Japanese Blue and Green #2
While I introduced "Light (明), Dark (暗), Clear (顕), Vague (漠)" last time, this time we'll look at specific examples of how 'Ao' was used after color names were established.
◆ The Emergence of Color Names
Color names first appeared in the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters), Japan's oldest historical record. Particularly, the descriptions in the mythology section of the first volume can be considered Japan's oldest recorded color names. Here are some examples:
●白丹寸手 (shiranikite) ・ 青丹寸手 (aonikite)
●赤加賀智 (akakagachi)
●黒き御衣 (kuroki mikeshi)
●鴗鳥の青き御衣 (sonidori no aoki mikeshi)
For now, we can see the progression from "Light (明), Dark (暗), Clear (顕), Vague (漠)" to the four colors: 'Aka' (赤＝red), 'Kuro' (黒＝black), 'Shiro' (白＝white), and 'Ao' (青≒blue).
Let's explore the usage of 'Ao' in mythology.
白丹寸手 (shiranikite) ・ 青丹寸手 (aonikite)
These items appear in the description of the objects held by Futodama-no-mikoto during the scene where Amaterasu-Omikami—the supreme deity of Japan who presides over the sun and rules the celestial realm, ranks highest among the myriad Kami, and is the divine ancestor of the Imperial lineage—hid herself in the Heavenly Rock Cave. This is the famous scene where Ame-no-uzume performs her dance.
(Image: "Birth of Iwato Kagura" by Edatoshi Masa, Public Domain)
Shiranikite and aonikite are recorded in the Nihon Shoki as '白和幣(shiranigite)' and '青和幣(aonigite)', which might be more commonly known terms. The shiranigite was made from paper mulberry or cotton, while the aonigite was made from hemp. As can be seen in the image above, they were flat, ribbon-like objects. It is said they were hung from the lower branches of a sakaki tree, along with magatama beads and a mirror attached to the upper branches.
It is said they were hung from the lower branches of a sakaki tree, along with 'Yasakani no Magatama' and 'Yata no Kagami' attached to the upper branches.
Looking carefully at the image, don't you notice a slight difference between the white cord tassels and the slightly brownish ones? Though subtle, it seems the artist made a deliberate distinction. While the whiter-looking ones are probably the shiranigite, neither shows any hint of blue tint in the aonigite. Why then was it called aonigite?
"Hemp" refers to fibers collected from the epidermis, leaves, and stems of plants, but the type traditionally used in Shinto rituals is made from the cannabis plant.
Cannabis is a plant as shown in the image below, and its stem bark is utilized.
Naturally, before processing, it is verdant green.
Until it becomes 'aonigite', the process maintains some degree of green coloring. The process remains largely unchanged from ancient times when done by hand.
The image below shows the "hemp stripping" process of peeling the thin bark from the stem, and you can see it still has a yellowish-green color.
After the "hemp stripping" is complete and the fiber is dried, refined hemp (seima) is produced. It has a beautiful golden color.
(Image courtesy of Cannabis Museum)
From this point, the fiber goes through numerous processes to become thread and then fabric, but the aonigite in the previous illustration seems to be in this state. You might notice a slight trace of green remaining in the darker areas. Perhaps like tatami mats, the color naturally fades when exposed to light.
"Cannabis(大麻)" is also read as "oonusa", and "oonusa" refers to ceremonial tools used in purification rituals.
Even today, 'oonusa' with paper strips or cords hanging from sakaki branches are used in Shinto rituals, but when hemp is used, it's used in its refined hemp state rather than as fabric.
The image below shows the oonusa used in Oharai—a ritual to purify the DaiGuji (high priest) and below-ranking Sinto priests and exclusive Gagaku musicians before conducting rituals such as Kinen-sai—at Ise Jingu. You can see that refined hemp is being used.
(Photo courtesy of Jingu Administration Office)
There are many sources that describe aonigite as being made of fabric. Furthermore, many explanations state that "fabric made from hemp has a bluish tint." However, as shown in the images, unless one deliberately processes the hemp with the outer skin intact, it becomes almost brown.
While it's possible they intentionally used hemp with the outer skin attached, based on the situation at Ise Jingu, I'd like to think that golden-colored refined hemp has been used since ancient times.
If that's the case, though not entirely certain, it seems more natural to consider that 'Ao' was used to express:
●The green color of the raw material cannabis plant
●The yellow-green color seen during the process until it becomes refined hemp
Whether it was woven fabric or refined hemp, or whether it was processed with the outer skin intact and the final product had a bluish tint, we can safely consider that the 'Ao' in aonikite refers to the green of chlorophyll.
鴗鳥の青き御衣 (sonidori no aoki mikeshi)
This phrase appears in a song sung by Okuninushi-no-mikoto. "黒き御衣 (kuroki mikeshi)" is also mentioned here. Let me briefly explain this scene.
While Okuninushi had Suseribime as his principal wife, he had wives both before and after her, and continued to take many more wives. According to the Kojiki, Okuninushi had 180 deity children. Among these circumstances, he married Nunakawahime anew, but when the jealous Suseribime became furious, Okuninushi attempted to flee from Izumo to the land of Yamato.
At that time, Okuninushi attempted to leave while trying to calm her down, saying "Neither the black formal wear nor the blue clothes suit me. The clothes colored with the dyes extracted from the trees we grew together in Izumo are the best. You say you won't cry when I leave, but when I'm in Yamato, if I see a single Japanese pampas grass wet with dew, your image will overlap with it."
The blue clothes mentioned here are expressed as "sonidori no aoki mikeshi" meaning "blue clothes like the kingfisher's feathers." Sonidori refers to the kingfisher. The kingfisher's feathers have beautiful structural coloration that appears different depending on how light hits them.
The kingfisher's feathers have beautiful structural coloration that appears different depending on how light hits them.
It ranges from blue to green. While the appearance varies greatly in photos depending on the light conditions, this is naturally expressed as 'Ao'. Looking at many other kingfisher photos, I generally feel they appear green in direct sunlight and blue in shade.
The comparison "Ao like the sonidori's feathers" clearly shows an intention to emphasize beauty. It is truly a beautiful bird.
It is also said that 'sonidori' evolved into 'nidori' and then 'midori'. Japanese 'midori' means 'green'. If this is truly the origin of the word for 'midori', then the expression "sonidori no aoki..." is quite complex.
While we cannot determine the exact time period, we can be certain that these feathers were described as 'Ao' before 712 CE.
After hearing Okuninushi's song, Suseribime sang in response, "As a woman, I have no other man but you to take as my husband," and offered him sake. Deeply touched by her devotion, he chose to stay with her. They exchanged cups of sake, pledged their eternal love, and remained enshrined there to this day.
This is why Izumo Taisha is also known as a shrine for matchmaking. (Izumo Taisha is one of Japan's most important shrines, where the myriad Kami gather annually. Through the historical fusion of Shinto and Buddhist beliefs, Okuninushi-no-mikoto is also revered as Daikoku, one of the Seven Gods of Fortune.)
◆Summary
In this article, we introduced two examples of the oldest documented use of 'Ao' in Japanese literature:
・The 'Ao' of aonikite representing chlorophyll green
・The 'Ao' of kingfisher's feathers ranging from green to blue-green to blue
Indeed, these myths are filled with romance.
In the next article, we will examine other instances of 'Ao' in mythology, and discuss the curious case of 'Ki' (yellow) which wasn't supposed to exist at that time.
| This article contains many of the author's speculations.Also, since the purpose of this article is to generate interest in Infigo online, I will not list any references. Thank you for your understanding. |