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Kyoto so vast a swarm of butterflies that the people were frightened；
thinking the apparition to be a portent of coming evil。。。 Perhaps those
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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
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KWAIDAN： Stories and Studies of Strange Things
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！
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KWAIDAN： Stories and Studies of Strange Things
＇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！
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＇Ah； the butterfly！ it sports about as if it had nothing more to desire
in this present state of existence。＇
Nami no hana ni Tomari kanetaru； Kocho kana！
＇Having found it difficult indeed to perch upon the （foam…） blossoms
of the waves； alas for the butterfly！＇
Mutsumashi ya！ Umare…kawareba Nobe no cho。 ＇10＇
＇If （in our next existence） we be born into the state of butterflies upon
the moor； then perchance we may be happy together！＇
Nadeshiko ni Chocho shiroshi Tare no kon？ ＇11＇
＇On the pink…flower there is a white butterfly： whose spirit； I wonder？＇
Ichi…nichi no Tsuma to miekeri Cho futatsu。
＇The one…day wife has at last appe