Hypericum (St. John's Wort) Means "Grudge" in Japan 弟切草（オトギリソウ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is hypericum or more commonly St. John's wort, the only flower I was able to find in my neighborhood today (August 11). With the current heatwave across Japan, i.e., air temperature of 39°C (or 102°F) with humidity of 70%, most flowers have died.

In Japanese, hypericum is called "killing younger brother plant" after the legend in the 10th century that a man got so angry at his younger brother, who'd leaked an important secret of a medicine made from St. John's wort, that he killed the brother, and because of this legend, in Japan, the flower means "grudge" and "superstition." Someone who can't keep their mouths shut could end up being killed in not only Japan but also in Italy. In an Italian short story "Mateo Falcone," a father kills his 10-year-old son because the son can't keep his mouth shut.

As the Japanese legend suggests, St. John's wort's stems and leaves were used as a medicine to stop bleeding in Japan. 

Hypericum on August 11 弟切草（8月11日）

St. John's Wort on 8/11 オトギリソウ（8/11） 

Only one flower on 8/11 周りに花はない

Many St. John's Wort flowers in mid-July 7月半ばにはたくさん咲いていた

Mid-July 7月半ば

Mid-July 7月半ば

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今、近所で唯一咲いている花、弟切草（オトギリソウ）です。7月半ばにはもう少し咲いていたのですが、今はこの一輪だけになってしまいました。 

名前が怖いですね。弟切草から作る薬に関する秘密を弟が洩らしたことに兄が激怒し、殺したのでこの名が付いたそうです。日本でもイタリアでも秘密を守れない人はひどい目に合うようです。秘密を洩らした10歳の息子を父親が殺すイタリアの話「マテオ・ファルコーネ」にご興味ある方はこちらの記事もどうぞ！

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