Okinawan Folktale: Moon and Sun Separated

God Carried Them Together

Many years ago God carried the sun and moon on a wooden pole, across his shoulders.

They were like children to him. Moon on the left and sun on his right side.

That would confuse people, nowadays. The sun and moon rising together every day.

They say, there was never night time on the Ryukyu islands; the sun and moon shined together.

The light just got a little darker, when God walked on the other side of a mountain.

A Decision Had to Be Made

God loved the sun and moon. One day he decided to ask them, where they wanted to go.

The sun, shining brilliantly said, "Let's go east, towards the ocean."

Moon said, "No. Not that way. I want to go west to the other side of the mountains."

God, liked to please everybody and, wasn't sure how to handle this situation.

The sun kept bouncing up and down, demanding "East, over by the ocean."

The not so bright moon, jumped around, demanding, they head west, to the hills.

God had never heard such a racket coming from these spoiled children.

They were squirming around, shouting "East. No. West. No. Ocean. Mountains."

God was trying hard to please them but, "This way. That way." What should he do?

He was trying to figure out a solution, while walking, tripped and fell to the ground.

The pole, he was carrying them on, broke. "Aki-sami-yo" (dagnabbit) he said.

The sun escaped and flew off towards the east and, the moon flew off to the hills in the west.

Since that day, the sun has risen in the east and, goes down in the west.

The moon, rises in the east and reflects the sun's rays, as it sets behind the western hills.

God shed so many tears because, his family became separated, rivers began to flow.

At least, he can still see them, as they rise and set, causing what, we call, day and night.

REFERENCE:

Okinawan Folk Stories ISBN978-4-99009-146-0 P. 10

MORE FOLKLORE

No Ghosts Captured Yet So Here's a Skeleton

RIP

Happy Halloween Wherever You Are !

 

 

 

It would have been nice, to have captured a big, fat, juicy ghost story for you.

The rascals, wherever they are, just didn't cooperate.

My ghost story, has to have photos, to go along with it. So, the hunt goes on.

And, it has to make the hair stand-up on the back of your neck.

Or, at least have you rolling on the floor, laughing.

Simple requirements.  Be credible or, incredible but, make sure it's verifiable.

It Probably Helps to Believe in Them

 

 

That's my biggest downfall.  I don't.

Give me someone with a ghost tale they have experienced and, I love it.

By looking at their eyes and facial expression, you can tell.

They believe it.  They might be drunk, lying, or the village idiot.

If the story is believable and, I can get some photos to go along with it, I'll do it.

Some Interesting Spooky Stuff

 

Over the past month, plenty of time has been dedicated researching this stuff.

From locals and foreign sources, I have gathered:

• A baby ghost cries and is seen in the home of a childless couple.
• No paranormal equipment is required in hunting ghosts.
• Most,  ghastly sightings or occurrences, happen late at night. Groan; drinking hours.
• Some people get telephone calls from the deceased. I want to see their phone bill.
• If you see a ghost, don't go straight home or, it will follow you. I never go straight home !
• Taxi drivers, have ghosts hop in their cabs.  They are hard to find. They quit.
• Some people have met friendly ghosts.  I want to meet one but, want some scary ones, too.
• Ghost stories are usually associated with unnatural deaths.
• Some ghosts bum, cigarettes and lights.  That's probably not good for their health !
• Other ghosts, just make noise or, move things around. You never get to see them.
  
  

 

 My Apologies for Not Catching a Halloween Ghost

 

 

Seven days a week, I'm out there, keeping myself gainfully unemployed.

The spook hunting has cut my drinking time, exactly in half !

But, I won't give up; I'm having too much fun.

The thought did occur me, though.

Maybe, I should open up another bar.  One with a ghostly theme.

Have people come in a relate their spooky stories.

Would you like to be a Ghost Speaker ?

 



 

Ghost Hunting in Okinawa is Exhausting Work

It All Started the Last Week of September

 

Walking to the office one morning, I noticed Halloween decorations in a shop window.

That reminded me, it's time to start looking around for some good ghost stories.

Not the kind of stuff that's been written down already.  I want something original.

In the Ryukyu islands, they really don't have an occasion called Halloween.

Ghosts and their stories, pop-up all the time.

Catching one with a camera, though, that's a different story.

We're working on it.

Where the Flip-flops Meet the Road

 

Research, so far, has taught me a few things:

1. People believe in ghosts or, they don't.

2. Some folks like to talk about them, others don't.

3. A good ghost story will give you goose bumps (chicken skin, if you prefer).

 4. When the weather is hot, ghost stories have a cooling effect on your body.

 5. It's best to conduct this type of study at night.

6. In a dimly lit bar, you get more information than you would in a shopping mall or, church.

7. People with the best stories may not talk to strangers.

8. Giving a gift, of some sort, often gets its rewards.

9. Candy is dandy but, liquor is quicker.

10. Don't hunt for ghosts close to home.  One might follow you.

Be Careful !

My paranormal meter senses something, behind you.

BOO !

RELATED POST: Today I Went Down Some Old Spooky Stairs

Flower Photos: King's Mantle or Bush Clock Vine

Every Flower Comes with a Story

 

A person could bore them-self to death researching flowers.

The best thing to do after getting a positive ID on them, is to do a little more digging, I figure.

First, have a look at these purple, white and yellow flowers I found near Todorki Waterfall.


GPS: N 26 33.766 E 127 59.294

They look something like morning glory flowers but, they aren't.

A book, Sub-tropical Flowers in Okinawa ISBN4-9901917-3-0, gave me the ID.

Page 69, told me I found some Thunbergia erecta.

Next, I went poking around on the internet to see what the story behind these plants might be.

The scientific name led to to King's Mantle or Bush Clock Vine.

Well, you can do a search yourself and find all kinds of plant talk about the flowers, if you want.

It was time for me to try and learn where these flowers get their names from.

Like, who decided to call the thing a King's Mantle ?

 Pushing some of the buttons on Wikipedia gave me this juicy story to tell you.

After the name, Thunbergia erecta, you'll see, T. Anderson.  I had to find out more about him.

The guy was a botanist from Scotland and he lived from 1832 until 1870.

Thomas Anderson was an award winning collector of plants and did a lot of work in India.

Somehow he became involved in a mutiny down there.  Who knows why ?

They have a Scottish biography, the Wiki people would like someone to help them expand.

It seems, Thomas Anderson, went back to Edinburgh, Scotland .

Some disease in his liver ended his life October 26, 1870.

Anyhow, I think he was who named this flower.

And, I'm glad I don't drink Scotch (the way I used to)  anymore.