June 24, 2007

Chapter 5 (The Shore in Twilight)

六官[りっかん] The Rikkan (also: Rokukan or Rokkan; "Rikkan" is preferred by the Daijisen), or Six Ministries: Administration, Education, Protocol, Defense, Justice, Public Works (治・教・礼・兵・刑・事). Also known as the Ministries of Heaven, Earth, Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter (天官・地官・春官・夏官・秋官・冬官).

Koukan (浩瀚) was the Marquis of Baku Province until Youko (deceived by the then Chousai) exiles him in chapter 7 of A Thousand Leagues of Wind. In chapter 81, after sacking her cabinet, she appoints him Chousai (冢宰), or Minister-in-Chief of the Rikkan.

The "Yellow Sea" is not actually a sea, but the island at the center of the world where Houzan (蓬山) is located. Rakushun explains its significance in chapter 38 of Shadow of the Moon.

飄風 [ひょうふう] Hyoufuu (whirlwind or rain squall), meaning a monarch chosen from the first group of pilgrims traveling to Houzan. Ono derives it from a saying attributed to Lao Tzu: 「飄風は朝を終えず驟雨は日を終えず」Translated literally: "A rain squall doesn't last the morning, a sudden shower doesn't last the day." Meaning that unexpected occurances won't last long. Koukan later quotes the first half of the saying.

胎果 [たいか] taika, lit. "fruit of the womb," a person whose "parents" are from the Twelve Kingdoms but is born in China or Japan.
泰果 [たいか] Taika, Taiki's ranka.
積翠台 [せきすいだい] Sekisui-dai (contents + green + platform)
昇山 [しょうざん] Shouzan (ascend + mountain)
延王 [えんおう] Royal En (prolong)
卵果 [らんか] Ranka (egg/ovum + fruit)
碧双珠 [へきそうじゅ] Hekisouju (turquois + twin + gem)

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Comments
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous
6/29/2007 12:10 AM   
Thank you. I really appreciate this chapter (5), it just feels complete and emotional. Wonderful.
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous
8/14/2007 10:26 PM   
卵果 is pronounced らんか.
# posted by Blogger Greki
6/19/2009 6:23 PM   
Page 50: "...he journeyed to the Yellow Sea and made the pilgrimage to Mr. Hou."

Sorry, I couldn't help but laugh a little at Mr. Hou. I imagined a caricature, talking mountain at that, and he was called Mr. Hou.
# posted by Blogger Greki
6/19/2009 6:47 PM   
Ahh, also, on Page 55: "I was still on Mt.Hou at the same time as the Taika, Taiki's taika."

Isn't it Ranka?
# posted by Blogger Eugene
6/20/2009 8:41 AM   
Page 50 corrected: As soon as the Yellow Flag was raised, he journeyed to the Yellow Sea and made the pilgrimage to Mt. Hou. (That was an amusing typo.)

Page 55 corrected: I was still on Mt. Hou at the same time as the Taika, Taiki's ranka.