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Cicada and Lychee an original Chinese Brush Painting by Margaret Koai
Used with her generous permission
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The picture to the right is by the talented Margaret Koai, who studied the art of Chinese Brush Painting under a skilled master, Rong Tian Chi. She graciously gave me permission to use her lovely painting for this blog post and shared this background on the painting.
"The buzzing sound of the cicada when spoken is a very similar sound to a Mandarin word which means "a deep understanding or wisdom". Lychee spoken in Mandarin also has a "story". The spoken "Ly" means profitable, good luck, money or beneficial so it is a very good word! Almost all Traditional Chinese Brush Paintings have an intricate story hidden within its content.”
I encourage you to visit her website Inkstone,Ink to view her other beautiful paintings.
There is an ancient Italian myth which suggests that once there were no cicadas, then one day there was born on the earth a beautiful, good and very talented woman whose singing was so wonderful it even enchanted the gods.
Below you will find stories that feature the cicada and more stories about other insects who visit us during the warmer months. But first, some interesting information about our winged friends, along with a video link so you can hear them shake their tymbals!
- Cicadas are related to crickets.
- The time from emergence to being able to fly is about 2-3 hours in larger species but can be as quick as 30 minutes in smaller ones.
- Cicadas nearly always sing from a position of rest.
- Cicadas were eaten in Ancient Greece, China, Malaya, Burma, Australia, North and South America and the Congo.
- Cicadas are mentioned in the Iliad by Homer about 10,000 BC. In the third book of the Iliad Homer compares the discourse of "sage chiefs exempt from war" to the song of the Cicada.
- In Japan the cicada is a symbol of reincarnation.
- In ancient Greece the cicada was sacred to Apollo the sun god.
- In some of the Maori folk law of New Zealand the cicada is known as "Bird of Rehua". Rehua is the lord of kindness and plenty which also perhaps reflects the cicadas summer emergence.
- In the Southwest desert of the US, the cicada outwitted the traditional trickster, the coyote, in Zuni mythology. It produced heat in Hopi mythology, heralding the arrival of summer, and it is “the patron of Hopi Flute societies in charge of both music and healing,” according to Stephen W. Hill, Kokopelli Ceremonies. The cicada played a key role as a scout and a conqueror in Navajo creation myths. It brought renewal and healing to other tribes.
The above information came from the following websites:
STORIES
Coyote and Cicada *The link will bring you to Google Books where
you will find the story.
The
Cicada and the Ant
Why the Cicada Cries as the
Sun Sets - Philippines
http://eastgatepublishing.com/2011/02/why-the-cicada-cries-as-the-sun-sets/
http://eastgatepublishing.com/2011/02/why-the-cicada-cries-as-the-sun-sets/
The Butterfly Legend – Native American
Cricket and the Sea –
Guatemala
http://wws.peacecorps.gov/wws/stories/stories.cfm?psid=439
http://wws.peacecorps.gov/wws/stories/stories.cfm?psid=439
Cricket and Cougar – Native
American
http://www.ilhawaii.net/~stony/lore127.html
http://www.ilhawaii.net/~stony/lore127.html
How Butterflies Came to Be – Philippines
http://folktales.webmanila.com/folktales/animals/?butterflies
http://folktales.webmanila.com/folktales/animals/?butterflies
The Coyote and the Locust
The Grasshopper and the Ant – Central Asia
The Grasshopper and the Toad - Africa
The Insects that Wooed a Wifeless Man – Inuit/Native American
http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/inu/eft/eft14.htm
http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/inu/eft/eft14.htm
The Lion and the Mosquito - Grimm
http://www.yankeeweb.com/library/storytime/grimmbros/grimmbros_29.html
http://www.yankeeweb.com/library/storytime/grimmbros/grimmbros_29.html
The Old Woman Who Was Kind to Insects – Native American
http://learningtogive.org/resources/folktales/OldWomanKind.asp
http://learningtogive.org/resources/folktales/OldWomanKind.asp
The Squirrel and the Spider – West Africa
http://www.yankeeweb.com/library/storytime/grimmbros/grimmbros_29.html
Why We See Ants Carrying
Bundles Bigger Than Themselves – West Africa
http://www.heritage-history.com/www/heritage-books.php?Dir=books&author=barker&book=folktales&story=bundles
http://www.heritage-history.com/www/heritage-books.php?Dir=books&author=barker&book=folktales&story=bundles
Catch the Storybug Newsletter –
In May/June of 2010 my newsletter featured stories about the birds and the
bees. There are more stories and curriculum links to keep you buzzing along.
CRAFTS
About.com – Lots of links
to bug and insect crafts for family fun.
DLTK Crafts for Kids –
Bugs and Insects Crafts
CURRICULUM
Cicada Mania –
Charts to tell you when or if they will appear in your area, what they look
like and more.
Insects in the Classroom –
A wide variety of lessons plans on various insects for ages 3 – 18.
The Learning Network - They’re Back … Learning About Periodical
Cicadas http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/03/theyre-back-learning-about-periodical-cicadas-to-participate-in-citizen-science-projects/
National
Geogrpahic - Cicada
Science Netlinks – Cicada Invasion
The
Cicadas
Odysseus Elytis
The Virgin Holy held the sea
in her embrace
Cradling Sikinos isle and Amorgos
and her other children
At the edge of time and weather
and from the far end of winters
I listened to the trumpet conch blow
As the Mermaids swam out
And I amid the sea urchins,
in sandy hollows, by the tamarisks
Like the mariners of old
asked the cicadas:
“My messenger cicadas
hey you, hello! And blessed be your time—
Is King Helios alive?”
and all answered in unison:
“Zi-zi zi-zi zi-zi zi-zi!
He’s -'s -'s-'s-'s-'s-'s-'s ALIVE! ”
http://chs.harvard.edu/wa/pageR?tn=ArticleWrapper&bdc=12&mn=4648
Odysseus Elytis
The Virgin Holy held the sea
in her embrace
Cradling Sikinos isle and Amorgos
and her other children
At the edge of time and weather
and from the far end of winters
I listened to the trumpet conch blow
As the Mermaids swam out
And I amid the sea urchins,
in sandy hollows, by the tamarisks
Like the mariners of old
asked the cicadas:
“My messenger cicadas
hey you, hello! And blessed be your time—
Is King Helios alive?”
and all answered in unison:
“Zi-zi zi-zi zi-zi zi-zi!
He’s -'s -'s-'s-'s-'s-'s-'s ALIVE! ”
http://chs.harvard.edu/wa/pageR?tn=ArticleWrapper&bdc=12&mn=4648
Karen Chace 2013 ©
This blog post was researched and compiled
by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either
electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written
permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com.
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