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teaching。 Chinese precedent doubtless explains why Japanese poets and
painters chose so often for their geimyo； or professional appellations；
such names as Chomu （〃Butterfly…Dream）；〃 Icho （〃Solitary Butterfly）；〃 etc。
And even to this day such geimyo as Chohana （〃Butterfly…Blossom〃）； Chokichi
（〃Butterfly…Luck〃）； or Chonosuke （〃Butterfly…Help〃）； are affected by
dancing…girls。 Besides artistic names having reference to butterflies；
there are still in use real personal names （yobina） of this kind； such as
Kocho； or Cho； meaning 〃Butterfly。〃 They are borne by women only； as a
rule； though there are some strange exceptions。。。 And here I may mention
that； in the province of Mutsu； there still exists the curious old custom
of calling the youngest daughter in a family Tekona； which quaint word；
obsolete elsewhere； signifies in Mutsu dialect a butterfly。 In classic time
this word signified also a beautiful woman。。。
It is possible also that some weird Japanese beliefs about butterflies are
of Chinese derivation； but these beliefs might be older than China herself。
The most interesting one； I think； is that the soul of a living person may
wander about in the form of a butterfly。 Some pretty fancies have been
evolved out of this belief； such as the notion that if a butterfly enters
your guest…room and perches behind the bamboo screen； the person whom you
most love is coming to see you。 That a butterfly may be the spirit of
somebody is not a reason for being afraid of it。 Nevertheless there are
times when even butterflies can inspire fear by appearing in prodigious
numbers； and Japanese history records such an event。 When Taira…no…Masakado
was secretly preparing for his famous revolt； there appeared in Kyoto so
vast a swarm of butterflies that the people were frightened； thinking the
apparition to be a portent of coming evil。。。 Perhaps those butterflies were
supposed to be the spirits of the thousands doomed to perish in battle； and
agitated on the eve of war by some mysterious premonition of death。
However； in Japanese belief； a butterfly may be the soul of a dead person
as well as of a living person。 Indeed it is a custom of souls to take
butterfly…shape in order to announce the fact of their final departure from
the body； and for this reason any butterfly which enters a house ought to
be kindly treated。
To this belief； and to queer fancies connected with it； there are many
allusions in popular drama。 For example； there is a well…known play called
Tonde…deru…Kocho…no…Kanzashi； or； 〃The Flying Hairpin of Kocho。〃 Kocho is a
beautiful person who kills herself because of false accusations and cruel
treatment。 Her would…be avenger long seeks in vain for the author of the
wrong。 But at last the dead woman's hairpin turns into a butterfly； and
serves as a guide to vengeance by hovering above the place where the
villain is hiding。
Of course those big paper butterflies （o…cho and me…cho） which figure
at weddings must not be thought of as having any ghostly signification。 As
emblems they only express the joy of living union； and the hope that the
newly married couple may pass through life together as a pair of
butterflies flit lightly through some pleasant garden； now hovering
upward； now downward； but never widely separating。
II
A small selection of hokku （1） on butterflies will help to illustrate
Japanese interest in the aesthetic side of the subject。 Some are pictures
only； tiny color…sketches made with seventeen syllables； some are nothing
more than pretty fancies； or graceful suggestions； but the reader will
find variety。 Probably he will not care much for the verses in themselves。
The taste for Japanese poetry of the epigrammatic sort is a taste that must
be slowly acquired； and it is only by degrees； after patient study； that
the possibilities of such composition can be fairly estimated。 Hasty
criticism has declared that to put forward any serious claim on behalf of
seventeen…syllable poems 〃would be absurd。〃 But what； then； of Crashaw's
famous line upon the miracle at the marriage feast in Cana？
Nympha pudica Deum vidit； et erubuit。 ＇1＇
Only fourteen syllables and immortality。 Now with seventeen Japanese
syllables things quite as wonderful indeed； much more wonderful have
been done； not once or twice； but probably a thousand times。。。 However；
there is nothing wonderful in the following hokku； which have been selected
for more than literary reasons：
Nugi…kakuru ＇2＇
Haori sugata no
Kocho kana！
＇Like a haori being taken off that is the shape of a butterfly！＇
Torisashi no
Sao no jama suru
Kocho kana！
＇Ah； the butterfly keeps getting in the way of the bird…catcher's pole！ ＇3＇＇
Tsurigane ni
Tomarite nemuru
Kocho kana！
＇Perched upon the temple…bell； the butterfly sleeps：＇
Neru…uchi mo
Asobu…yume wo ya
Kusa no cho！
＇Even while sleeping； its dream is of play ah； the butterfly of the
grass！ ＇4＇
Oki； oki yo！
Waga tomo ni sen；
Neru…kocho！
＇Wake up！ wake up！ I will make thee my comrade； thou sleeping
butterfly。 ＇5＇＇
Kago no tori
Cho wo urayamu
Metsuki kana！
＇Ah； the sad expression in the eyes of that caged bird！ envying the
butterfly！＇
Cho tonde
Kaze naki hi to mo
Miezari ki！
＇Even though it did not appear to be a windy day； ＇6＇ the fluttering of
the butterflies ！＇
Rakkwa eda ni
Kaeru to mireba
Kocho kana！
＇When I saw the fallen flower return to the branch lo！ it was only a
butterfly！ ＇7＇＇
Chiru…hana ni
Karusa arasou
Kocho kana！
＇How the butterfly strives to compete in lightness with the falling
flowers！ ＇8＇＇
Chocho ya！
Onna no michi no
Ato ya saki！
＇See that butterfly on the woman's path； now fluttering behind her； now
before！＇
Chocho ya！
Hana…nusubito wo
Tsukete…yuku！
＇Ha！ the butterfly！ it is following the person who stole the flowers！＇
Aki no cho
Tomo nakereba ya；
Hito ni tsuku
＇Poor autumn butterfly！ when left without a comrade （of its own race）；
it follows after man （or 〃a person〃）！＇
Owarete mo；
Isoganu furi no
Chocho kana！
＇Ah； the butterfly！ Even when chased； it never has the air of being in a
hurry。＇
Cho wa mina
Jiu…shichi…hachi no
Sugata kana！
＇As for butterflies； they all have the appearance of being about seventeen
or eighteen years old。＇9＇＇
Cho tobu ya
Kono yo no urami
Naki yo ni！
＇How the butterfly sports； just as if there were no enmity （or 〃envy〃）
in this world！＇
Cho tobu ya；
Kono yo ni nozomi
Nai yo ni！
＇Ah； the butterfly！ it sports abou