ is an example
of ‘Ateji’. The name Minazuki is made up of three Chinese characters:
(water-not-moon). The middle character for ‘not’ was often substituted as the
Ateji, or phonetic equivalent, for ‘na’ which is the possessive article ‘of’.
So Minazuki can be read as both ‘the month of water’ and ‘the month without
water’. June is usually toward the end of the spring rainy season. There is
plenty of water and the rice fields are all flooded. The name of the month
could be referring to the flooded fields or the end of the rain.
June is represented by ‘Botan’ (Peony), a beautiful flower native to China. In China and
Japan the Peony is a symbol of wealth, good fortune and prosperity. The Peony
is known for its medicinal properties and large fragrant flowers. It is often
shown with butterflies in Chinese and Japanese paintings. The flowers are full
of nectar and attract many insects.
