Welch Onion Head (negi boozu) (05)

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Welch Onion Head (negi boozu, Japan)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Late Spring
***** Category: Plant

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Explanation

The Welch Onion, Allium fistulosum and others of this lily family.

The Japanese name comes from the look of it, almost a personification for the "Bald Head of Priest", boozu 葱坊主
welch onion flower, negi no hana 葱の花
welch onion jewel, negi no gibo　葱の擬宝



http://opencage.info/pics/large_2121.asp

The origin of this plant is China, Sibiria and the Altai region, but it was introduced to Japan very early and is already mentioned in the "Nihon Shoki" Chronicles.
In April and May, the heads start sticking out on long stalks and before the flower openes they look like a bald head of a priest (at least to the Japanese eye).

The plant as food is a kigo for winter, see below. It has medical properties and is eaten in soups and stews.

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Let us look at the Japanese word for monk or priest, boozu.
This is originally the word for the head priest of a temple or retreat (ichiboo 一坊、一寺) and only later was used for any monk. Some priests and monks were called Tera Hooshi or Yama Hooshi at Temple Enryaku-Ji (寺法師、山法師), but in contrast to them, the priests and monks from Temple Mii-Dera were called boozu or Honorable Priest, goboo 御坊.
Later during the Edo period, young priests who worked for a local lord (daimyoo) or the Edo government were also called boozu. Nowadays, any young boy with a shaven head is a boozu.
(Quoted from Saijiki for Buddhist Events ).

The flower of the Dogwood looks similar to these Mountain Priests, see the entry for Dogwood .
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The round head of the leek fower is also called "Jewel" gibo. Here is a picture of such a form on the border of a bridge. You also find this pattern of a figure as the head tile of a temple.


http://www.linkclub.or.jp/~mcyy/kyo/uji/01.html

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Talking of BOOZU, here is another natural phenomen which the Japanese call by this name, now a "Bald Priest Head in Hell", jigoku boozu.


http://www.ajkj.jp/ajkj/oita/beppu/kanko/jigoku/jigoku_bouzu.html

The bubbeling mud of many hot springs forms to look like a bald head!

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Worldwide use

USA

View all Allium thumbnails at the PLANTS Gallery

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Things found on the way

Origa (Olga Hooper) has a nice haiga with this flower



http://www.livejournal.com/users/origa/54405.html

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HAIKU

At an NHK program, this plant was the object of a Haiku Meeting.
http://www.nhk.or.jp/haiku/html/haiku15-4-12.htm

葱坊主一本足りない色鉛筆
negi boozu ippon tarinai iro enpitsu

Welch onion heads -
of my color pencils
one is missing

(Tr. Gabi Greve)



葱坊主睡魔のおりてきし真昼
negi boozu suima no orite kishi nirune

Welch onion head -
sleep comes over me,
time for a midday nap

(Tr. Gabi Greve)

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人間に退屈しおり葱坊主
ningen ni taikutsu shiori negi boozu

getting tired of
being a human -
Welch onion heads

(Tr. Gabi Greve)

松崎鉄之介
Quoted from the Saijiki for Buddhist Events


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Related words

***** Stone Leek, Welch Onion, Green Onion, Chinese Onion, Spring Onion
these and the following are kigo for all winter .
The plants have small bulbs and long green stalks.

stone leek, negi 葱、nebuka (root-deep) 根深
leek leaves, leafy leeks, hanegi 葉葱

leek soup, negijiru 葱汁
leek rice gruel, negizoosui 葱雑炊

leek field, negibatake 葱畑
pulling out leeks, negi nuku 葱抜く

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芭蕉 ： 葱白く洗いたてたるさむさ哉
negi shiroku araitate taru samusa kana

leeks washed
all white and clean -
such a coldness!

(Tr. Gabi Greve)

Basho
http://homepage2.nifty.com/zatsugaku/zatugaku/980913.html

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Please send your contributions to Gabi Greve
worldkigo@yahoo.com




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