Kigo

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Flowering cherry trees from Japan at a water basin in Washington DC

Kigo ( Japanese 季 語 'season word ' ) are special words or phrases that are commonly associated with a certain season in Japan . This allowed for an economy of expression that was particularly valuable in the very short forms of Japanese poetry called hokku (later revised as haiku ), as well as the longer chain rhymes ( renga ) to mark the time of year in which the poem or verse is located.

History of the Kigo

Representations of the seasons and the reference to the seasons have always been important in Japanese culture and poetry .

The first known anthology of Japanese poetry, the Man'yōshū from the middle of the 8th century, had several sections devoted to poems about the individual seasons.

At the time of the first official Imperial Japanese anthology, the Kokin-wakashū , a century and a half later (905), the seasons had already made up a much larger part of the anthology. However, these two collections also contained sections on other topics, such as love poems and "various" (zō) poems.

The writing of chain verse ( renga ) arose in the middle of the Heian period around the year 1000 and developed during the Middle Ages. By the 13th century there were already very strict rules for writing Renga, and according to this formal structure of Renga, about half of the verses should be related to a certain season, depending on their place in the Renga. These rules also required that the Hokku (the starting verse of the Renga) must contain a reference to the season.

A freer form of renga called haikai no renga ("playfully" linked poetry) was introduced at the end of the 15th century. So were Haikai the verse that Matsuo Bashō and others until the Meiji period used (1867-1912). Around the end of the 19th century, the Hokku , the opening verse , was separated from the context of the haikai no renga and written by Masaoka Shiki as a separate form of poetry. The shape of the Hokku was revised, but the Kigo was retained. In the Taishō period (1912–1925) a movement began to drop kigo entirely. Some contemporary Japanese haiku therefore contain a kigo , while others leave it out. The majority of haiku written in other languages ​​do not contain kigo.

According to the prevailing doctrine, the term Hokku is used below for the form before the revision by Masaoka Shiki and Haiku for the form after Shiki , although everyday language often uses the term Haiku less precisely for both forms. Much of what relates to the use of kigo in haiku also applies to its use in hokku .

Kigo and seasons

Cherry blossoms ( sakura ), often simply called blossoms ( hana ), are a well-known spring kigo

Kigo are words or phrases that sometimes have a very strong reference to a season, others have more subtle references. The cherry blossom is a seasonal word for spring, rain for summer, autumn leaves ( 紅葉 , momiji ) for autumn and snow for winter.

The full moon, photo of the Galileo spacecraft

The moon ( tsuki ) is an autumn kigo, although it is in the sky all year round. In the fall, the days get shorter and the nights longer, but it's still warm enough to be outside in the evenings, so you're more likely to see the moon. Often the night in Japan is cloudless at this time. Autumn is also the time when the full moon helps the farmers bring in their harvest (see also Harvest Moon ).

Japanese seasons

In the Japanese calendar , the seasons traditionally followed the lunisolar calendar , with the solstices in the middle of each season. This tradition of centering summer and winter on the solstices was also common in Europe, and midsummer coincided with the summer solstice .

The traditional Japanese seasons are:

Spring: February 4th to May 5th
Summer: May 6th to August 7th
Autumn: August 8th to November 6th
Winter: November 7th to February 3rd

For kigo, each season is further divided into early, middle and late periods, e.g. B. spring in:

Early spring: February 4th to March 5th (February)
Mid-spring: March 6th to April 4th (March)
Late Spring: April 5th to May 5th (April)

Saijiki

A sunflower , a symbol of summer

Japanese haiku poets often use a book ( saijiki ), which is a dictionary or almanac for kigo. An entry in a saijiki usually includes a description of the kigo itself, a list of similar or related words, and a few examples of haiku using that kigo. The Saijiki are divided into the four seasons; modern books usually have a section for the New Year and another section for "seasonless" ( muki ) words. These sections are in turn divided into standardized sections into which the kigo are sorted. The most common categories (with a few examples) for Japanese and International Summer Kigo are:

summer

Common kigo in Japanese haiku

Japan stretches far from north to south, so the characteristics of the seasons vary depending on the location. In general, however, one orients oneself to Kyoto and its surroundings, as this was the center of classical Japanese literature and court culture and is still believed by the Kyōtoers.

spring

  • Spring ( haru ) - the name of a season itself is also a kigo . Other combinations are the beginning of spring ( Haru tatsu ), signs of spring ( haru meku ), sea ​​in spring ( haru no umi ), the past spring ( iku haru ). Higan of spring ( 春 彼岸 , haru higan , literally: beyond the boundaries of this world), the weeks around the winter ( shumbun ) and summer solstice has an important meaning for the Buddhists, to comfort the souls of their deceased ancestors and to visit their graves .
  • February ( kisaragi or nigatsu ), March ( yayoi or sangatsu ) and April ( uzuki or shigatsu ). The third month ( sangatsu ) in the Japanese calendar is roughly comparable to April in the Gregorian calendar , so the end of March ( sangatsujin ) means the end of spring ( haru no hate ).
  • Warmth ( atatakashi or nurumu ) - throughout spring - when the weather changes from the winter cold and you can feel the warming ( the water also becomes warm ( mizu nurumu )).
  • Spring mist or spring haze ( kasumi ) - throughout spring - the haze that occurs during the day in spring. The night mist in spring that can obscure the view of the moon is called oboro .
  • The first strong south wind of spring ( Haruichiban ) is used as kigo in modern haiku.
  • Ume flowers - early spring
  • the Japanese bush warbler ( uguisu ) - early spring - the bird is mentioned as an example of soft noises. Uguisu were mentioned in the preface of the Kokinshu . In early Japanese waka it is often associated with the ume flowers and the new growth and is regarded as the herald of spring ( 春 告 鳥 , harutsugedori , literally “bird that heralds the arrival of spring”).
  • Cherry blossoms ( sakura ) and cherry blossom viewing ( hanami ) - late spring (April) - for the Japanese, cherry blossoms are such a well-known topic that when mentioning blossoms ( hana ) in haiku, one assumes that they are cherry blossoms. The flower-looking or Cherry Blossom Festival is an opportunity for picnics with friends or colleagues.
  • Hanamatsuri , the Buddhist flower festival, celebrates the birth of the Buddha on April 8th.
  • Frogs ( kawazu ) - all of spring (February – April) - known for their loud singing in spring
  • Larks ( hibari ) - throughout spring - known for their song in flight
  • Swallows ( tsubame ) - mid-spring
  • chirping ( saezuri ) - total spring - refers to the singing of songbirds
  • Hina-Matsuri - Girls' Day / Puppenfest and Hina ("doll") - refer to a traditional Japanese festival for girls on March 3rd.

summer

The cicada ( semi ) is a well-known kigo for late summer.
  • Summer ( natsu ); other combinations are summer has come ( natsu kinu ), end of summer ( natsu no hate ). Summer vacation ( natsu yasumi , in Japan this mainly means school vacation).
  • May ( satsuki or gogatsu ), June ( minazuki or rokugatsu ), July ( fumitsuki or hazuki )
  • hot ( atsushi ), heat ( atsusa ) and hot day ( atsuki hi ); also everything that is associated with heat, such as sweat ( ase ) and in contemporary haiku air conditioners ( Reibō )
  • Wisteria ( fuji ), wild orange blossoms ( hana tachibana ), irises ( ayame ) - early summer (May)
  • Water lilies ( hasu or hachisu ) - midsummer to late summer.
  • Rainy season ( tsuyu ) - the wet season in Japan usually begins in mid-June.
  • Lesser cuckoo ( hototogisu , Cuculus poliocephalus ) - whole summer - This bird of the cuckoo family is known in Japan for his singing
  • Cicadas ( semi ) - late summer (July) - known for their song
  • Tango no sekku a traditional festival for boys on May 5th. See Hinamatsuri in spring for the girls. Festival ( matsuri ) is used for Shinto summer festivals. Traditionally, the festival in the Kamo Shrine in Kyoto was called that, as Kigo it can refer to any local Shinto festival.

autumn

Grapes ( budō ) are a typical autumn fruit
  • Autumn ( aki ); Combinations are Autumn has come ( aki kinu ), autumn ends ( aki hatsu ), autumn has passed ( iku aki ).
  • August ( hazuki or hachigazu ), September ( nagatsuki or kugatsu ) and October ( jūgatsu or kannazuki ). The ninth month ( kugatsu ) in the Japanese calendar roughly corresponds to western October and the end of September ( kugatsujin ) is equivalent to the end of autumn ( aki no hate ).
  • Typhoon ( taifu or nowaki ), thunder ( kaminari )
  • Milky Way ( amanogawa , lit. sky river ), as it is best seen in Japan in autumn. It is associated with Tanabata .
  • Moon ( tsuki ) - whole autumn (August – October) and looking at the moon ( tsukimi ) - middle of autumn (September) - In this context, the moon is associated with the full moon in autumn. ( Moon viewing and leaves look in the fall along with snow viewing ( yukimi ) in winter and cherry blossom viewing in spring popular group activities in Japan.)
  • Insects ( mushi ), mainly singing insects. Also barbecuing ( kōrogi ) - all autumn (August – October).
Scarecrow in a rice field in early autumn
  • Nashi (梨 nashi , a pear), quince ( boke no mi ), peach ( momo ), persimmon , apple ( ringo ), and grape ( budō ) are examples of fruits that serve as autumn kigo.
  • colorful leaves ( momiji ) - late autumn (October) - very often found in combinations in haiku, e.g. As first colored leaves ( hatsu momiji ) - mid-autumn, glossy leaves ( ZOKI momiji ) - late fall, discoloring leaves ( usumomiji ) mid-autumn, leaves starting to fall ( momoko katsu chiru ) - late autumn, etc. Leaves Consider is a common group activity in Japan .
  • Scarecrow ( kakashi ) and rice harvest ( inekari ) - rice harvest and related things were and are of particular importance for Japanese life.
  • Autumn Festival ( aki-matsuri ) - The Autumn Festival is primarily a harvest festival. Other autumn festivals such as Tanabata (the festival of the weaver girl and the shepherd in the Heavenly Court), tomb visit ( haka mairi ), and Obon festival , all in early autumn. They are all kigo, as are those associated with the festive decorations and activities such as small bonfires ( mukae-bi ) and folk dances ( odori ) for the bon festival.

winter

Fallen leaves ( ochiba ), a symbol of winter
  • Winter ( fuyu ), The word "winter" in a haiku, literally and figuratively, evokes feelings of chill, desolation and seclusion.
  • November ( shimotsuki or juichigatsu ), December ( shiwasu or junigatsu ) and January ( mutsuki or ichigatsu )
  • Cold ( samushi , samusa ).
  • fallen leaves ( ochiba ) and dry leaves ( kareha ) - all winter (November-January)
  • Snow viewing ( yukimi ) - late winter (January) - a popular group activity in Japan. Also first snow ( hatsu yuki ) - middle of winter, snow ( yuki ) - late winter and ice ( kōri ) - late winter.
  • Fugu soup ( fugujiru ), monkfish or monkfish stew ( Ankō hub ), oysters ( kaki ) - Japan wintry dishes.
  • Christmas - this is a modern day kigo, it was not used in the Edo period as Christianity was banned in Japan.
  • Calendar seller ( koyomiuri ) - preparation for the new year.
  • New Year's Eve ( ōmisoka or toshi no yo , literally "end of the year"), and the New Year's party ( toshiwasure ).
  • Kan , the days from January 5th or 6th to February 4th or 5th (literally: cold) - originally come from the 24 Chinese annual periods. Also Daikan (great cold) on the first day of the Kan, or another name for this day at the beginning of the Kan time ( kan no iri ) are Kigo.

New Year

These kigo are a modern invention. Before the Gregorian calendar was introduced in 1873, the Japanese New Year marked the beginning of spring.

  • Japanese New Year ( 正月 , shōgatsu ) - As in many other cultures, the Japanese New Year is an important time of the year for festivities and many related activities can occur as kigo, some of which start with "first": first sun ( hatsuhi ), first Laughter ( waraizome ) and first calligraphy ( kakizome ).
  • the New Year's Day ( ganjitsu ).
  • first sparrow ( hatsu-suzume ) - the first sparrow helps to greet the new year.
  • New Year's customs : kadomatsu (a traditional decoration made of pine and bamboo on the gate of the house), otoshidama (the custom of giving pocket money to children), toso (a ritually brewed sake that is only drunk on New Years).
  • Osechi , traditional New Year dishes such as Zōni soup

Dispute about the assignment of the kigo

The switch to the Gregorian calendar caused many changes in life in Japan. Since kigo are associated with seasonal phenomena, several modern haiku poets have attempted to rearrange the construction of the kigo and their seasonal association. One of the biggest changes was the introduction of "New Year" as an additional category of kigo.

A typical example is the case of "Tanabata". Tanabata traditionally takes place on the 7th day of the 7th month of the Japanese calendar, i.e. August of the Gregorian calendar. Today, however, the festival is celebrated in many places on July 7th. Now there is a dispute as to whether Tanabata is suitable as summer kigo, since it takes place at the end of summer, or not, since it used to be at the beginning of autumn.

Kigo and Haiku: An Example

In the famous Hokku by Matsuo Bashō that follows , " frog " is a kigo for mid-spring. Hokku were traditionally written about croaking or mating frogs, but Bashō focused on an entirely different sound:

ふ る い け や Furuike ya
か わ ず と び こ む Kawazu tobikomu
み ず の お と Mizu no oto
An old pond!
A frog is jumping -
the sound of the water.

See also

literature

  • 『入門 歳 時 記』 大野 林 火 監 修 、 俳 句 文学 館 編。 角 川 書店 , ISBN 4-04-063000-9 . [Title: "Introductory Saijiki", editor: "Ōno Rinka", Publisher: Kadokawa Shoten ]
  • William J. Higginson: Haiku World. An International Poetry Almanac . Kodansha International, Tokyo u. a. 1996, ISBN 4-7700-2090-2 , (An international haiku - Saijiki with over 1,000 haiku and senryu by poets from 50 countries on 680 seasonal themes).
  • William J. Higginson: The Haiku Seasons. Poetry of the Natural World . Kodansha International, Tokyo u. a. 1996, ISBN 4-7700-1629-8 , (A companion book to Haiku World , covering the development of haiku and the meaning of kigo).
  • Alexander Chanoch : The Old Japanese Seasonal Poetry from the Kokinshū . Asia Major , Volume 4, 1928. pp. 240–376, PDF (translation of all seasonal poems from the Kokinshū)
  • Martina Schönbein : Seasons motifs in Japanese poetry. On the canonization of the Kidai in the formative phase of the Haikai in the 17th century, (Bunken. Ed. V. Ekkehard May, 6): Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz 2001.

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