gourd hyotan

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- KAPPA - 河童 / かっぱ /　カッパ - ABC-Index -
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- hyootan 瓢箪 Hyotan gourd, calabash -

One of the things a Kappa does not like at all.
Gourds always swim on the surface of water, they are like a life belt, preventing things from sinking to the bottom of the water as easy pray for a Kappa.

There are various kinds of gourds in Japan.


source :　amazon.co.jp

河童之図（ひょうたん）Kappa painting : the Gourd
Honjoo Motoaki 本庄基晃 Honjo Motoaki


- quote -
Although the kappa is attracted to some foods of the uri, or melon, grouping - such as kyuri and kabocha - it is clear that it has an aversion to hyotan (gourds), which are also of the melon group.
Michael Dylan Foster

. Kappa and kyuuri キュウリ Kyuri, cucumber, Gurken .


. Things a Kappa dislikes or fears .

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. - Mizuchi, Medochi 蛟 water yokai monster - .

Early references
The ancient chronicle Nihongi contains the earliest references to mizuchi. Under the 67th year of the reign of Emperor Nintoku (conventionally dated 379 A.D.), it is mentioned that in central Kibi Province, at a fork on Kawashima River (川嶋河, old name of Takahashi River (高梁川) in Okayama Prefecture), a great water serpent or dragon (大虬) dwelled and would breathe or spew out its venom, poisoning and killing many passersby.

A man named Agatamori (県守), ancestor of the Kasa-no-omi (笠臣) clan, came up to the pool of the river, and threw in three calabashes which floated to the surface of the water. He then challenged the beast, saying he would quit the spot if it could sink these gourds, but slay it if it failed. The beast transformed into a deer and tried unsuccessfully to sink them, whereby the man slew the monster. The record goes on to say: "..He further sought out the water-dragon's fellows. Now the tribe of all the water-dragons filled a cave in the bottom of the pool. He slew them every one, and the water of the river became changed to blood. Therefore that water was called the pool of Agatamori"
(tr. Aston 1896:1,299).

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Kappa Muko-Iri 河童婿入り Kappa as son in law, The Kappa Bridegroom
hyootan and hechima 瓢箪やへちま

- quote -
. . . a farmer is suffering from a drought so he offers his daughter to anyone who can bring water to his fields. A kappa does this and the farmer, true to his word, gives him the hand [and all the rest] of his daughter to be his wife.
Naturally the woman is appalled and says she will be docile and obedient if the kappa can keep some gourds submerged. Try as he might he can’t and exhausted by the whole affair wanders off. So does the marriage.



The Kyūri vs. the Hyōtan – the Cucumber vs. the Gourd – 黄瓜 vs. 瓢箪:
A Freudian Interpretation

Michael Dylan Foster,
mentioned above, posits a completely Freudian approach to why kappas like cucumbers and are put off by gourds: Cucumbers are 98% water while gourds are hollow and dry. “In shape and in moisture content the cucumber clearly represents a fertility symbol . . . ” while the hyōtan is a threat to that potency. Another possibility is that both plants represent fertility because “ . . . kyūri is a symbol of the male aspect while the hyōtan, with its womb-like nature (and the fact that hyōtan often contain seeds), represents the female aspect.
Just as the kappa loses its potency upon spilling the water in its sara [the bowl-like shape at the top of its head], so the hyōtan, as a dry vessel that can contain and carry away liquid, may also represent to the kappa a potential loss of moisture and potency. The same sort of wet-dry . . .” hypothesis appears among the Indo-European and Semitic cultures.
- source : printsofjapan.wordpress.com - Vegder

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. Manga Nihon Mukashibanashi　まんが日本昔ばなし
河童　folktales about the Kappa .

kappa to hyootan かっぱとひょうたん Kappa and the Gourd
Japanese version of the above English story.

河童が娘を嫁にしようとするも、娘のほうが一枚上手だった
Kappa as bridegroom and the clever woman

昔、ひょうたんのような山のふもとに、貧しい爺さんと娘が住んでおりました。二人はその山に田んぼを作っていましたが、近くの淵に住む河童が田の水をすっかり抜いてしまいました。
爺さんは淵から水を運んでみたが、焼け石に水で、途方に暮れていました。しょんぼりしている爺さんの前に、河童が現れ「おまえの娘を嫁にくれれば水を引いてやる」と持ちかけました。
翌日、約束通り田んぼには水が入り、枯れかけていた苗も元通り元気になりました。 爺さんは河童との約束を果たすべく、娘にわけを話して嫁に行ってもらうようお願いしました。 泣いて頼む爺さんに、快く河童の所へ嫁入りすることを決心し、大きなひょうたん持って淵にでかけました。



淵に着いた娘は、「まず先にこのひょうたんを淵の中へ運んでください」と河童にお願いしました。しかし、その大きなひょうたんの浮力はすごく、河童はどんなに頑張っても淵の中に沈める事が出来ませんでした。河童は仕方なく娘を嫁にもらう事をあきらめ、田の水を抜いたのは自分だと白状し、淵の底へ逃げ帰っていきました。
それからというもの、河童はいつも田んぼに水を引いてくれるようになり、稲も丈夫に育つようになりました。娘はそのお礼にと、河童の大好物のきゅうりを淵に流してあげたそうです
- source : nihon.syoukoukai.com

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. hechima 糸瓜, 蛮瓜,布瓜 sponge gourd .


. カッパ封じ地蔵 Jizo subduing the Kappa - Legend .

Mountain Priest 堂丸総学 Domaru Sogaku heared about the water shortage and came to Mount Takatosan. He had been involved with wicked Kappa before and fought them with leaves of the gourd ヘチマの葉.
So he thought he could help the people by subduing the Kappa here too.

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Hyotan-ike no Kappa 瓢箪池の河童 Kappa of the Gourd-Pond

Once upon a time
a Kappa lived all alone in this pond. He longed for a friend all the time.
This is a stroy I heard from my grandpa.
The bad boys had to walk along this pond on the way to and from school.

. kappa ehon　河童絵本 picture books for children .

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kappa dorei 河童土鈴 clay bell with Kappa
- source : kappakyoto

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. . . CLICK here for Photos !

- reference -


. WKD - hyootan 瓢箪 gourd .
- Introduction -


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. - - - Join my Kappa friends on facebook ! - - - .

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. Kappa densetsu　河童伝説, Kappa minwa 河童民話 - Legends - Introduction .

. Mingei 民芸　Regional Folk　Art from Japan .

- #kappagourd #kappahyotan #kappahyootan -
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