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Kisaragi: February

By
MayumiOgihara
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Description

In modern day Japan, the months of the year are simply numbered from one to twelve. There are also old names for each month that are based on the lunar calendar. Today they are not normally used when saying the date. They are sometimes written on Japanese calendars along with the modern names. They are also used in poems or novels.

The month of February is called Kisaragi (如月).

如 --- look like, sound like, seems, apparently
月 --- month

What do these meaning have to do with February?
The old Japanese name for February IS Kisaragi, but it was actually written as 衣更着.

衣 --- clothing
更 --- moreover, furthermore, in addition to
着 --- to wear

It is a month that you would want to wear extra cloths because it’s still cold. Then why is it written as 如月? 如月 was an old Chinese name for February, which the Japanese adopted and decided to read as Kisaragi. I’m not joking!

For February, I drew Japanese Red Crowned Cranes (丹頂鶴）

丹 --- vermillion
頂 --- top of head
鶴 --- cranes

Ainu people (Japanese indigenous people) call the Red Crowned Crane ‘sarurun kamuy‘ in their language. It means the God of the Marshes. You can find many of them in Hokkaido (Japan's second largest island), and during February and March, they perform a beautiful dance.



5X7 Bristol Smooth
2B 0.5mm mechanical pencil


January [link]
March [link]
April [link]
May [link]
June [link]
July [link]
August [link]
September [link]
October [link]
November [link]
December [link]
Image size
1491x2083px 1.13 MB
© 2010 - 2024 MayumiOgihara
Comments22
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Evening-Cascades's avatar
Evening-Cascades
oh Kisaragi is my month :heart:

so interesting how you explain the mysterious behind the concepts
of seasonal months.:snowflake:

oh and I know alot of words between
korean, japanese, and chinese...
have adopted the look but pronounce
in their native way...:snowflake:

I find that inspiring and refreshing and so creative haha

I like both!:blushes:

oh I so curious about ainu people,
I love their over dresses, hard to find info on them.:sun:


and btw I study alot, but learn alot just from your post haha. I did not intend to take class, but ah! it is like growing 2 flowers with one pot haha:rose:

oh I talk with a friend from hokkaido time to time.so I learn about it. I am always up for learning.:shamrock:

now about your picture =)

the soft snowy back ground displays a beauteous array of sleeping trees and the snows show the tears or the winter heavens...:tea:

oddly I find the two birds to represent Pisces because the face opposite directions and in a pair. I am Pisces so I find this very wonderful.:innocent:

their posture is invigorating, rich, and elegant.It goes to show that deep within your artistic soul...you send the impulse to extract such carefully placed
elegance.:nod:

I just love image+typography !

very good art again dear friend =)