Sunday, September 12, 2010

Late edition ABC WEDNESDAY

 
 
ABC_7b
We very much enjoy your meme, ABC Wednesday Team, and though a little late, here’s our offering.
 
H’ is for Haiku Master
Haiku is a form of traditional Japanese poetry which has a lot of emotion condensed into just 3 lines and 17 syllables and is mostly about nature.
Haiku Master Basho, who helped establish ‘haiku’ as a serious form of Japanese poetry, is considered the greatest of all haiku Poets.
Basho was born in 1644 as Matsuo Munefusa. He adopted his name from the term ‘basho-an’ meaningCottage of the plantain tree’, a place he used to visit to find inspiration for his works.
Basho brought new life into Haiku by infusing his Buddhist beliefs into it. He took great interest in the small things around him and showed the connection between different things in nature.
Basho wasn’t always a poet but started off as a Samurai warrior. After the death of the master he was serving, he left his profession to pursue poetry.
During his travels around the islands of Japan, Basho composed many lovely works in his signature style which compares two separate events in nature. These are considered the best of Haiku Poetry.

Here are some famous works from this master:

On a withered branch
A crow has alighted: Nightfall in autumn.’
(This translated version has only 16 syllables, whereas the original has 17) 
Basho’s poetry is often described by the word ‘Sabi’ which designates the love of the old, the faded and the little-noticed.
 
 
 
We missed ‘G’ last week but would like to make up today.
G is for Ganesha - an elephant God in Hindu Mythology. There is an interesting tale that tells us how he came to acquire the head of an elephant.

Ganesha, born to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati was a lovely, adorable little boy.
One day, after a particularly busy day, Parvati asked Ganesha to be on guard and not let anyone disturb her while she took a little nap. The little boy was very diligently minding the door when along came his father, Lord Shiva.
True to his duty, Ganesha stopped him and try as he might, the father could not get past his son.
Now, Lord Shiva was known for his fiery, destructive temper and it did not take him long to lose it!
He struck his son down and chopped off his head.
But once the deed was done, he was instantly very sorry. But naturally, no amount of cajoling and apologising could assuage Parvati’s wrath. She threatened to destroy all if her beloved son Ganesha was not restored to life.
 
Lord Shiva was left with no other option but to arrange for a substitute head, bring back his dead son to life, be finally forgiven and thereby save the world!
The head that he could manage to find was that of an elephant and thus, Hindu Mythology came to have it’s adorable, cuddly, cute elephant God!
 
Now, mummy isn’t much of a temple goer and doesn’t really believe in Idol Worship. She thinks we can find God in the world around us and it is about ‘being good and doing good whenever possible’ or some such ideology!
But then, she does like Ganesha very much. He is just so adorable.
In India, he is everywhere -  as a cute piggy bank, a table-top decor, a wall-hanging or as a favourite subject for caricature, sketching or painting. He has been filmed as an adorable, trusty friend in many movies.
He is considered a symbol of good luck and wealth.

Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival that started yesterday celebrating Lord Ganesha. The festivities are designed to last for more than a week.
In India, mostly in the western state of Maharastra, he will be reinstated in the form of gorgeous, larger than life hand made terracota idols which themselves are marvels of workmanship.

We found all the photographs via ‘Google’ and they belong to whoever put them there. Thanks everyone.
Wags,
,  

13 comments:

Lola and also Franklin, too said...

Oh my dogness! There are so many interesting things in this one post it's hard to know where to comment.

Well, Basho. That was very interesting and while we've heard - well, Blog Mom has heard of Basho before this post is inspiring her to look up more of his Haiku. She likes Haiku.

We are Gobsmacked and surprised to learn that Ganesha is such an accessible, cuddly God in India. Lots of Americans are interested in eastern religion. We even know someone who's ashram name is Parvati. Ganesha is probably the best known Hindu God to non-Hindu people and we usually see him portrayed in most impressive paintings and tapestries and things. We had no idea he could also be found as a piggy bank or in a story book or other lighthearted type things.

Thank you for your comment on my blog. With all that India has had to deal with in the way of terrorism it is most kind of you to empathize with us. Until that day we in the US were sort of insulated from international terrorism with a few exceptions, of course. We don't know when that game is going to end. There always seem to be people who can prevent the peace no matter how many more people want it than not. And so it's always been through all history and everywhere in the world.

lotsa licks, Lola

Teddy Bear said...

What a great post. Thank you for sharing so much wonderful information with us. We just loved it!

Love,
Teddy Bear

houndstooth said...

That was so cool! We enjoy haikus, but we didn't know a lot about their history, or anything about Basho. Thanks for sharing!

Bunny

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

This was really an interesting post! This is why I enjoy blogging because I learn so much about interesting things and people like Basho! Thanks for teaching an old dog something new! :-))

Remington said...

What a great post! Thank you for sharing this!

NAK and The Residents of The Khottage Now With KhattleDog! said...

A pawesome example of the khool stuff we khan learn from our furiends in the blog world!

Thanks fur sharing!

Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra

Anonymous said...

One of the main reason I learn Japanese, to speak more in 17. Please have a wonderful Sunday.

daily athens

The Chair Speaks said...

Agree!
The temple is within you!

Chewy said...

Wow that is great to know about haikus!

Chewy

Unknown said...

OMD!!!This post is really interesting and I love those colours. Thanks for sharing the information of Haiku and Ganesha.

I'm always curious about God Ganesha. It's really kind of you of telling us about HIM.

Molly the Airedale said...

What an interesting post, guys!
Our friends, the Army of Four are into the Haiku too.

Love ya lots
Maggie and Mitch

Kapitein Haakje said...

woooooooooooooooooooooooooooof!
what a information!
thanks


Kissslobbers
El'bow & Hauwii

Roger Owen Green said...

Great post 'bout haiku
And your G was int'resting
Thanks for stopping by!

ROG, ABC Wednesday team

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