To kick off our "Wagara Wednesday" series, we turn to the #Hyoutan (ヒョウタン) bottle gourd.
From ancient times, the bottle gourd has been a symbol of happiness or success as they were associated with divinities in the earliest of semi-mythical chronicles.
The gourd was also the battle ensign of one of Japan’s samurai heroes, Hideyoshi Toyotomi (1537-1598). #Hideyoshi was known to add a gourd to his ensign every time he won a battle, and as a result, the gourd became a symbol of victory.
Various gourd clusters have taken on other special meanings.
A set of three gourds is said to represent a well-rounded person. #三瓢箪 is pronounced “san-byoshi sorou,” and the pronunciation sounds like that for #三拍子揃, which literally means “meeting all three important conditions,” i.e., being ideal.
Ever more fortuitous is a grouping of six gourds. #六瓢is pronounced “mubyou,” which is also the pronunciation of the word meaning “disease free,” #無病.
In the face of COVID-19, may the gourd serve to eliminate disaster and keep us free of sickness.