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Ningyo
as the name suggests, is a creature with both human and fish-like features, described in various pieces of Japanese literature. Though often translated as "mermaid", the term is technically not gender-specific and may include the " mermen". The literal translation "human-fish" has also been applied. Overview The earliest records of the ''ningyo'' attested in written Japanese sources are freshwater beings allegedly captured in the 7th century ( §Asuka period), documented later in the '' Nihon Shoki''. But subsequent examples are usually seawater beings. In later medieval times ( §Kamakura period)), it was held to be a sign of ill omen, and its beaching ( §Omens in Michinoku) was blamed for subsequent bloody battles or calamity. The notion that eating its flesh imparts longevity is attached to the legend of the ('eight hundred ear oldBuddhist priestess', cf. §Yao Bikuni) During the Edo period, the ''ningyo'' was made the subject of burlesque ''gesaku'' novels (cf. §S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mermaid
In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and Africa. Mermaids are sometimes associated with perilous events such as floods, storms, shipwrecks, and drownings. In other folk traditions (or sometimes within the same traditions), they can be benevolent or beneficent, bestowing boons or falling in love with humans. The male equivalent of the mermaid is the merman, also a familiar figure in folklore and heraldry. Although traditions about and sightings of mermen are less common than those of mermaids, they are generally assumed to co-exist with their female counterparts. The male and the female collectively are sometimes referred to as merfolk or merpeople. The Western concept of mermaids as beautiful, seductive singers may have been influenced by the Sirens of Greek mythology, which were originally half-birdlike, b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dugong
The dugong (; ''Dugong dugon'') is a marine mammal. It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest modern relative, Steller's sea cow (''Hydrodamalis gigas''), was hunted to extinction in the 18th century. The dugong is the only sirenian in its range, which spans the waters of some 40 countries and territories throughout the Indo-West Pacific. The dugong is largely dependent on seagrass communities for subsistence and is thus restricted to the coastal habitats which support seagrass meadows, with the largest dugong concentrations typically occurring in wide, shallow, protected areas such as bays, mangrove channels, the waters of large inshore islands and inter-reefal waters. The northern waters of Australia between Shark Bay and Moreton Bay are believed to be the dugong's contemporary stronghold. Like all modern sirenians, the dugong ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Giant Salamander
The Cryptobranchidae are a family of fully aquatic salamanders commonly known as the giant salamanders. They include the largest living amphibians. The family is native to China, Japan, and the eastern United States. They constitute one of two living families within the Cryptobranchoidea, one of two main divisions of living salamanders, the other being the Asiatic salamanders belonging to the family Hynobiidae. The largest species are in the genus ''Andrias,'' native to east Asia''.'' The South China giant salamander (''Andrias sligoi''), can reach a length of .Andrias davidianus AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. 2012. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. Retrieved 13 December 2012. The [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hōji (era)
was a after '' Kangen'' and before ''Kenchō.'' This period spanned the years from February 1247 to March 1249. The reigning emperor was .Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''Annales des empereurs du Japon'', pp. 248-255; Varley, H. Paul. (1980). ''Jinnō Shōtōki.'' p. 231-232. Change of era * 1247 ; 1247: The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of events. The previous era ended and a new one commenced in ''Kangen'' 5. Events of the ''Hōji'' era * 1247 (''Hōji 1''): The Hōji conflict; Hōjo family destroyed the Miura family; and in so doing, the clan consolidated its authority as regents. Notes References * Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005) ''Japan encyclopedia.''Cambridge: Harvard University Press. OCLC 58053128* Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''Nihon Odai Ichiran''; ou ''Annales des empereurs du Japon.'' Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and IrelandOCLC 5850691* Varley, H. Paul. (1980). ''A Chronicle of G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kamakura Period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto clans. The period is known for the emergence of the samurai, the warrior caste, and for the establishment of feudalism in Japan. During the early Kamakura period, the shogunate continued warfare against the Northern Fujiwara which was only defeated in 1189. Then, the authority to the Kamakura rulers waned in the 1190s and power was transferred to the powerful Hōjō clan in the early 13th century with the head of the clan as regent (Shikken) under the shogun which became a powerless figurehead. The later Kamakura period saw the invasions of the Mongols in 1274 and again in 1281. To reduce the amount of chaos, the Hōjō rulers decided to decentralize power by allowing two imperial lines – Northern and S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
