Showing posts with label Ireland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ireland. Show all posts

3/12/2013

Ireland - John Byrne

[ . BACK to Worldkigo TOP . ]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


....................... Irish Saijiki, Ireland Saijiki


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


- Haiku and Cultural Keywords -
shared by John Byrne -

Haiku Culture Magazine


Aran jumper

Blasket Island

bodhran drum

coddle stew

cup of tae (cup of tea)

currach

Irish stew / stobhach gaeliach

Queen of May - Mary

riverdance

slaen

Storm Petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus)




. seanchai storyteller . seanchaidhe (plural
seanchaidhthe)


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Aran jumper
(Irish Gaelic: Geansaí Árann) is a style of jumper/sweater that takes its name from the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland. It is sometimes known as a fisherman's jumper. A classical fisherman's jumper is a bulky garment with prominent cable patterns on the chest, often cream-colored.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


Aran jumper ...
from the waves
her hands shield him




.............................................................................


Great Blasket (An Blascaod Mór in Irish)
is the principal island of the Blaskets, County Kerry, Ireland.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


an Blascaod Mór ...
in the evening mist
the cry of the Kittiwake


.............................................................................


music session....
the moist shirt
of the Bodhran player


.............................................................................


Coddle (sometimes Dublin coddle)
is an Irish dish consisting of layers of roughly sliced pork sausages and rashers (thinly sliced, somewhat fatty back bacon) with sliced potatoes and onions. Traditionally, it can also include barley.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


Dublin in Spring...
east wind on the Liffey
leads to a Coddle



.............................................................................



cup of tae day
Cup of Tae Fri May 3rd to Mon May 6th (May Bank Holiday)
The famous “Cup of Tae” Schools of Music will continue.
source : www.cupoftaefestival.com


May festival...
music and song
and a nice cuppa



.............................................................................



A currach (Irish: curach)
is a type of Irish boat with a wooden frame, over which animal skins or hides were once stretched, though now canvas is more usual.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


currach
in animal skin
they reaped their bounty




.............................................................................



Irish stew / stobhach gaeliach
(Irish: stobhach / stobhach Gaelach) is a traditional stew made from lamb, or mutton (mutton is used as it comes from less tender sheep over a year old, is fattier, and has a stronger flavour) as well as potatoes, onions, and parsley. It may sometimes also include carrots.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


festival...
having drunk my fill
a pot of stobhach gaeliach




.............................................................................


Queen of May
May Devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary refers to special Marian devotions held in the Catholic Church during the month of May honoring the Virgin Mary as "the Queen of May". These services may take place inside or outside. May devotions have existed throughout Roman Catholic church since the 16th century and since that time have been a regular feature of Catholic life.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


Queen of may..
in my father's house
a month of rosary



.............................................................................


Riverdance
The Irish Dancing Phenomenon
source : riverdance.com/


Spring downpour....
is this what we mean
by riverdance



.............................................................................




In the past, Irish people heated their homes and cooked their food using turf taken from from the bog as fuel. Turf was cut from the bog by hand, using a two-sided spade called a sleán.
Entire families often helped to save the turf on the bog.
source : www.askaboutireland.ie



turfcutters...
on the sleán handle
a wheatear rests




.............................................................................



Storm Petrel Hydrobates pelagicus,
Guairdeall, Stormie (common slang used by birdwatchers), Mother Carey's chickens, Sea Swallow, Gourdal (Kerry), Little Peter.
A small, dark seabird with a white rump, recalling a House Martin. Small in size with short wings, a quick flight action, sometimes dangles legs over the sea when feeding.
source : www.birdwatchireland.ie

April begins...
Ireland welcomes
Mother Carey's chickens



*****************************
Related words


- Haiku - John Byrne -  


***** Europa Saijiki, Saijiki of Europe


. Irish Saijiki, Ireland Saijiki .

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 

10/18/2011

Ireland SAIJIKI

[ . BACK to Worldkigo TOP . ]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


....................... Irish Saijiki, Ireland Saijiki


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

This saijiki is under construction.
Please help with your info and contributions!

Gabi Greve




Ireland
is the third-largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain. Politically, the sovereign country of Ireland (described as the Republic of Ireland) covers five-sixths of the island, with Northern Ireland (part of the United Kingdom) covering the remainder in the north-east.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


And for some fun, an external LINK to the "seasons" or Ireland
This is the new guide to the Irish seasons. All other references to 'Spring', 'Autumn' etc are now obsolete and we will be moving forward with this new EU model.
Cold wet season, summers, warmer wet season (tourist season)...
New season guide issued by the Irish Gubbermint.
18 September 2009


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

... ... ... SPRING

Ash Wednesday

Brigid's Day (Ireland) St. Brigid

Daffodil, Narcissus and Jonquils

Gorse, Ginster furze

Hazel catkins

Honeysuckle - Féithleann Lonicera periclymenum

Mothering Sunday, Laetare

Mummers

Passionflowers

Patrick's Day (Ireland) St. Patrick's Day


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

... ... ... SUMMER

Ant, Ants

Cemetery Sunday Ireland (Roman Catholic parishes)

Cornflower

Cotoneaster

Gooseberry

Meadowsweet

Redcurrants

Tarweed

Cutting turf, cutting bog


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

... ... ... AUTUMN

All Saints’ Day

All Souls’ Day

Bog grasses

Cormorant

Harvest Thanksgiving (Christian communities) Harvest Festival

River mist

Rubber plant

Samhain Festival

Sceach (in Hiberno-English: whitehorn bush)
Photo

Thistle in autumn


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

... ... ... WINTER

Hot Whiskey (Toddy, Irish Coffee)

January Sales

Stephen’s Day

Storm, Gale

Winter Solstice, Newgrange

Yule (winter solstice)

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

... ... ... Non-seasonal TOPICS


WKD . Placenames of Ireland used in Haiku


Aran jumper

currach - Irish boat


Red deer, Cervus elaphus - Fia Rua

Riverdance

turf, cutting turf and sleán spade


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


................................................... General Information


Gilles Fabre, Haiku Ireland

HAIKU IRELAND has been established by a group of haiku poets based in Ireland who share the same aims and accept the operating rules.
Membership is open to any persons who share our aims.

HAIKU IRELAND organises regular haiku events such as ginko, workshops, haiku readings and other events relating to haiku. Please see the notice board for information about upcoming events.

http://www.haikuireland.org/


Thanks to webmaster Gilles Fabre, the "Haiku Spirit" begun by Jim Norton and Sean O'Connor lives in a new form.
The site includes contributions in French and English.
http://haikuspirit.org/

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Irish Haiku Society

The Irish Haiku Society is an association of haiku poets. The Irish Haiku Society organises haiku meetings, readings, book-launches, workshops, ginko and other haiku-related events.

The following haiku poets are currently on the Board of the Irish Haiku Society:
Patrick Deeley, Anatoly Kudryavitsky, Siofra O'Donovan, Martin Vaughan.

HAIKU WORKSHOPS
held in the Irish Writers' Centre, December 2006

Irish Haiku Society, January 2007

Shamrock Haiku Journal
http://www.freewebs.com/shamrockhaiku

Read more details HERE.
December 2006


xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


The "Double Rainbow" Haiku Workshop

This workshop, led by leading Irish haiku poet Maeve O’Sullivan with input from guest haiku-ists Kim Richardson and John W. Sexton is a chance for those who are drawn to the haiku form to deepen that interest.
http://www.anamcararetreat.com/workshops.html#index

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Inspiration from the people of Ireland …

United by peace
Protestants, Catholics, claim
Green, White and Orange!


© 2002 Manes Pierre
http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewpoetry.asp?AuthorID=22622&id=143497

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

new leaf buds -
mummers dance and play
house to house


Elaine Andre

MUMMERS - a vanishing custom held each St Stephens day in rural parts of Ireland where local musicians visited each family in the area and spent an hour or two playing music before moving to the next family.
source : www.youtube.com


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


WORLD HAIKU FESTIVAL IN IRELAND 2006


*****************************
Things found on the way



*****************************
HAIKU



- More - Haiku from Ireland


. Haiku Collection - John Byrne .


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


recession
must we again leave
on those big ships


- Shared by John Byrne -
Haiku Culture Magazine, 2013




*****************************
Related words


***** Europa Saijiki, Saijiki of Europe


[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 

12/03/2007

Beech Tree

[ . BACK to TOP . ]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Beech Tree

***** Location: Ireland, Europe
***** Season: Various, see below
***** Category: Plant


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

Beech tree (Latin: Fagus sylvatica)

The beech tree (or rather its leaves) in Europe is a kigo at least twice each year
-- in late spring / early summer for the fresh green of its young leaves,
young leaves of the beech tree

and in late autumn / early winter for the colouring of its leaves before they fall, and when they are shed.
red leaves of the beech tree

beechnut
kigo for winter



Beech trees are either green-leafed or copper-leafed, and much enjoyed during the entire leaf-bearing season. During the winter, the trees’ branch structure is equally appreciated. The beechnuts are edible for humans, and prized by squirrels. The bark of the beech tree is smooth, and many a love-lorn person has carved names and wounded hearts into these trees.

Even though the beech tree is not officially recognised as a native tree of Ireland (not having grown there 10,000 years ago, when Ireland was cut off from mainland Europe), it is nevertheless common and has been planted in parks, avenues and hedges all over the country (especially in Leinster). Many ancient beech trees are free standing and may suffer during the worst of the winter storms.


40-year-old beech avenue in the Midlands of Ireland

Text and photo © Isabelle Prondzynski, 2007

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The European Beech is the most common dominant climax tree of the woodlands and forests of central Europe and here it grows in a wide range of soils: acidic, neutral and calcareous. It is often found in combination with Silver Fir and Norway Spruce on the continent and this trio makes very productive, soil-improving forests. In the southern mountains of central Europe it will ascend to 1700 metres. The Beech is a native tree from southern Norway and Sweden down to northern Spain, Italy and the Balkans. The biggest species are found on low-lying sheltered parts. Towards the edges of its northern range it becomes rather stunted. In Finland, for example, its appearance will be much more bush-like.

The tree is able to thrive in poor thin soils, since its roots have a habit of spreading widely all through the upper layers of the soil. This is probably an important contributory reason why, in a wood that starts of with both oak and beech, the beech will usually end up being the dominating tree. The beech cannot cope with waterlogged soils and it prefers dry light soils. It also does well in heavier, stiffer loams, as long as the subsoil does not have a wet character. However, having said that, people have also observed that, as climate changes cause prolonged periods of hot dry weather, that the Beech does not thrive in drought conditions.

Beech delights in chalky subsoil and in Britain it is still only found growing naturally in the Cotswold Hills, the Chiltern Hills and the Sussex Downs, where the soils overlies chalk or limestone. Pollen grain studies suggest that Beech has been native to south England for at least 7000 years, but only around 500 BC did it spread to any considerable extent, including Wales and northwards to Yorkshire. Agricultural and timber felling practices may have eventually reduced its spread again, except on the thin limestone soils, which may not have been as attractive for ploughing to farmers as the more fertile lowlands.

Beech is an important timber tree and has displaced the Oak as Britain's biggest hardwood 'crop'. It has been successfully planted by foresters, as far north as Aberdeen, for its valuable wood, as shelterbelts, and as soil improvers. The beauty of this tree with its massive smooth trunk, its deep shade and attractive Autumn foliage, has also made it an extremely popular, widely planted ornamental tree. Young trees and those who are continually pruned, keep the brown , dry leaves on the twigs all through the winter and this peculiarity has made beech hedges a favourite choice around gardens and wherever else a windbreak or a non-see-through deciduous hedge is required.
http://www.the-tree.org.uk/BritishTrees/beech.htm


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Beech tree in winter

Photo © Isabelle Prondzynski

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Beech (Fagus sylvatica)
Irish Fea (Family - Fagaceae)


Description: Magnificent, large, deciduous tree. Important economic forestry tree.
Height: Max 40m. Age: mature at 120 years

Where found: Chalky soils and limestone but tolerant of a wide range of soils and conditions. Up to 300m. Natural distribution in Southern England to Gloucestershire and a few localities in South Wales. Not native to Ireland. Found throughout most of Europe except Spain, Former USSR, Norway and Sweden.

Propagation and growth:
Grown from seed. Scaly cup splits in Autumn to release 2 three sided nuts. Seed should be moist chilled for approx 12 weeks before sowing. Approx 3000 germinable seeds per Kg. Best established when sheltered by birch or hazel coppice. Frost tender. Increases in size to 120 years.

Uses past & present:
Pale brown hard wood but relatively easily worked. Whitest wood considered to be best grade.

Uses of wood :
Large trees for timber. Not suitable for outside use although used for piles immersed in water. Used for furniture and many other uses such as bowls, spoons, tools, plywood, and veneers. Valuable as sawn timber. Good for firewood and production of charcoal.

Food and drink :
The nut is known as mast and occurs in abundance every five to eight years. It is nutritious and rich in oil and attractive to birds and small mammals including deer and badger. The oil can be extracted and used for culinary purposes.
http://www.british-trees.com/guide/beech.htm



*****************************
Worldwide use

Germany

Rot-Buche (Rotbuche )
Buche
Gemeine Buche
Orientalische Buche

Read more names from other countries !

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Japan

kigo for early summer

buna no hana 山毛欅の花 (ぶなのはな)
blossoms of the beech tree


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

North America

American Beech (Fagus grandiflora)

CLICK for more photos

American Beech trees live a long time in the eastern United States from Michigan to Texas, except in southern Florida. They are usually found as canopy trees on acidic soils growing at higher elevations. The bark of American Beech trees is smooth and gray. They are grown as a landscape tree and turn from green to bronze in autumn. The nuts are eaten by people and animals.

Janice Rosenberger, Kigo Hotline


*****************************
Things found on the way


The historic Forêt de Soignes (Sonian Forest) of Brussels (Belgium), the biggest forest within a European city, consists very largely of beech trees and is a popular walking domain for the inhabitants of the surrounding communes.

More here :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonian_Forest


*****************************
HAIKU


beech avenue --
every bud on every twig
sparkling with dew

early nightfall --
the white of the snowdrops
under the old beech

even today --
beech leaves float in the wind
one by one

wayside statue --
Christ too is covered
in beech leaves

young dog --
every beech leaf is
a new world



Haiku and photo © Isabelle Prondzynski

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

drover's road
beech leaves turn it
gold again


© ~ MATTM


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

A Haiku Gallery of the WHC Autumn Festival Ginko
at Beacon Hill, Loughborough, Charnwood
September 23, 2001



'great place for haiku'-
from the giant beech shadows
rounds of laughter


grey autumn sky -
a golden beech candelabras
over it's sapling


© Haiku Series: Kevin Ryan

...

the darkness
of old beech trees
children's laughter

© Haiku Series: Haiku Series: Paul T. Conneally


*****************************
Related words

***** Colored cover leaves of beech tree buds falling on snow

yuki momiji 雪もみじ , haru momiji 春もみじ
kigo for early spring



***** Storm, Gales Europa

*****************************

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

7/27/2007

Swift (Apus apus)

[ . BACK to TOP . ]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Swift (Latin : Apus apus --
German : Mauersegler -- French : martinet noir)


***** Location: Ireland and Europe
***** Season: Mid-Summer
***** Category: Animal


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




Swifts are one of the sure signs of the European summer. They arrive immediately after the swallows, at the beginning of May, and leave again, almost unnoticed, weeks before the swallows depart, at the beginning of August. They often fly in flocks, wheeling at high speed over the rooftops or under the clouds, screeching in chorus as they go, and are said to spend almost their entire lives flying.

The swift is more urbanised than the swallow, at least in Europe. While both happily coexist in rural Ireland, swallows lack the mud they need to build their nests in the modern city. Swifts make use of holes and crevices in buildings, and so long as sufficient old buildings offer such spaces, they will be found even in major cities.

Some years back, one of them strayed into my bathroom in Ireland, and flew round and round just below the high ceiling, in a space that was far too confined for it. After considerable time, I managed to trap it with the help of a curtain and found that, while its wings were wide and strong, it had quite rudimentary feet.

The shout of the swift is part of the height of summer in the same way that open windows are... and its disappearance is a clear harbinger of the imminence of autumn.


View from my window -- the swifts were too swift for my camera!

Text and photo © Isabelle Prondzynski

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Scientific name : Apus apus

Status :
Common summer visitor everywhere except far N and W Scotland.

Habitat :
Breeds almost exclusively in buildings in towns and villages, but travels large distances to feed and can then be found almost anywhere.

Description :
Superb fliers and the most ariel of birds. All dark except for whitish chin (hard to see), and best told by its characteristic scythe shaped wings, and its screaming calls, often in small parties wheeling around buildings. Unlike swallows and martins, never lands on ground or perches on wires, and indeed spends almost all its life on the wing.

Size :
16 - 17 cm

http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/bird-guide/swift.htm

*****************************
Worldwide use

Czech Republic

The trials of the Common Swift - bird of the year in the Czech Rep
[11-08-2004]
By Jan Velinger

Over the last couple of days we've seen one of the first signs of autumn here in Prague, as swifts have started gathering for their annual migration to the south. But for how much longer will this annual ritual continue? The common swift has been chosen this year by the Czech Ornithological Society to be the subject of its annual Bird of the Year campaign to heighten a growing threat to the swift's traditional habitats.

In Latin it's known as Apus apus - the Common Swift. It's an acrobatic and feisty bird - easily recognisable for its characteristic screech that you often hear in the spring and early summer months.

The swift is no stranger to Czech cities, as the breed favours nesting under the eaves of apartment buildings or even within building themselves. Pavel Vasak is from the Czech Ornithological Society. He explains how the bird developed new habits in reaction to changing trends.

"After 1989 the majority of cities in the Czech Republic - especially Prague - began seeing extensive reconstruction of old buildings in very poor shape. The repairs of facades and roofs, however, meant that the birds' nesting choices eventually grew limited, which eventually influenced the species to begin nesting in ventilation shafts in pre-fabricated apartments. Today, that has proven to be a bad choice."

Setting up home within ventilation shafts is a habit that has now put the birds at threat. There have been many cases of birds being holed up, trapped inside ventilation shafts with access routes cut off.

The danger to the swift is one reason the Ornithological Society chose the bird for its 2004 campaign in the first place, and in part thanks to the campaign the society along with the Ministry for Regional Development, City Hall, and members of the concerned public,have been able to put pressure on construction firms to respect the birds' habitat, and rebuild in such a manner as not to put the species at continued threat. Pavel Vasak again:

"In past years our experience with construction companies was not that positive. But since last year we began co-operating with the Ministry for Regional Development and City Hall - that has made the difference. Construction firms - and the public - are now more aware of the needs of the swift and what needs to be done - and can be done - to help the bird's habitat survive."

In primeval times swifts used to nest in cracks and crannies on the sides of natural cliffs but their choosing man-made structures for nesting goes back to ancient times too - to the first stone structures and villages ever built by man. That set-up proved successful for millennia: the Czech Ornithological Society will do every thing within its power to makes sure that set-up continues.

http://www.radio.cz/en/article/56949

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

France

martinet noir

More photos here, and a write-up of the swift (martinet noir) in French :
..www.oiseaux.net/oiseaux/

With a wonderful photo :
..www.oiseaux.net/photos/

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Germany


Mauersegler

Beautiful pages at the URL below, with photos taken by Erich Kaiser, who loves, researches and accommodates swifts in the gables of his house. The write-up is in German, but following the pages from 1 to 8, you will see a fascinating series of photos of swift fledgelings, from hatching all the way to stretching their enormous wings and getting ready for their first flight -- which they must succeed, as they could not manage to take off again if they fall to the ground.
..www.mauersegler.klausroggel.de/


*****************************
Things found on the way


birds nest soup

a delicacy in Chinese cuisine.
A few species of swift, the cave swifts, are renowned for building the saliva nests used to produce the unique texture of this soup.

The edible bird's nests are among the most expensive animal products consumed by humans. The nests have been used in Chinese cooking for over 400 years, most often as bird's nest soup.



The Chinese name for bird's nest soup, yàn wō (燕窝), translates literally as "swallow's nest". When dissolved in water, the birds' nests have a gelatinous texture used for soup or sweet tong sui. It is mostly referred to as "yan wo" unless references are made to the salty or sweet soup in Chinese cuisine.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !

bird's nest―
a cave swift delicacy
in my bowl


- Shared by Santíago Víllafanía, Philippines -
Joys of Japan, 2012



*****************************
HAIKU


balmy day --
balcony seat under
swiftless skies
(15 September 2005)


high above
in the blue morning sky --
the first two swifts



evening sky --
a cloud of swifts
mills about
(both 3 May 2006)


swifts have gone --
will I be back next year?
warm autumn night

(5 August 2006)


all at once --
a sky full of
swifts

(4 May 2007)


evening sky --
full of jasmine
and swifts’ wings
(20 June 2007)


fading daylight --
the last swarm of swifts
more heard than seen

(15 July 2007)

Isabelle Prondzynski

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

bedtime -
darting swifts
play tag


© ~ joanie

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


evening -
some swifts in and out
of a train's sound


© ~ O.G. Aksnes

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


noisy swifts spiral
into the old church chimney
as evening air cools

© ~ Pardee A Gunter

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Haiga



a traveller
in time and space
common swift rush by


Curtesy of © Ashi


*****************************
Related words

***** Swallow (tsubame, Japan)


[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 

7/16/2007

Bog grasses

[ . BACK to TOP . ]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Bog grasses

***** Location: Ireland
***** Season: Autumn
***** Category: Plant


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

Bog Grasses

There are three major types of bog in Ireland; firstly Fens, which form where the bog is fed from ground waters rich in nutrients; raised bogs, which occupy the sites of former lake basins, and often form on top of fens, especially in the Irish midlands; and lastly blanket bogs, which cover mountain tops or sloping ground, especially on the west coast.

Fens are bogs which form in lake basins (right). The community of grasses, sedges, and bryophytes is fed from ground waters rich in nutrients. They are very often an early stage in the formation of raised bogs which grow on top of the fen. Their depth can vary depending on their location but they are usually 2 to 3m in depth. ome of our rarest flowering plants and bryophytes are confined to fens.

Raised bog is almost pure sphagnum moss (susán) with scattered grasses and sedges, and these are the bogs from which moss peat is extracted. Sphagnum can grow on rainwater alone, and as long as grasses, sedges and heathers cannot obtain sufficient nutrients from the bog, the sphagnum will continue to outstrip them in speed of growth, forming a huge dome of moss that gradually spreads outwards from the original lake basin from where it starts. Raised bogs probably began growing about 7,000 years ago.

About a foot below the surface of a bog the water is deprived of all oxygen, and the dead remains of moss, other plants and even humans can be preserved indefinitely. Country dwellers used to store butter below the surface of bogs, and examples of ‘bog-butter’ are still occasionally found. Raised bogs are fragile because they are like a huge plastic bag full of water - as soon as you make a pin prick in them they drain away and collapse. These bogs are sometimes called red bogs, because the dry peat looks brownish-red in colour - in blanket bog the cut turves dry black.

Blanket bogs cover much of the hills and land along the west coast of Ireland. They are dominated by heathers, grasses and sedges as well as sphagnum moss. Blanket bogs only develop in areas of the west, or mountaintops, with particularly high rainfall (more than 1.3 metres per year). They began growing about 4,000 years ago when rainfall increased. On higher ground, bogs are often referred to as moorland, where they are somewhat transitional between heath (dominated by heathers) and bog (dominated by sphagnum moss).

Heath is a transitional community, which links the more upland types of grassland with the drier types of mountain blanket bog. It occurs on shallow, peaty soils, with a higher mineral content than true peat characteristic of bogs. This community usually comprises a patchwork, with different areas dominated by different species; bracken, raithneach mhór (Pteridium aquilinum), bilberry, fraochán (Vaccinium myrtillus), bell heather, fraoch cloigíneach (Erica cinerea), ling heather, fraoch mór (Calluna vulgaris), rushes, sedges or grasses.




HEATHER, see below.

*****************************
Worldwide use


*****************************
Things found on the way



*****************************
HAIKU


bog grasses in the evening -
a seagull
absorbs the light

© Aisling White, 2006
Haiku from Irelnad


*****************************
Related words

Heather (Erika) (Ericaceae)
kigo for autumn

CLICK for more photos !CLICK for many more photos !

ヘザー(Heather)
エリカ属(Erica), カルーナ属(Calluna),ダボエシア属(Daboecia)
ヒース(Heath), リング(Ling)

Heather is at home in Europe (e.g. Ireland) in areas with acid soil, such as bogs and similar landscapes.
Ireland, Scotland, Germany (Lueneburger Heide) are among the best.
France and Spain have their heathers too.

Heather flowers in the autumn and produces spectacular purple landscapes at that time.

Heather honey is the very best in flavour and the most expensive, and it is very hard nowadays to find it pure.

Ericaceae family:
HEIDE, Heidekraut, Erika in German.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidekraut

.................................................

When God first made the world, He looked at the bare and barren hillsides and thought how nice it would be to cover them with some kind of beautiful tree or flower. So he turned to the Giant Oak, the biggest and strongest of all of the trees he had made, and asked him if he would be willing to go up to the bare hills to help make them look more attractive. But the oak explained that he needed a good depth of soil in order to grow and that the hillsides would be far too rocky for him to take root.

So God left the oak tree and turned to the honeysuckle with its lovely yellow flower and beautiful sweet fragrance. He asked the honeysuckle if she would care to grow on the hillsides and spread her beauty and fragrance amongst the barren slopes. But the honeysuckle explained that she needed a wall or a fence or even another plant to grow against, and for that reason, it would be quite impossible for her to grow in the hills.

So God then turned to one of the sweetest and most beautiful of all the flowers - the rose. God asked the rose if she would care to grace the rugged highlands with her splendour. But the rose explained that the wind and the rain and the cold on the hills would destroy her, and so she would not be able to grow on the hills.

Disappointed with the oak, the honeysuckle and the rose, God turned away. At length, he came across a small, low lying, green shrub with a flower of tiny petals -some purple and some white. It was a heather.

God asked the heather the same question that he’d asked the others.
"Will you go and grow upon the hillsides to make them more beautiful?"

The heather thought about the poor soil, the wind and the rain - and wasn’t very sure that she could do a good job. But turning to God she replied that if he wanted her to do it, she would certainly give it a try.

God was very pleased.

Read the rest of the story here
 © www.electricscotland.com

COPY




:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

***** WKD : Ireland Saijiki, Irish Saijiki


*****************************

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

Rubber plant

[ . BACK to TOP . ]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Rubber plant (Ficus elastica)

***** Location: Ireland
***** Season: Summer
***** Category: Plant


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

Rubber plant (Ficus elastica) is grown around the world as an ornamental plant, outside in frost-free climates from the tropical to the Mediterranean and inside in colder climates as a houseplant. Along with Philodendron, it is one of the most common houseplants in modern-days Ireland.

A ficus has green glossy leaves, which usually are about 3-4 inches long; they have a stem about as thick as the ink refil on a pen, about one inch long and attached to a wooden stem. The underside redness can vary greatly depending on the age, and so can the woodiness. A Ficus would drop their oval-shaped or rather pointed leaves in hot, dry conditions.

Anatoly Kudryavitsky




*****************************
Worldwide use


*****************************
Things found on the way



*****************************
HAIKU


day's writing done -
the rubber plant sheds
a moony leaf


by Anatoly Kudryavitsky
(from 'Morning at Mount Ring', DOGHOUSE Books, 2007)


*****************************
Related words

***** WKD : Ireland Saijiki, Irish Saijiki

*****************************

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

Redcurrant

[ . BACK to TOP . ]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Redcurrant

***** Location: Ireland, Europe
***** Season: Mid-Summer
***** Category: Plant


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

The redcurrant is a beautiful looking berry, the lushest red imaginable when fully ripe. It is much loved by blackbirds and other birds -- in our Irish garden, we drape the bushes with netting, so as to keep some of the berries for ourselves. It is picked from about the end of June to the second half of July, when the fruit fruit are a delicious kigo.

The berries are both sweet and sour, too sour for some to enjoy raw, but delicious when properly ripened, and often eaten with sugar and cream -- if not straight off the bush!

They make a delicious juice, a perfect jelly, and a wonderful jam (if one does not mind the little pips) -- as well as being the most essential ingredient in “rote Grütze”, a Northern German / Danish summer pudding stewed from red fruit. They are also a key component of “Rumtopf” (see below) -- itself a kigo for winter.


Redcurrants freshly picked from a net-covered bush

Text and photo © Isabelle Prondzynski

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


The Redcurrant (Ribes rubrum)
is a member of the genus Ribes in the gooseberry family Grossulariaceae, native to parts of western Europe (France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, and northern Italy). It is a deciduous shrub normally growing to 1-1.5 m tall, occasionally 2 m, with five-lobed leaves arranged spirally on the stems. The flowers are inconspicuous yellow-green, in pendulous 4-8 cm racemes, maturing into bright red translucent edible berries about 8-12 mm diameter, with 3-10 berries on each raceme.

Although blackcurrant is more traditionally associated with medicinal uses, English and German language herbalist sources consider redcurrant berries to have fever-reducing, sweat-inducing, menstrual-flow inducing, mildly laxative, astringent, appetite increasing, blood cleansing, diuretic and digestive properties. Some of these proposed effects are probable, due to the verified high levels of vitamin C, fruit acids, and fiber the berries contain. Tea made from dried redcurrant leaves is said to ease the symptoms of gout and rheumatism, be useful in compresses for poorly healing wounds, and as a gargling solution for mouth infections.

© WIKIPEDIA

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



Photo © Isabelle Prondzynski


*****************************
Worldwide use

Rote Grütze

This is a Northern German and Scandinavian speciality, a delicious summer pudding made of red fruit, which must contain a good helping of red currants to give it that pleasantly sweet and tart flavour. In Danish, it is called Rødgrød. One of the favourite tongue twisters given to learners of Danish, is “rødgrød med fløde på” -- being summer pudding with liquid cream floating on top, just as it should.

The recipes available on the internet in English, are mostly written by expatriates, often of the second or third generation, or indeed their friends. The one which follows below is pretty genuine.

Isabelle Prondzynski



Germany

In German, the red and black currants are called "Johannisbeeren" (St. John's berries), because they usually ripen round about St John's Day (Johannistag -- 24 June). This major festival, celebrating the birth of St. John the Baptist, is an integral part of the mid-summer celebrations in many European countries, often with bonfires and dances.

Isabelle Prondzynski

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Rodgrod med Flode (Norwegian Fruit Jelly with Cream)

Amount ..... Ingredient --

1 pt Red currants
1 pt Raspberries
2 c Water
1/2 c Sugar
1 tb Cornstarch
2 tb Water
1 t Vanilla extract

In a large saucepan, rinse fruit. Combine fruit and water; simmer over medium heat about 10 minutes. Drain; stir in sugar. Blend cornstarch and cold water into a smooth paste. Add cornstarch to fruit, stirring constantly. Bring mixture to a boil; cook 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Sieve mixture, if desired. Chill. Serve with cream and decorate with blanched almonds, if desired.

4 servings
© www.recipesource.com/

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Japan

akasuguri アカスグリ

In Japan, redcurrants can grow, but do not ripen when grown outside -- there is just too much rain usually at the time they should be turning red and filling out.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Kenya


In Kenya, redcurrants do not grow, as they need the seasonal contrasts between cold and warm -- even at the higher altitudes, these contrasts are not sufficiently marked.


*****************************
Things found on the way



*****************************
HAIKU


redcurrants --
each with its own drop
of rain

four snails
in the redcurrant bush --
summer rain



Photo © Isabelle Prondzynski

a bowl full
of fresh redcurrants --
and two green leaves

redcurrants --
the best hide in the thick
of the bush


~ Haiku and Photo : Isabelle Prondzynski

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

summer treat --
redcurrant jam
on toast


© ~ laryalee

.. .. .. .. ..


Photo © Isabelle Prondzynski

*****************************
Related words

***** Blackcurrants
***** Raspberries

***** Strawberries

***** Gooseberries

***** Rumtopf


*****************************

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

7/12/2007

River Mist

[ . BACK to TOP . ]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

River Mist

***** Location: ireland
***** Season: All Autumn
***** Category: Heaven


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

Early in the morning a mist rises from an Irish river and obscures the banks in a haze of fog before the sunrise burns it all away. The fog rises suddenly and burns off just as fast - the whole process takes about 20 minutes.

(As described by the eyewitness)
"This morning as I sat staring out at the slowly lightening sky I saw the finger of mist making its way upriver. The Shannon dawn mist is quite startling, actually. Moving swiftly upriver, a mist rises from the water as if the whole river were about to boil. It moves like a white cloud northward into the town from the Shannon callows and is so heavy it quickly obscures the opposite bank. Then, the sun appears and the whole thing evaporates into thin air in the space of ten minutes or so."

by Sean Lightholder
(http://www.irelandlogue.com/places-to-go/magical-shannon-mist.html)



*****************************
Worldwide use


*****************************
Things found on the way



*****************************
HAIKU


river mist
barges transport coal
in both directions

Anatoly Kudryavitsky
(from 'Morning at Mount Ring', DOGHOUSE Books, 2007)


*****************************
Related words

***** .. Fog, Mist, Haze and more

*****************************

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

Samhain Festival

[ . BACK to TOP . ]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Samhain Festival

***** Location: Ireland
***** Season: Autumn
***** Category: Observance


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

(November 1st), mostly the West of Ireland.

In other parts celebrated as All Saints's Day.

Samhain (pronounced 'saun' from the old Irish samain) is the word for November in the Gaellic languages. The Scottish Gaellic spelling is Samhainn or Samhuinn (for the feast), or an t-Samhain (for the month). Samhain, meaning Summer's End, is the Celtic festival held on November 1st, which is generally regarded as 'The Celtic New Year.' The Festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Celtic culture. It was celebrated with bonfires throughout centuries. In early Ireland, people gathered at the ritual centers of the tribes, for Samhain was the principal calendar feast of the year.

The greatest assembly was the 'Feast of Tara,' focusing on the royal seat of the High King as the heart of the sacred land, the point of conception for the new year. In every household throughout the country, hearth-fires were extinguished. Even today, one can see bonfires lighting up the skies in Ireland, as well as in many parts of Britain at this season.

Despite the fact that the dates of the ancient Celtic Samhain and the Christian All Saints' Day coincide, the significant difference between them is that Samhain recognises the evil spirits, whereas Hallowmas recognises those that were good. While Samhain was (and is) a time to fear the spirits of the dead, All Saints' Day continues to be a time to celebrate life.

Anatoly Kudryavitsky





*****************************
Worldwide use


*****************************
Things found on the way



*****************************
HAIKU


T-shirts on the line
November wind tries on
a "Samhain" one


Anatoly Kudryavitsky
(from 'Morning at Mount Ring', DOGHOUSE Books, 2007)

*****************************
Related words

***** All Saints’ Day

***** All Souls' Day

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


ALL SOUL'S DAY
(The Day After Samhain, i.e. November 2nd)

In Ireland, it was once widely believed that the souls of the faithful departed would return to their family home on All Soul's Night. Great care was taken to make them feel welcome.
Rituals included sweeping the floor clean, lighting a good fire, and placing the poker and tongs in the shape of a cross on the hearth. A bowl of spring water was put on the table, along with a place setting for each deceased relative. In some areas, children would go "soul-caking" - they'd visit neighbors and beg for cakes in exchange for prayers to be said for the dead.

Families would usually retire early, but before they did, many of them went to the cemetery where their loved ones were buried. They would say prayers for each departed family member, make sure the gravesites were neat and tidy, and then they would leave a candle burning on each grave.

During evening prayers, the family would again light a candle for each of their departed relatives . Often, a candle would be placed in the window of a room where a relative had died. Or, it might be placed in a window that faced in the direction of the cemetery. Then, when evening prayers were over, the candles would either be extinguished or left to burn out.

by Bridget Heggarty
(from www.irishcultureandcustoms.com)


All Souls' Day
shabby old man talks
to a statue's shadow

Anatoly Kudryavitsky
(from 'Morning at Mount Ring', DOGHOUSE Books, 2007)


*****************************

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

Tarweed

[ . BACK to TOP . ]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Tarweed

***** Location: Ireland
***** Season: Summer
***** Category: Plant


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

Common tarweed.
Specimens kept in the Dublin Botanic Garden. Tarweed is a heavily scented annual alien plant probably originating from western North America, which some botanists describe as resinous, composite, with little white (mountain tarweed) or yellow (common tarweed) daisy-like flowers. Occasional specimens can be found in the Wicklow mountains and the Mountains of Mourne areas.

Anatoly Kudryavitsky


Cluster tarweed, Mountain tarweed. Madia glomerata





*****************************
Worldwide use


*****************************
Things found on the way



*****************************
HAIKU


mountain tarweed –
touching the flowers
smelling my fingers

Anatoly Kudryavitsky
(from 'Morning at Mount Ring', DOGHOUSE Books, 2007)

*****************************
Related words

***** EUROPA Saijiki

*****************************

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

Meadowsweet

[ . BACK to TOP . ]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Meadowsweet

***** Location: Ireland
***** Season: Summer
***** Category: Plant


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

Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)
is a common fen plant growing amongst other tall herbs and forming extensive stands, to 1m or more. It is a a tall hairless perennial herb, growing in damp meadows, ditches and bogs, at the edges of ponds, on river banks and in damp open woodland.

It is common throughout Northern Ireland, as well as throughot other parts of Europe. It can also be found in the eastern US and Canada. The creeping rootstock sends up a reddish, angular stem, up to 120cm tall, branched near the top and bearing alternate long-petioled leaves composed of two to five pairs of ovate, serrate leaflets, which are green above but silvery below.

The small, sweet smelling, creamy-white five-petaled flowers with over twenty protruding stamens grow in panicled cymes from June to August. The flowers do not develop where the plant is in shade and it is absent from permanently waterlogged ground. Meadowsweet and water mint were held in high regard by the Druids and later by the "fairy doctors" who existed in rural Ireland until recently. These days you can buy packages of meadowsweet tea in some Irish shops.

Anatoly Kudryavitsky




*****************************
Worldwide use


*****************************
Things found on the way



*****************************
HAIKU


damp meadowsweet –
horses in mist
up to their oxters

Kate Newmann

*****************************
Related words

***** EUROPA Saijiki

*****************************

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

Gooseberry

[ . BACK to Worldkigo TOP . ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Gooseberry

***** Location: Ireland
***** Season: Summer
***** Category: Plant


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

The Gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa, syn. R. grossularia)
is a species of Ribes, native to Europe, northwestern Africa and southwestern Asia. These plants are derived from garden stock: it is not native to Ireland. However this spiny shrub is frequent in hedgerows in many parts of lowland Northern Ireland.
An Irish mother would explain to her kids that a newborn baby was found in the cabbages or in the gooseberry bushes.

Anatoly Kudryavitsky





*****************************
Worldwide use

Stachelbeere


. Alma, amalika - Indian gooseberry .
Phyllanthus emblica (syn. Emblica officinalis)



*****************************
Things found on the way



*****************************
HAIKU


low summer sky –
in the gooseberry bush
cats' eyes

Kate O'Shea


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::





tangled and thorny...
goosebrry bush
and politics


- Shared by Pat Geyer ‎.
Joys of Japan, March 2012



*****************************
Related words

***** EUROPA Saijiki





. WKD : Berry, berries in all seasons .


[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

7/10/2007

Cormorant

[ . BACK to Worldkigo TOP . ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Cormorant

***** Location: Ireland, other countries
***** Season: Early autumn
***** Category: Animal


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

A large and conspicuous waterbird, the cormorant has an almost primitive appearance with its long neck making it appear almost reptilian. It is often seen standing with its wings held out to dry. Regarded by some as black, sinister and greedy, cormorants are supreme fishers which can bring them into conflict with anglers and they have been persecuted in the past.

The UK holds internationally important wintering numbers and with its breeding concentrations at a few sites it is an Amber List species.



http://www.photobirdireland.com/photobirdireland/index.asp



*****************************
Worldwide use

Japan

humanity kigo for all summer

ukai 鵜飼 (うかい) cormorant fishing

CLICK for more photos

ubune 鵜舟(うぶね)boat for cormorant fishing
ukaibi 鵜飼火(うかいび)torchlight for cormorant fishing
..... ukaigari 鵜篝(うかがり)
..... utaimatsum u taimatsu 鵜松明(うたいまつ)
ushoo 鵜匠(うしょう)fisherman using cormorants
..... utsukai, u tsukai 鵜遣(うつかい)

unawa 鵜縄(うなわ)rope for cormorants
ukago 鵜籠(うかご)basket for cormorants

CLICK for more Japanese photos

arau, ara-u 荒鵜(あらう)wild cormorant
tsukare-u 疲鵜(つかれう)tired cormorant
hanare-u 離れ鵜(はなれう)
kachi-u 徒歩鵜(かちう)
ukawa, u kawa 鵜川(うかわ)river with cormorants

u 鵜(う)cormorant
..... u no tori 鵜の鳥(うのとり)
umi-u 海鵜(うみう)sea cormorant
kawa-u 川鵜(かわう)river cormorant
hime-u 姫鵜(ひめう)pelagic cormorant
mizudori 水鳥(みずどり)"water bird"
Shimazudori 島津鳥(しまずどり) bird from Shimazu
(old province in Kyushu)

.SAIJIKI ... HUMANITY - Kigo for Summer  

.................................................................................


Cormorant fishing has a long tradition in Japan.

Historically, cormorant fishing has taken place in Japan and China from around 960 AD. and recorded from other places throughout the world.

To control the birds, the fishermen tie a snare near the base of the bird's throat. This prevents the birds from swallowing larger fish, which are held in their throat, but the birds can swallow smaller fish. When a cormorant has caught a fish in its throat, the fisherman brings the bird back to the boat and has the bird spit the fish up. Though cormorant fishing once was a successful industry, its primary use today is to serve the tourism industry.

The types of cormorants used differ based on the location. In Gifu, Japan, the Japanese Cormorant (P. capillatus) is used; Chinese fishermen often employ Great Cormorants (P. carbo). Darters (Anhinga), which are very close relatives of cormorants, are also used for this fishing technique on occasion.

Cormorant fishing, called ukai (鵜飼) in Japanese, takes place in 13 cities in Japan.
The most famous location is Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, home to Cormorant Fishing on the Nagara River, which has continued uninterrupted for the past 1,300 years.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !



CLICK for more ukiyo-e about cormorant fishing !

. . . CLICK for more ukiyo-e about cormorant fishing ! !

岐阻路ノ驛 河渡長柄川鵜飼船
by Eisen 英泉

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::




Cormorant as a roof tile at the Akai-ya 閼伽井屋, which is a well house of the temple hall Nigatsu-do in Nara. During the Omizu-tori ceremony, water will be taken from the well in this building.

The cormorant is the sacred animal of the deity
鵜草葺不合尊 Ugayafukiaezu no mikoto

father of Jinmu Tenno 神武天皇

Omizu-tori お水取り is a ceremony to receive subsoil water which was "sent" from Wakasa by Omizu-okuri ceremony. Omizu-tori and Omizu-okuri ceremonies originate in a legend about the Wakasa deities (Wakasahiko and Wakasahime) and their apostle cormorants.

- Shared by Taisaku Nogi -
Joys of Japan, 2012


"Cormorant River" at Wakasa
and the O-Mizutori rituals.
. U-no-se (鵜の瀬)" River Unose .


Water-spouting statue of a cormorant in Temizuya at
. Uwase Shrine 宇波西神社, Mikata .


. The Wakasa Wedding .
Wakasahiko Jinja (若狭彦神社)
Wakasahime Jinja (若狭姫神社)


*****************************
Things found on the way


Noh play UKAI 鵜飼 (能)


© More in the WIKIPEDIA !

"The sight of cormorants catching fish one after another in rapid succession is so exciting that the thoughts of sin, retribution, and afterlife all go out of my mind."
"It is so sad to see the darkness after the torchlight on the boat goes out."


About Basho's haiku below:


Barnhill notes that this hokku appears in Basho's haibun, "Cormorant Fishing Boat 鵜舟 ubune ."
In the haibun, Basho refers to the Noh play "Cormorant Fishing."

Ueda mentions that "today [as of 1992], as in Basho's time, it is practiced only in the Nagara River, on a moonless night."

The commentator Shoogatsudoo (in Ueda's "Basho and His Interpreters") points out that "this hokku draws on two sentences that appear in the noo play 'Ukai' [Cormorant Fishing].

Blyth mentions that there is apparently an earlier version, "where we have 'weeping' instead of 'sad' [no romaji available]."

- Compiled by Larry Bole
Kigo Hotline, December 2007



source : itoyo/basho

Ubune 鵜舟
岐阜の庄長柄川の鵜飼とて、世にことごとしう言ひののしる*。まことや、その興の人の語り伝ふるにたがはず、淺智短才の筆にも言葉にも尽すべきにあらず*。
「こころ知れらん人に見せばや」*など言ひて、闇路に帰る、この身の名残惜しさをいかにせむ.

松尾芭蕉

*****************************
HAIKU





おもしろうてやがて悲しき鵜舟哉
omoshiroote yagate kanashiki ubune kana

so fascinating,
but then so sad:
cormorant fishing boat

Tr. David Landis Barnhill



so exciting
and, after a while, so sad -
cormorant fishing

Tr. Makoto Ueda

Written in 1688, 元禄一年 Basho age 45

At the river Nagaragawa in Mino 美濃の長良川

. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 .


. Emotions expressed in Haiku .



source : circleboard - sukesan


River Nagaragawa 長柄川 / 長良川
has its source in the city of Gujō, Gifu Prefecture, and its mouth in the city of Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, Japan. Along with the Kiso River and Ibi River, the Nagara River is one of the Kiso Three Rivers of the Nōbi Plain.
Previously, the river was named Sunomata River (墨俣川 Sunomata-gawa). With a length of 166 km (103 mi), it drains an area of 1,985 square kilometres (766 sq mi) in the Chūbu region and empties into Ise Bay.
. . . Cormorant fishing takes place in two cities: Gifu, where it is called "Cormorant Fishing on the Nagara River,"
and Seki, where it is called "Oze Cormorant Fishing" (小瀬鵜飼 Oze Ukai). Though eleven other places in Japan also host cormorant fishing, only the fishing masters on the Nagara River are Imperial Fishermen of the Household Agency.
Read the details here :
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


鵜とともに心は水をくぐり行く
u to tomo ni kokoro wa mizu o kuguriyuku

My soul
Dives in and out of the water
With the cormorant.

Tr. Blyth

. Uejima Onitsura 上島鬼貫 .


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

つくづくと鵜ににらまるる鵜飼哉
tsuku-zuku to u ni nirama[ru]ru ukai kana

Haiku by Issa

the cormorants stare
at them hard...
cormorant fishermen


renku by Sakuo

安い賃金ストをも辞せず
yasui chingin suto o mo jisezu

cheap wages
come on strike 



Haiga by Nakamura Sakuo


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

鵜のつらに篝こぼれて哀れなり
u no tsura ni kagari koborete aware nari

How pitiful!
The torches drip
On the faces of the cormorants.

Tr. Blyth

Katoo Kakei 加藤かけい Kato Kakei (1900 - 1983)


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


akatsuki ya u-kago ni nemuru u no tsukare

Morning twilight;
In their basket, the cormorants
Asleep, exhausted.

Tr. Blyth

. Masaoka Shiki 正岡子規 .


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


autumn storm
a cormorant sits
on the throne of winds

by Anatoly Kudryavitsky
(from 'Morning at Mount Ring', DOGHOUSE Books, 2007)


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


cormorants glide
over orange bull kelp--
autumn sea


© Deborah P. Kolodji / tinywords

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


for a shining breath
the comorant surfaces --
how short, this waking life


© Erin Noteboom


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

cormorants glide
over sea duck decoys -
autumn sea


© Jim Tantillo / huntinghaikudaily


*****************************
Related words

***** . Keta Taisha U Matsuri 気多大社鵜祭
Cormorant festival at Shrine Keta Taisha
  

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



- reference : Arai Yoshimune (1873-1945) -

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::