art
Heikegani, the Samurai crab
Today we are talking about a very particular species of crab, whose bizarre features have often placed it between folklore and reality, and with good reason.
We are talking about the Heikegani (Heikeopsis japonica, 平家蟹, ヘイケガニ) or otherwise called Samurai Crab.
From Odd Atlas:
“This type of crab, native to Japan, is characterized by having grooves on the carapace which give it features very similar to those of the masks that the samurai used to wear in battle.
Legend traces the birth of the Heikegani to 1185, in particular to the famous naval battle of Dan-no-ura, which took place on April 24 near the Shimonoseki Strait, south of Japan.
This is still remembered today as the decisive battle that marked the end of the bloody Genpei War (1180-1185). It was a civil war for dominion over the imperial court, and consequently over Japan, which saw the Minamoto clan (源氏 or Genji) on one side and the Taira clan (平氏 or Heike) on the other, which at the time held the candies.
Although they were at a numerical disadvantage, the Minamoto clan managed to defeat the Taira forces thanks to their ability to exploit the currents of the strait and also thanks to the betrayal of one of the Taira generals, Taguchi Shigeyoshi, who revealed the position of the opposing fleet and which ship transported the Emperor.
It is known that, when the Taira soldiers realized that the battle was lost, hundreds of them committed suicide by throwing themselves into the sea to avoid the dishonor of
capture; among these there was also the very young Emperor Antoku (6 years old) who died in the arms of his grandmother, Taira no Tokiko.
Legend has it that, although the bodies of the Taira soldiers perished, their souls were unable to find peace in death due to the betrayal perpetrated by Shigeyoshi and therefore infested the bodies of the crabs that lived at the bottom of the strait, giving it its characteristic appearance to the carapace, a sign of their eternal resentment.
The correlation between the Taira samurai and crabs is so well known that it can even be found in the name with which they usually refer to them (Heikegani precisely).”
[extra: the Genpei War played such a decisive role in the history of Japan that it was after it that the colors red and white were included in the national flag, a reference to the colors of the respective banners of the Minamoto and Taira clans.]
A depiction of the naval battle of Dan-no-ura painted by the painter Tosa Mitsunobu (1434-1525).
**seeing a human face in the Heikegani carapace is due to Pareidolia, or the tendency of our brain to see faces in inanimate objects. This phenomenon is due to the fact that human beings relate to their peers by studying facial expressions and in particular by paying attention to the eyes. Hence the fact that it is easier for us to see a house with ‘eyes’ rather than one with a ‘nose’.”
tattooing
The Science of Tattooing
Would you like to know more about the nerdy side of tattooing, specifically how pigments work? Hannah is here to help.
From Hanna’s website:
Hannah Wolf, a veteran tattoo artist, began working with PhDs and MDs in 2017 to develop a textbook about the materials used in tattooing. Through this process, she learned that there is a serious lack of research and educational material about the tattoo process. This is a topic that (permanently) touches millions of people worldwide each year. The project aims to bring existing research to tattooers, consumers, and the medical community; to encourage further research into the subject matter, and ideally to create better standards for tattoo procedures (particularly for clients with known medical conditions).
The Science of Tattooing, first edition, covers chemical, physiological, and medical topics in tattooing. This is one of the first, if not the first, textbooks to comprehensively cover these concepts in a cohesive manner. If you have ever wanted to know what’s in tattoo ink, how laser tattoo removal works, or what pain is, this book is for you.
Health
Unlocking your inner power
I know the title might sound a little pretentious but hear me out.
A 10 to 20 minutes practice can really change your day.
How?
Oxigenating the body in a particular way and practicing simple breath retention can leave you energized, get rid of brain fog, strenghten your immune system, do miracles for hungover and at the same time give you the benefits of meditation.
I really love this app (INSIGHT TIMER) first of all because it’s free, second because it has stuff for everybody at all levels. Free meditations to help with stress, sleep, exercise, mood, negative emotions, you name it.