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Evil winds from the West are blowing over Horai； and the magical
atmosphere； alas！ is shrinking away before them。 It lingers now in patches
only； and bands； like those long bright bands of cloud that train across
the landscapes of Japanese painters。 Under these shreds of the elfish vapor
you still can find Horai but not everywhere。。。 Remember that Horai is
also called Shinkiro； which signifies Mirage； the Vision of the
Intangible。 And the Vision is fading； never again to appear save in
pictures and poems and dreams。。。
INSECT STUDIES
BUTTERFLIES
I
Would that I could hope for the luck of that Chinese scholar known to
Japanese literature as 〃Rosan〃！ For he was beloved by two spirit…maidens；
celestial sisters； who every ten days came to visit him and to tell him
stories about butterflies。 Now there are marvelous Chinese stories about
butterflies ghostly stories； and I want to know them。 But never shall I
be able to read Chinese； nor even Japanese； and the little Japanese poetry
that I manage； with exceeding difficulty； to translate； contains so many
allusions to Chinese stories of butterflies that I am tormented with the
torment of Tantalus。。。 And； of course； no spirit…maidens will even deign to
visit so skeptical a person as myself。
I want to know； for example； the whole story of that Chinese maiden whom
the butterflies took to be a flower； and followed in multitude； so
fragrant and so fair was she。 Also I should like to know something more
concerning the butterflies of the Emperor Genso； or Ming Hwang； who made
them choose his loves for him。。。 He used to hold wine…parties in his
amazing garden； and ladies of exceeding beauty were in attendance； and
caged butterflies； se free among them； would fly to the fairest； and then；
upon that fairest the Imperial favor was bestowed。 But after Genso Kotei
had seen Yokihi （whom the Chinese call Yang…Kwei…Fei）； he would not suffer
the butterflies to choose for him； which was unlucky； as Yokihi got him
into serious trouble。。。 Again； I should like to know more about the
experience of that Chinese scholar； celebrated in Japan under the name
Soshu； who dreamed that he was a butterfly； and had all the sensations of a
butterfly in that dream。 For his spirit had really been wandering about in
the shape of a butterfly； and； when he awoke； the memories and the feelings
of butterfly existence remained so vivid in his mind that he could not act
like a human being。。。 Finally I should like to know the text of a certain
Chinese official recognition of sundry butterflies as the spirits of an
Emperor and of his attendants。。。
Most of the Japanese literature about butterflies； excepting some poetry；
appears to be of Chinese origin； and even that old national aesthetic
feeling on the subject； which found such delightful expression in Japanese
art and song and custom； may have been first developed under Chinese
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 butterfl