Bamboo and Wild Boars, 1994 145.5×112.1

In Japan there are many myths and folk tales that make reference to bamboo. “ Bamboo and Wild Boars” is a story from the island of Oshima. Bamboo groves are very humid, and are inhabited by frogs. Snakes come to eat the frogs. It is said that because snakes are harmful to humans, people would release wild boars. Wild boars eat snakes. If there are no snakes to eat, they damage the bamboo shoots, so people used to wrap rags smelling of humans around the bamboo to prevent the boars from getting up to mischief.

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