Do you Feel Lucky?

People in every culture want to have good luck. Some people believe that they make their own luck, while other people believe that it doesn’t exist and still others think that a symbol will help you get it or keep it if you already have it.

The objects do not have to be anything major or even anything big. Most people think of a rabbits foot, or a horseshoe, or a 4-leaf clover, or a Maneki Neko 招き猫.

"A what?" you ask.

This is a maneki neko—a waving cat. If you have ever eaten in a Japanese or Chinese restaurant, you have probably seen this. The web site The Beckoning Cat, quotes The Cult of the Cat (Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1963) by Patricia Dale-Green. She says:

“. . . the Beckoning Cat is associated with an ancient cat-shrine on the grounds of a temple known as Gotoku-ji near Tokyo.

This temple was originally a very poor one, no more than a thatched hut run by poverty-stricken and half-starved monks. The master-priest had a cat of which he was fond, and shared with it such little food as he had.

One day the cat squatted by the roadside and, when half a dozen Samurai appeared on splendid horses, it looked up at them and raised one of its paws to its ear, as if it were beckoning to them. The noble cavaliers pulled up and, as the cat continued to beckon, they followed it into the temple. Torrential rain forced them to stay for a while, so the priest gave them tea and expounded Buddhist doctrine.

After this one of the Samurai—Lord Li—regularly visited the old priest to receive religious instruction from him. Eventually Li endowed the temple with a large estate and it became the property of his family.

Visitors who pass under the temple's gateways, walk through its broad avenues of towering trees and enjoy the beautifully laid-out gardens, discover, near the cemetery of the Li family, the little shrine of the beckoning cat -- which, it is said, still draws pilgrims from all parts of Tokyo.

Because the Beckoning Cat had lured a wealthy patron to the poor temple, images of this cat soon became talismanic emblems and were particularly favored by shopkeepers. . .”

When you see it in store windows and in restaurants, it is supposed to attract customers into the shop, thus growing the owner’s business, and bringing them luck.

In the Western world, many unusual objects are considered good luck charms. On Good Luck Symbol, they mention several that I have never heard of.

During the Norman Conquest, the English carried dried acorns to protect themselves from the brutalities of the day. They were considered to be an emblem of luck, prosperity, youthfulness and power; it also represents spiritual growth.

This is called a caduceus, and most of us know it as a medical symbol. It was used as a good luck symbol in Egypt, India and ancient Greece, this emblem was said to ward off sickness, quarrels, and bring peace to any situation. The wings represent those on the feet of Mercury who was the messenger of all the Greek gods. The snakes represent the balance between good and evil.

Most Americans are familiar with the horseshoe as a good luck symbol. I was told that when the horseshoe is place over the door or elsewhere in the house, it must be in the upright “U” so that the luck doesn’t drain out. I was never told exactly how it was supposed to get in the horseshoe, but never mind.

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Let’s jump back into the East for a moment, and talk about another interesting good luck symbol: a daruma.

A Daruma is supposed to represent the 5th century monk, named DARUMA - Father of Zen Buddhism – who obtained enlightenment after he sat for nine years against a wall. His arms and legs withered away, which is why the doll is round. Similar to a

weeble, when tipped, the daruma pops back up.

When you buy a daruma, there are no eyes on it.
You make your wish, and paint in the RIGHT EYE only.

Then you put it in your house and when your wish come true, hopefully within a year, then you paint in the LEFT EYE.

Then you take the finished daruma to your local temple at New Years, where it is burned, and you buy a new (and bigger) one.

Jade turtles, like this one, can be very cute. The ancient Chinese used to use turtle shells for fortune telling and since jade was considered a precious stone, jade turtles, in Chinese belief, came to symbolizes good luck, health and a long life.

This symbol is also Chinese, and it is called SHOU. The October 14, 2008 ed. of the ShanghaiDaily.com says “ . . .Shou, meaning longevity and prosperity, is a traditionally lucky Chinese character.

It can be found on inscriptions of ancient bronze objects, royal seals, paintings, books, coins, chinaware and epigraphs, according to the dictionary's editor-in-chief, Wang Rongtai. "The earliest forms of the character date back to the Shang Dynasty (17th century-11th century BC)," Wang said.

Shou is also widely used in modern decoration and art, including sculpture, calligraphy, seal cutting, miniature gardening and paper cutting.

The shou character can be presented in numerous shapes, each one with their own meaning. For example, a round shou suggests complete and perfect life and health. . .”

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It is interesting to look at the things that various cultures attach meaning and symbolism to. They are usually innocuous, simple things that were common in everyday life and were simple passed down to us, though the meaning are being lost to time.

And remember to keep your keys handy. Three of them worn together open the doors to health, wealth and love.

Kimono 着物 or Thing to Wear

In my last post, I talked about Anime and a very little bit about the samurai. Today, I’d like to talk briefly about another aspect of Japanese culture that I find so interesting and that many people love: Kimono.

In Japanese, the word simply means “a thing to wear,” and only in the last 140 years has it come to denote traditional Japanese clothes, as opposed to Western clothes.

One of the nice things about kimono is that there is so much information about the wearer built right into the garment.Look at this young lady and this doll. Both of them are wearing a style of long sleeved kimono called a Furisode. Furisode are worn by young unmarried girls.



The fancy stytle of the obi or belt on the girl also indicate that she is unmarried. Their obis have fancy names like Butterfly bows, Fukuro Tsuzume or Fat Sparrow.

A kimono for an older or married woman has shorter sleeves, and is called a Tomesode. They also wear a simpler obi tie called a Taiko or Drum Knot.

There is also a scarf called an obi age that is worn in the front of the obi, at its top. The more of the scarf that is showing, then the girl is unmarried.

Men’s kimonos are much simpler, as you see here, with a simpler obi. For formal dress, men add a pair of pleated, pants called hakama.

Finally, a yukata is a simple, unlined kimono that is worn in the summer and in the past, the plain ones were warn as pajamas.

Yukata are easily distinguished from regular kimono by the fact that they have simpler obi, and don't usually have an under kimono with them.

Here’s how to put on a modern Kimono.


6 minute　Kimono dressing with English　explanation

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The kimonos that we all know now are actually period. This style came into fashion during the Edo Period (1601-1867).

During the Heian Period (794-1185), kimonos for women were called Junihito, or 12 Layers.

Yes, 12. Until the sumptuary laws were passed in 1074, some kimonos had as many as 15 to 40 layers, and were so heavy that the women spent most of their days lying down.
Junihito is derived from a story about a lady-in-waiting who drowned trying to save the Child Emperor. It was said that her ‘twelve unlined robes’ weighted her down." Exactly where this story came from is unknown. But this legend gave name to the style of court dress, even if it was a bit of a misnomer. . . After 1074 CE, this number was reduced to five. . . (from Here)

Regardless of the number of layers, wearing colours was important, and the order of the colours was also important. Some colours were associated with certain seasons—for instance wearing yellow, a fall colour in the summer would be see as a sign of vulgarity and bad taste. You can see the colours and layers in this in this picture and in the video.

Dressing KIMONO Juni-hitoe 十二単

The kimono that the model is wearing has some red in it. Why is that important? Well, red was a colour that could only be worn by a woman who was shown favour by the Empress. Here’s a list of the layers needed for a Junihito kimono:

Juni-hitoe Glossary:

*Kosode: An under-kimono with small sleeves

*Hitoe: A chemise or unlined first layer

*Itsutsu-ginu: The 5 layers of lined uchigi or kinu robes

*Uchiginu: A stiff-silk garment worn between itsutsu-ginu and uwagi that provided stiffening for formal gowns

*Uwagi: Formal over-robe that trailed the floor in varying lengths due to each woman's position in the Imperial Court

*Karaginu: Short Chinese Jacket that could be brocaded, embroidered, or painted

*Mo: An apron-skirt that was worn on the back to act as a cascading train'

These kimonos are indeed beautiful, but it is no wonder they spent so much time sitting around and not walking!

Victorian Boys' Clothes

Normally, I don't think or write about clothes. Yes, they can be interesting to look at, but on the whole, I am of the opinion they are just there to keep you from being naked.

That said, I found this dress here, and according to the description, this dress is for a young boy. I started to think about it, and it really does make sense. Clothes were hard to make and clean, diapers had to be changed, and it would be easier to lengthen a dress for a growing child than to sew them a new pair of pants every few months.

A bit more searching brought me to these young gents: who are clearly ecstatic. They look to be between four and seven years of age, so the elder boy probably was "breeched," or allowed to wear long pants not long after this picture was taken. Assuming his mama was willing to relinquish her hold on his apparel. But may she was okay with it, since she still had the younger sibling to fuss over for a few years yet.

We all know who this tot is, even though we can't see his companion. Young Christopher served as his father's model for his books. He was dressed in gingham smocks until he had passed his 8th birthday. This was, however, unusual. When he went off to his boarding school, the other boys teased him for it.

This wasn't the first time a writer used their child as a model for a story. Francis Hodgson Burnett s young son, Vivian, was the model for Little Lord Fauntleroy. The fashion craze this generated was based off of the illustrations that were done from photos of young Vivian.

This isn't Vivian, but an illustration of the outfit that had to have been the bane of the existence of at least two generations of young boys.

Though it may seem silly to our modern eyes, and for some clothing historians, it is hard to tell the boys and girls apart, there were some, at first, practical reasons for dressing young boys in this manner. And I'm sure a vast majority of the boys turned out just fine.

Cosplay: Crazy subculture or Anthropological Wonderland?

BY CRISTINA

The very idea of hundreds of adults, teenagers, and a couple of dozen children getting together, wearing costumes, and eating raw fish sounds like a very odd Halloween party doesn’t it? Well, in many ways, it is a very odd, weekend long Halloween party. In America and Europe, it’s a weekend hobby; in Japan—a lifestyle. The it—cosplay. The term comes from Japan, and is the combination of the words ‘costume,’ and ‘playacting.’ What cosplay has become for many, especially in its country of origin—is an imagined community with its own set of rules, laws, and ‘we really wish you wouldn’ts,’ as well as a sophisticated way of expressing ones’ individuality; while still remaining in the group.

In Japan, cosplayers dress as their favorite cartoon or anime and comic book—manga, and video games characters, as well as members of their favorite flamboyant—visual-kei bands. They gather after school, and on the weekends in Tokyo’s main shopping district, to see and be seen by their fellow cosplayers and have their picture taken by the photographers that often follow these groups around.

Having been taught from a very young age “to think first of being part of the group . . . [and] always be conscious of others. . .” (Condon 1984, pp.8-9) for many of the young Japanese that are cosplayers, the masks and layers of makeup that are often required for the costumes they wear must be liberating. Usually, they are still in a group, whether each person wants to be a different character from the same anime, or the same character, each person puts a unique interpretation on their costume, thus allowing them to be individual while remaining in the ‘group.’

One of the unspoken rules for Japanese cosplayers is that once you have on your costume, you become the character. Consequently, many fans will spend weeks memorizing their persona’s favorite phrases and mannerisms, so that no matter what happens, they will be able to stay ‘in character.’

There is even a new organization forming in Japan called Cosengokai, to help out cosplayers who have been victimized. In mainstream Japanese culture, cosplay is looked down upon, and politely discouraged because it breaks the continuity of ‘the group.’
Some cosplayers have been stalked, usually by the photographers and some—especially the females—have been sexually harassed.

The other side of the imagined cosplay community are the Europeans and the Americans. In the West, while seen as somewhat silly, there is either a totally ignorance or indulgent acceptance of cosplayers. Being an individual is what is prized in most Western countries, so many of the strict Japanese rules of being totally ‘in character,’ are dropped or partially ignored. While many American cosplayers will make some effort to at least be able to mimic their personas’ signature pose, most cosplayers carry on acting like themselves once they are in costume.

Usually, most American cosplayers meet once or twice a year at the various anime conventions around the country, which allows them ample time to complete their costumes. Unlike the Japanese, who’s costumes are often store bought and very intricately detailed, many American coplayer’s costumes are handmade, and the opportunity to show off their hardwork is highly prized. Since being in ‘the group,’ isn’t as important in America, many fans will attend the conventions either alone and seek out others from their chosen series for an informal photo shoot, or if they attend in a group, 90 percent of the time, everyone will be someone from a different anime, manga, or game. Even American comics, like Batman and Superman, movies like The Martix, and TV shows like Star Trek are all acceptable choices for gleaning cosplay inspiration.

For American and European fans, cosplay is a chance to show off an artistic skill, and have fun, where as the Japanese take it very seriously. Even being referred to as an Otaku or fanboy, while insulting to the Japanese, is a term worn with pride by the Americans and Europeans.

A lot of hard work, time, and money is invested in cosplay around the world, and even though East and West have different interpretations on the best way to behave once the new persona is taken on, there is still a deep sense of camaraderie and freedom.

Linguistics

I heard a rather amusing quote once: English doesn’t borrow words from other languages. English follows them into dark alleys, knocks them out and rummages through their pockets, looking for loose grammar.

I am not certain how that pertains to archaeology or Egyptology, but I found it rather fun. It is true, though. In a few thousand years when we’re not here anymore and the archaeologists of the future start sifting through the refuse of our lives, what will they say when they see all the writings we will have left behind?

I am supposing, of course, that at least a few of our stone monuments will have survived, and someone will attempt to read them, as the French did when Neapolitan took his troops into Egypt.

Our language conforms to no true laws since technically it consists of the grammar, syntax, and bastardized pronunciations of dozens of other languages—including but not limited to German, Latin, Spanish, French, Welsh, Old German, Old Norse, Norman French, Danish, and probably several other Scandinavian languages.

Linguistic archaeologists and anthropologists must love English. Words fall in and out of favour quickly and often. For instance, when was the last time you heard someone say “verily,” and they were not practicing for a Shakespearean play? Here’s another fun word I heard recently and had to look up; taciturn. It is an adjective that means “to be silent by nature; habitually uncommunicative in speech or manners.”

It still shows up in my 1928 ed. of the Winston Simplified Dictionary, so we know that at least 70 years ago, someone knew what it meant. But when I look it up online, it is listed as archaic. What makes the word doubly interesting is that it comes from French, from Latin. There we are, grammar rummaging again.

Did you know that a “husband” or hus-bondi was actually and Anglo-Saxon word from Scandinavian that meant “a person bound to a household; an agricultural land worker, or property holder?” It’s true; his companion was a “hussy,” which, until the Renaissance meant “a household bound woman, hus-wife.”

Neither of these words had anything to do with marriage. From Medieval Wordbook ,by Madeleine Pelner Cosman, copyright, 1996. 2007 Barnes & Noble, Inc. Ed.

I know that it seems as if I am rambling a bit, but after opening with the above quote, I must end with an excerpt from an amusing essay entitled WHY THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IS SUCH A JOY TO LEARN!

“ . . . We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?

If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend, that you comb through annals of history but not a single annal? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it? If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? . . .”


What indeed?