''Guren'' (紅蓮) is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

word meaning "crimson-colored

lotus Lotus may refer to: Plants *Lotus (plant), various botanical taxa commonly known as lotus, particularly: ** ''Lotus'' (genus), a genus of terrestrial plants in the family Fabaceae **Lotus flower, a symbolically important aquatic Asian plant also ...

" commonly encountered in the West when used in an

art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

istic connotation. In Japan, Guren (紅蓮) is "crimson-colored (紅) lotus flower (蓮の花)". It is compared to the color of a flame of a burning fire. In

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

terminology, Guren is also an abbreviation for Guren Jigoku (紅蓮地獄), which is the seventh of The Eight Cold Hells. Those who fell there after death, it is said that the skin is torn due to severe cold, and the blood looks like a crimson-colored lotus flower. The 10th century may have had a water jar of Guren in its right hand.

Derivation

* ''Guren no idohori'' (紅蓮の井戸掘り): to dig well in Guren Jigoku (紅蓮地獄). This phrase means too much pain, distress, or example of suffering caused by the severe cold. * ''Guren no yumiya'' (紅蓮の弓矢, English: crimson-colored bow and arrow): This phrase is not accurate Japanese, precisely, there is no Japanese dictionary that explains this sentence. But from the meaning of Guren or Guren Jigoku, it seems that this phrase simply means 'bow and arrow with blood of the shooter'. In other words, this sentence is creating the intention to counterattack despite any suffering or sacrifice. * ''Guren no ～'' ：This means 『''～　of Guren ''』 or 『''Guren's～''』. This phrase is used in many fields of Japan's subculture, for example in lyrics, games, as the team name of

Bōsōzoku is a Japanese youth subculture associated with customized motorcycles. The first appearance of these types of biker gangs was in the 1950s. Popularity climbed throughout the 1980s and 1990s, peaking at an estimated 42,510 members in 1982. Thei ...

(暴走族), anime, etc. However, on formal occasions, the usage of this phrase is almost nonexistent.

References

Japanese words and phrases {{word-stub