3/26/2009

Twilight (kure)

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Twilight, dusk (kure)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: various, see below
***** Category: Season


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Explanation




between us,
the sea and dusk trace
Moses' crossing


- Shared by Massih Talebian -


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kure 暮れ (pronounced ...gure in compounds) just like this means the end of something, for example a day, a season or even the year.

In old Japanese haru no kure / aki no kure ... was used to mean the end of spring/autumn as the season ends (oogure おおぐれ【大暮れ】).
kogure (小暮) "small ending" referred to the end of a double-hour according to the old calendar.



higure 日暮れ toward evening, evening twilight
yuugure 夕暮れ evening twilight

In the case of the end of a day, as we are concerned about here, it can be translated as
twilight, end of the day, dusk, dusk falls
nightfall, getting dark, toward evening
(we might find more words expressing this situation)

Even SUNSET has been used as a translation, but we have sunset (yuuhi) as a different topic for Japanese haiku, see below.
The same holds for "day getting longer", see below.



kuremutsu 暮れ六つ; 暮六つ six o'clock at night
in Edo

. akemutsu 明け六つ six in the morning .


Here I will only use the word "twilight" for KURE/GURE in further translations.


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kigo for all spring

They all have a feeling of joy, since days will be getting longer from now on.

chikitsu 遅日 ちじつ "day getting longer"
(this is the kidai, main entry for the following:)

osoki hi 遅き日(おそきひ)"day getting longer"
yuunagashi 夕長し(ゆうながし)long evening
shunjitsu chichi 春日遅々(しゅんじつちち)spring day getting longer


kure ososhi 暮遅し(くれおそし) long twilight,
twilight getting longer
"dusk is lingering"

kure kanuru 暮れかぬる(くれかぬる)long twilight, twilight getting longer

Here the stress is not so much on the day getting longer, but the feeling of a longer evening time. It is already used in the Manyo'shu Poem collection to state the joy of longer evenings.


haru no kure 春の暮 . 春暮 twilight in spring
spring evening
haru no yuugure 春の夕暮れ
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


haru hakubo 春薄暮(はるはくぼ)twilight in spring
evening in spring
Abenddämmerung im Frühling

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natsu no kure 夏の暮(なつのくれ)
twilight in summer

natsu no yuube 夏の夕 (なつのゆう) evening in summer
natsu yuube 夏夕べ(なつゆうべ) summer evening

kigo for all summer


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They all have a feeling of melancholy, since days will be getting shorter from now on.

. Autumn dusk, autumn twilight (aki no kure 秋の暮れ) Japan
autumn nightfall, autumn evening, autumn eve
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


"Autumn means sunset (dusk)" (aki wa yuugure)
This quotation stresses the importance of twilight for the autumn season.


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dusk comes early, kure hayashi 明早し
twilight comes early

fuyu no kure 冬の暮 (ふゆのくれ ) twilight in winter
kanbo 寒暮(かんぼ)"cold twilight"
fuyu no yuube 冬の夕(ふゆのゆうべ) winter evening
..... fuyu no yoi冬の宵(ふゆのよい)winter evening

kigo for all winter



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twilight TOPICS used in haiku

atarayo あたらよ【可惜夜】a night you do not want to end
atarashi あたらし【可惜し/惜し】(poetic form)

hakubo はくぼ【薄暮】twilight, dusk
only used in the evening for "light darkness".

sayo さよ【小夜】"small evening"
often used in combination, sometimes with kigo (sayo suzumi 小夜涼み)
sayo shigure .. sleet in the evening
sayo chidori

yahan, yohan やはん【夜半】midnight
yahan no aki 夜半の秋... midnight in autumn (kigo)

yoi よい【宵】evening
yoiyamu, getting dark in the evening
used with the proper season word as a combined kigo, see above.

yosari よさり【夜さり】time when it gets evening
sari means something is coming

yuugata ゆうがた (夕方) evening
yuumagure ゆうまぐれ【夕間暮れ】
magure means 目(ま)暗(ぐれ)」, when it gets dark for the eyes to see things.
yuugure ゆうぐれ


oomagatoki おおまがとき【大禍時】
a time when something bad (ma 魔 the devil) might occur
... ou ma ga toki 逢(お)う魔が時
. Ōmagatoki 逢魔時 / 大禍時 "demon dusk" .
... tasogaredoki たそがれどき, 黄昏

In former times there were no street lights and it was difficult to see the faces of poeple when you walked. Still not yet the time for a lantern to find your way. So when people met, they would exchange a greeting: Taso kare wa? 誰そ、彼は (dare daroo, are wa?) . Taso kare ... became tasogare in the course of time, now loaded with the feeling of loneliness and melancholy.

CLICK for more tasogare
tasogare たそがれどき

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The above impressions about TWILIGHT are seen from the poetic, emotional side of the Japanese haiku poets.
They show us the aspect that
kigo are conventions for writing Japanese poetry!


Now we get to the scientific part.

quote
The Duration of Twilight

Twilight is that period of dusk after sunset or dawn before sunrise during which the sky is partially lit by atmospheric scattering of sunlight.
The duration of twilight after sunset or before sunrise depends on atmospheric conditions (clouds, dust, air pressure, temperature, humidity) and on the parallactic angle (the angle between the path of the setting or rising sun and the local horizon), both of which vary with the seasons (specifically the solar declination) and the terrestrial latitude.

If the duration of twilight is expressed in terms of mean solar minutes (normal clock time), then seasonal variations are evident for all locales, with the shortest twilight durations a few days before the spring equinox and a few days after the fall equinox, and the longest twilight durations near the summer solstice, with a lesser maximum of durations near the winter solstice.

If the duration of twilight is expressed in terms of daytime temporal minutes (the time span from sunrise to sunset divided into 720 equal portions), then each stage is almost constant and minimal in duration throughout the spring and summer, except near the equator and high latitudes, the shortest twilight durations are 2-3 weeks after the spring equinox and 2-3 weeks before the fall equinox, and the longest twilight durations are near the winter solstice.

If the duration of twilight is expressed in terms of daytime temporal minutes (the time span from sunrise to sunset divided into 720 equal portions), then each stage is almost constant and minimal in duration throughout the spring and summer, except near the equator and high latitudes, the shortest twilight durations are 2-3 weeks after the spring equinox and 2-3 weeks before the fall equinox, and the longest twilight durations are near the winter solstice.

If the duration of twilight is expressed in terms of daytime or night time temporal minutes (whichever is longer), then each stage is almost constant in duration all year round, except near the equator and high latitudes.
The switchover date for "whichever is longer" occurs a few days before the spring equinox and a few days after the fall equinox, when the actual lengths of daytime and night time are truly equal.
Read the details here
 © individual.utoronto.ca/


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Worldwide use

long twilight, long dusk

kure ososhi (Le soleil tarde à se coucher)
kure kanuru (Le soleil tarde à se coucher)

Haiku poets in the world have placed this in spring, summer and autumn ...
so this makes for a great nature word,
but not a specific season word.
topic for worldwide haiku
You have to add the season to make it specific if it is not ment to be spring.


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KURE in German, auf Deutsch

Abend, Abendzeit, Abend werden
Abenddämmerung; dämmern
Eintritt der Dunkelheit; dunkel werden
Einbruch der Nacht


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Things found on the way



Remember

kure no haru 暮の春 くれのはる end of the spring season


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HAIKU


夕暮は鐘を力や寺の秋 
yuugure wa kane o chikara ya tera no aki

the evening dusk
enhances the power of the bell -
autumn in the temple

Tr. Gabi Greve

. Itoo Fuukoku 伊藤風國 Ito Fukoku .
(? - 1701)


the sound of the bell at dusk
gives me strength -
a temple in autumn


Kyorai's corrected version suggests that with the approach of evening, the noisy crowds have left the temple and the poet is left with a feeling of loneliness, which is diminished or obscured by the sound of the evening temple bells, which give him emotional strength.

Tr. Haruo Shirane


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酒倉を杜氏と歩く春の暮
sakagura o tooji to aruku haru nokure

Die Abenddämmerung des Frühlings -
Im Reisweinkeller gehe ich
mit dem Touji. (Reisweinbrenner,-brauer)

NAGATA Koui 永田耕衣(1900~1997)
übersetzt : SAITOH Kentarou)


I walk in the ricewine cellar
with the brew master -
spring twilight

Tr. Gabi Greve


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しらなみは珊瑚環礁暮れ遅し
shiranami wa sango kanhsoo kure ososhi

Weiße Wellen liegen
auf dem Koralenriff.
Der Tag vergeht langsam.

FUBASAMI Fusae 文挟夫佐恵(1914~)
übersetzt : TAGUCHI Makiko)


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lilac dusk

lilac dusk-
she gathers her hair
into a long plait


- Shared by Arvinder Kaur -
Joys of Japan, 2012



lilac scented dusk ~
cool wet grass between my toes ~
sweet spring rain


- Margaret's haiku -





Lilac dusk.
Through the park’s woods
the moon drains milk.


HAIK KLUBI SHQIPTAR
- terejalibraartikujesse -


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summer dusk
beneath the wheat ears
Eve's eye


- Shared by Massih Talebian -
Joys of Japan, 2012


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Related words

***** Long days (hinaga), long nights (nagaki yo)



***** Sunset (yuuhi) Japan



***** . Seasons coming to an end .
end of spring, spring's end, spring comes to a close
kure no haru 暮の春 (くれのはる)
kure no natsu 暮の夏(くれのなつ)end of summer


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3/15/2009

ides of march

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The Ides of March

***** Location: Italy, ancient Rome
***** Season: Spring
***** Category: Heavens


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Explanation

The Ides of March (Latin: Idus Martias)
is the name of the date 15 March in the Roman calendar. The term ides was used for the 15th day of the months of March, May, July, and October, and the 13th day of the other eight months.
In Roman times, the Ides of March was a festive day dedicated to the god Mars and a military parade was usually held. In modern times, the term Ides of March is best known as the date that Julius Caesar was assassinated, in 44 BC, the story of which was famously dramatized in William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar.


Vincenzo Camuccini, Mort de César, 1798


The term idūs (ides) is thought to have originally been the day of the full moon. The Romans considered this an auspicious day in their calendar. The word ides comes from Latin, meaning "half division" (of a month).
Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March, 44 BC, after declaring himself dictator of Rome for life.

© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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The Ides of March

The soothsayer's warning to Julius Caesar,
"Beware the Ides of March,"
has forever imbued that date with a sense of foreboding. But in Roman times the expression "Ides of March" did not necessarily evoke a dark mood—it was simply the standard way of saying "March 15." Surely such a fanciful expression must signify something more than merely another day of the year? Not so. Even in Shakespeare's time, sixteen centuries later, audiences attending his play Julius Caesar wouldn't have blinked twice upon hearing the date called the Ides.

The term Ides comes from the earliest Roman calendar, which is said to have been devised by Romulus, the mythical founder of Rome. Whether it was Romulus or not, the inventor of this calendar had a penchant for complexity. The Roman calendar organized its months around three days, each of which served as a reference point for counting the other days:

Kalends (1st day of the month)
Nones (the 7th day in March, May, July, and October; the 5th in the other months)
Ides (the 15th day in March, May, July, and October; the 13th in the other months)

The remaining, unnamed days of the month were identified by counting backwards from the Kalends, Nones, or the Ides.
For example, March 3 would be V Nones—5 days before the Nones (the Roman method of counting days was inclusive; in other words, the Nones would be counted as one of the 5 days).
source : www.infoplease.com


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Calendar Systems of the World


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Worldwide use


Die Iden des März

Die Iden des März (von lateinisch Idus Martiae) sind eine in vielen Sprachen gebräuchliche Metapher für bevorstehendes Unheil, die auf die Ermordung Gaius Iulius Caesars am 15. März des Jahres 44 vor Christus Bezug nimmt.

Nach Plutarch warnte der Augur Titus Vestricius Spurinna Caesar am Tage vor dem Anschlag mit den Worten: „Cave Idus Martias“
(deutsch: „Hüte dich vor den Iden des März“).

© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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Things found on the way



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HAIKU


Ides of March ...
anyone remember
the history teacher?


Gabi Greve
Japan, March 15, 2009

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Ides of March---
a math teacher defines
the median of a sample


- Shared by Fred Masarani
Joys of Japan, March 2012


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Ides of March
a squirrel trapezes along
the high tension wire


Angelee Deodhar
India, March 2013



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Related words

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3/02/2009

Tide (shio)

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Tide (shio, ushio, choo)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: various, see below
***** Category: Earth


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Explanation

tide shio しお (潮/汐)
..... ushio, choo うしお (潮)


quote
Tides are the rising of Earth's ocean surface caused by the tidal forces of the Moon and the Sun acting on the oceans. Tides cause changes in the depth of the marine and estuarine water bodies and produce oscillating currents known as tidal streams, making prediction of tides important for coastal navigation.

Tides may be semidiurnal (two high waters and two low waters each day), or diurnal (one tidal cycle per day). In most locations, tides are semidiurnal. daily inequality changes with time and is generally small when the Moon is over the equator.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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Moon tides, lunar tides
The word "tides" is a generic term used to define the alternating rise and fall in sea level with respect to the land, produced by the gravitational attraction of the moon and the sun. To a much smaller extent, tides also occur in large lakes, the atmosphere, and within the solid crust of the earth, acted upon by these same gravitational forces of the moon and sun.
When the sun and moon are aligned, there are exceptionally strong gravitational forces, causing very high and very low tides which are called
spring tides,
though they have nothing to do with the season.

When the sun and moon are not aligned, the gravitational forces cancel each other out, and the tides are not as dramatically high and low. These are called neap tides.
source : home.hiwaay.net

ooshio 大潮 spring tide, flood tide. Springflut
koshio 小潮 neap tide. Nippflut



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more Chinese characters for SHIO

潮(うしお ushio) 満ち干 (michi hi) 満ち引き (michi hiki) 潮流 (chuuryuu) 潮汐(ちょうせき chooseki) 海潮 (kaichoo) 干満 (kanman)  満干 (mankan)
満ち潮 (michishio) 上げ潮 (ageshio, tide coming up) 
朝潮 満潮(まんちょう manchoo) high tide

ひきしお(引(き)潮・引き汐) hikishio, falling tide, ebb tide
引き潮 (hikishio) 下げ潮 (sageshio, tide retreating) 夕潮 干潮(かんちょう kanchoo) 


. Tide KIGO - category humanity
isobiraki, isoasobi and more playing and enjoying the beach


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kigo for mid-spring

kanchoo 観潮 かんちょう watching the whirling current
kanchoosen 観潮船(かんちょうせん)boat for watching the swirls
uzushio 渦潮(うずしお), swirls, whirling current
especially at Naruto 鳴門 off Shikoku
CLICK for more photos


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kigo for late spring

shiohi 汐干 潮汐(しおひ) ebb
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
shiohigata 汐干潟 / 潮干潟(しおひがた)tideland, tidal flat
shiohi iwa 汐干岩(しおひいわ)rocks in the tideland

shiohibune 汐干船(しおひぶね)boat for the tideland
shiohigai 汐干貝(しおひがい)shells in the tideland
shiohi kago 汐干籠(しおひかご)basket
. . . (for collecting shells) in the tideland


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kigo for all spring

shiofuki 潮吹 (しおふき) "sprouting tide" (shell)
..... shiofukigai 潮吹貝(しおふきがい)
Mactra veneriformis
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


shiomaneki 望潮 (しおまねき, シオマネキ )
"inviting the tide", fiddler crab
, crab of spring
Uca arcuata
ushiomaneki 潮招(うしおまねき)
tauchigani田打蟹(たうちがに)
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Winkerkrabbe


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kigo for all summer


. summer tide, natsu no shio 夏の湖


shio asobi 潮浴び(しおあび) enjoying the tide


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kigo for all autumn

aki no shio 秋の潮 (あきのしお) tide in autumn
..... akishio 秋 秋潮(あきしお)


kigo for mid-autumn

hatsushio, hatsu shio 初潮 (はつしお)
first (autumn) tide

hazukijio 葉月潮(はづきじお)tide of the eighth lunar month
..... mochi no shio 望の潮(もちのしお)
The tide at the full moon of autumn.


kigo for mid-autumn
takashio 高潮 (たかしお) high (storm) tide
flood tide, storm surge
kazetsunami, kaze tsunami 風津波(かぜつなみ)
"tsunami made by the wind"
(kigosaijiki lists it for mid-autumn 仲秋
source : kigosai.sub.jp


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kigo for all winter

kanchoo 寒潮 かんちょう "tide in the cold"
fuyu no shio 冬の潮(ふゆのしお)tide in winter
fuyujio 冬潮(ふゆじお)winter tide
.... fuyujio冬汐(ふゆじお) winter tide


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Worldwide use

Gezeiten.
Ebbe und Flut
shiohi .. Ebbe


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Things found on the way


... Spring at the beach (haru no umi)
and related kigo

tide in spring, haru no shio 春の潮
..... shunchoo 春潮 しゅんちょう

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gathering shellfish at low tide, shiohigari
しおひがり,潮干狩り/潮干狩


source : museum.city.osaka.jp

葛飾北斎 Katsushika Hokusai 潮干狩図 Shiohigari
In the Edo period, the Ooshio 大潮 tide was on the third day of the third lunar month, when Shiohigari begun.
Here is a painting with Mount Fujisan in the background. People would go out as far as possible on a boat and then work their way back to the beach. The best catch was
アサリ Asari and ハマグリ Hamaguri.
They would also take home small fish from the tide pools.


- quote -
Thirty-six enjoyments of Edo: Suzaki Shiohigari
Shiohigari(Shellfish gathering at low tide) which was one of the beach activities for the people in Edo, could be seen as an annual event in March on the beaches such as Shinagawa, Shibaura, Fukagawa Suzaki.



Among all 洲崎 Suzaki was especially crowded with many people as a famous spot for shellfish gathering.
- source : library.metro.tokyo.jp/Portals -




. . . CLICK here for more Photos !

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CLICK for more photos
Ushiojiru うしおじる(潮汁) sea shell soup, clear fish soup
WASHOKU SAIJIKI


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HAIKU


- - - Kobayashi Issa - - -

汐干潟雨しとしとと暮かかる
shiohi-gata ame shito-shito to kure kakaru

low tide
in a soft, soft rain...
darkness coming


The season word ("tideland at low tide": shiohi-gata) suggests that there are people in the scene, hunched over, searching for shellfish. The day is growing dark, and rain is falling. Issa evokes a slice of life, with a world of feeling and implications, with a few deft strokes of his writing brush.



汐干潟しかも霞むは女也
shiohi-gata shikamo kasumu wa onna nari

low tide--
the mist wrecks my view
of the women


Or: "the woman." The women (or woman) are gathering shellfish at low tide. As Shinji Ogawa explains, shikamo in this context means, "why on earth" or "oh well." Issa doesn't like the spring mist that obscures his view, interfering with his girl-watching.

More haiku about the wetlands at low tide by Issa
Tr. David Lanoue


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Related words

***** Beach and Shore

***** . Seafood and Fish - SAIJIKI


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- #shiogari #shiotide -
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3/01/2009

Scorpion (sasori)

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Scorpion (sasori)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: All Sommer
***** Category: Animal


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Explanation

sasori 蠍 (さそり) scorpion
..... katsu 蝎(かつ)


It is not usually found in Japan, only on some of the most southern islands.

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topic for haiku

sasoriza さそり座 / さそりざ Scorpio, the zodiac formation
..... tenkatsu kyuu 天蝎(てんかつ)宮

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CLICK for more photos
Scorpions
are any arachnid of the order Scorpionida. They are members of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. There are about 2,000 species of scorpions, found widely distributed south of about 49°N, except New Zealand and Antarctica. The northernmost part of the world where scorpions live in the wild is Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey in the UK, where a small colony of Euscorpius flavicaudis has been resident since the 1860s.
The word scorpion derives from Greek - skorpios.
All scorpion species possess poison or venom. Scorpions use their venom to kill or paralyze their prey so that it can be eaten; in general it is fast-acting, allowing for effective prey capture. Of the ~1500 scorpion species, the vast majority are only capable of producing a local reaction similar in scope and effect to a bee sting. Only around 50 species are known to produce venom that causes serious systemic effects in humans. Of these 50 species, only a few (mostly in the family Buthidae) produce enough venom to pose a lethal risk to humans.

Scorpions have been found in many fossil records, including marine Silurian deposits, coal deposits from the Carboniferous Period and in amber. They are thought to have existed in some form since about 430 million years ago.

Cultural symbolism

The scorpion is one of the symbols of the Astrological sign of Scorpio.

In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh approaches mountains where scorpion-folk guard the entrance. Additionally, the Akkadians called the constellation Scorpius, Girtab, meaning "the Seizer", or "Stinger" and "Place Where One Bows Down".
In ancient Egypt, the scorpion was associated with the god Set- the god of the desert, storms, and chaos.
The Falaknuma Palace of Hyderabad, India, is laid out in the shape of a scorpion with the two pincers spreading out to the north as wings to the building.
In Greek mythology, the scorpion is conjured by the gods to hound and punish Orion. It is also said that when Perseus slew Medusa, the blood that leaked out of her severed neck turned into scorpions and snakes as it hit the ground.
The Persian legendary monster manticore is often depicted with a scorpion tail.
The scorpion is the symbol of the Mexican state of Durango.
The scorpion is the symbol of the Italian auto tuning company Abarth.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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Worldwide use

Germany

Skorpion

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Kenya

topic for haiku

Here in Kenya, the scorpions are mostly found in the hot, hilly and rocky semi-arid regions of North Eastern, Eastern and Northern Kenya. These regions are hot and have rocky hills.

My first encounter with a scorpion was in 2001 in Eastern. The scorpions prefer coming out at night to feed. During the day, they hide away under rock crevices and cracks. They have a viciously curled tail that has a sharp sting at the end; their bodies are divided into three segments: head, thorax and abdomen with eight legs.
Their sting is poisonous to humans and animals.

orange sunset...
a scorpion scampers
across the floor

Patrick Wafula, 2009




scorpion sting-
he ties the wound
with a cloth


Caxton Okoth
January 2012


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Things found on the way



"scorpion snack", kakko かっこ 餲餬, □餬
Snacks kneaded with wheat flower, in the shape of a scorpion (蝎 すくもむし sukumomushi). They were either fried or steamed. Also called kappei かっぺい. pei ぺいwas another word for mochi 餅.

WASHOKU
Food of the New Year Season



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Scorpion grass

CLICK for more photos

The Forget-me-nots are the genus Myosotis of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae.
Myosotis scorpioides is also known as scorpion grass.

WKD : forget-me-nots, wasurenagusa



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HAIKU


さそり座に赤き星あり瀧ひびく
sasoriza ni akaki hoshi ari taki hibiku

in the Scorpio
there is a red star -
roaring waterfall

Fujimura Mari 藤村真理
http://www.nhk.or.jp/haiku/html/haiku17-7-30.htm


Scorpio, in the sky, is a topic.


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a woman's song --
over her garden stands
the Scorpio


~ Samuel Ndungu (Bamboocha) Kenya, 2007


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Related words

***** Centipede, Millipede (mukade) Japan

***** Spiders ... (kumo, Japan) Spider web, Cob web. Spinne


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