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KigoKigo (season words) are words or phrases that are associated with a particular season. They are used in haiku and renga to indicate the season in which the poem or stanza is set. History Representation of and reference to the seasons has always been important in Japanese culture and poetry. The first anthology of Japanese poetry, the mid-8th century Man'yōshū, had several sections devoted to the seasons. By the time of the first imperial Japanese anthology, the Kokinshū, a century and a half later (905 A.D.) the season sections had become a much larger part of the anthology. Both of these anthologies also had sections for other categories, such as love poems and miscellaneous (zō) poems. When the writing of the linked verses of renga started (in the 13th century), the formal structure of the renga specified that many of the stanzas were supposed to include a reference to a specific season. It is from the opening stanza of a renga, the hokku, that haiku are derived from. The rules for renga said that the hokku should include a reference to the season in which the renga was being written, and it should include a compliment to the host of the renga writing party. This is where the requirement for haiku to include a seasonal reference or kigo comes from. Kigo and seasons Kigo are words or phrases that can be strongly associated with a particular season, or sometimes the association can be more subtle. Pumpkins, for example, are a winter squash that is associated with the fall harvest. Furthermore, for people living in the United States, pumpkins are also associated with the Jack-o'-lanterns of Halloween. A little later in the year pumpkins are also associated with the pumpkin pies that are usually part of the Thanksgiving Day dinner along with turkey and cranberries. But why is the moon an autumn kigo, since it is up in the sky all year long? Autumn is when the days are getting shorter, and the nights are getting longer, so you are more likely to notice the moon. Often the night sky will be free of clouds so that also helps with noticing the moon. Autumn is also the time when the full moon can help farmers work under the moonlight to harvest their crops (harvest moon). more on the moon as a kigo see below. Saijiki Japanese haiku poets often use a Saijiki, which is much like a dictionary for kigo (season words). There is usually a description of the kigo itself, plus a list of similar words, and then there are one or more examples of haiku that include that kigo. The saijiki will be divided into the four seasons (and modern saijiki usually include a section for the New Year and another for Miscellaneous (Zō) or "Seasonless" (Muki) words. Each of those section are then divided into a number of categories, and then the kigo are sorted within their proper category. Common categories would be (with example of summer kigo): The Season (midsummer, dog days), The Sky and Heavens ( Pleiades at dawn, monsoon), The Earth (summer field), Humanity (sun-bathing, flea market), Observances ( A-Bomb Anniversary (August 6th), Dominion Day (July 1st, Canada), Animals (jellyfish, mosquito), and Plants (orange blossoms, lily). Common kigo in Japanese haiku - cherry blossoms (sakura) and cherry blossom-viewing (hanami) - late spring (April) - for the Japanese, cherry blossoms are such a common topic that in just mentioning blossoms it is assumed to be cherry blossoms. Blossom-viewing is an occasion for partying with friends or coworkers
- cicada (semi) - late summer (july) - known for their cries
- colored leaves (momoji) - late autumn (october) - a very common topic for haiku along with related topics such as first colored leaves (hatsu momiji) mid-autumn, shining leaves (zōki momiji) late autumn, leaves turning color (usumomiji) mid-autumn, leaves start to fall (momoko katsu chiru) late autumn, etc. (fallen leaves (ochiba) and dry leaves (kareha) would be a winter topic).
- crickets (kōrogi) - all autumn (august-october) - noted for the singing of the males
- frogs (kawazu) all spring (february-april) noted for their loud singing
- hototogisu (Little Cuckoo - C. poliocephalis) - all summer (may-july) - a bird in the Cuckoo family noted for its song
- moon (tsuki) - all autumn (august-october), and moon-viewing (tsukimi) mid-autumn (September) - the word "moon" by itself is assumed to be a full moon in autumn. Moon-viewing and leaf-viewing in autumn (and snow-viewing (yukimi) in winter) are a common group activity in Japan.
- Nashi pear (梨 nashi), quince (boke no mi), peach (momo), persimmon (kaki), apples (ringo) and grapes (budō) are examples of fruit that are used as autumn kigo. Pear blossoms (nashi no hana) are a late spring (april) kigo.
- Japanese New Year (正月 shōgatsu) As in many other cultures, the Japanese New Year is an important time of year for celebrations and there are many activities associated with it that may be mentioned in haiku, including some "firsts": first sun (hatsuhi), first laughter (waraizome), and first calligraphy (kakizome). There is also New Year's Day (ganjitsu) and New Year's Eve {toshi no yo), and, of course, the New Year's Eve party (toshiwasure).
- Tanabata (the festival of the weaver maid and the herdsman), Grave-Visiting (haka mairi), and Bon Festival (Festival of the Hungry Ghosts) - all early autumn (august) - autumn festivities. The Bon Festival is associated with small bonfires called okuribi (welcome-fire) and folk dancing (odori), among other things..
Kigo and haiku: an example In this famous haiku by Matsuo Basho, the frog is used as a spring kigo: - ふるいけや (Furuike ya)
- かわずとびこむ (Kawazu tobikomu)
- みずのおと (Mizu no oto)
- An old pond!
- A frog jumps in—
- the sound of water.
References Print - Haiku World: An International Poetry Almanac by William J. Higginson, Kodansha International 1996 ISBN 4-7700-2090-2 (An international haiku saijiki with over 1,000 haiku and senryu from poets in 50 countries covering 680 seasonal topics)
- The Haiku Seasons: Poetry of the Natural World by William J. Higginson, Kodansha International 1996 ISBN 4-7700-1629-8 (a companion book to Haiku World discussing the development of haiku, and the importance of the seasons and kigo to haiku)
Online See also
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