Kuwabara kuwabara
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"Kuwabara kuwabara" is a phrase used in the Japanese language to ward off lightning. It is akin to the English phrase "knock on wood" to prevent bad luck.
When translated to English, kuwabara means 'mulberry field'. According to one explanation, there is a Chinese legend that mulberry trees are not struck by lightning. In contrast, Joya asserts that the "origin of kuwabara is not not definitely known, but it has nothing to do with mulberry plants, though it means 'mulberry fields."
[edit] In Mythology
Back in 9th century, there was one Japanese aristocrat called Sugawara no Michizane. Sugawara Michizane became a thunder god and began killing his enemies with lightnings. Sugawara Michizane who died bearing a heavy grudge after being trapped and exiled to Kyushu, threw his fierce anger in form of thunderbolt. In 930, Seiryoden of the Court was struck by a large thunder. Master of Onmyo (ying-yang) told that this misfortune was the work of the vengeful spirit of Sugawara no Michizane. Those who trapped Sugawara trembled with fear and tried to placate the curse by dedicating his vengeful ghost. And thus led to the construction of Kitano Shrine.
The land that Michizane owned was Kuwabara, so people thought it would be good idea to claim the land he/she is standing is Kuwabara, so that Michizane would hesitate to strike his own people. People of such era chanted "Kuwabara, Kuwabara" once they hear the rumble of thunder, to shy away from getting struck by it. This saying often appears in literatures of Heian period such as "Tsureduregusa" as the spell to cast away thunder. The very people living in Kuwabara at that time relied on the Kuwabara spell, and the land of Kuwabara is said to have remained unthundered by doing so.
[edit] In popular culture
The phrase was used by Colonel Volgin in the video game Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Throughout the game, Volgin says the phrase whenever it is raining. Ironically, he was killed by a bolt of lightning at the end of the game, when he didn't say it.
It was incorrectly used by Marisa in Immaterial and Missing Power to ward off Youmu's ghost half.
[edit] Reference
- ^ Mock Joya, Mock Joya's Things Japanese. Tokyo: The Japan Times, Ltd. (1985) p. 341
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