THE FOLKLORE OF PLANTS: Bamboo

Lisa Karen Miller

“A man is born in a bamboo cradle and goes away in a bamboo coffin.  Everything in between is possible with bamboo.”

Ancient Asian saying

           In Buddhist philosophy, those who can endure suffering, be equal to change, and learn to embrace emptiness can then become vessels for the universal spirit.  Bamboo – strong, flexible, and hollow – embodies these virtues, so is revered by followers of that faith.

          Across Asia, bamboo is associated with fertility, longevity, and immortality.

          A Confucian text from the 13^th century records the story of a boy named Meng Zong.  His mother was very ill, and the doctor prescribed a hearty soup made from young bamboo shoots.

          As it was winter, however, there were none to be found. After searching the forest over, the boy sat down and wept.  Where his tears fell, bamboo shoots sprang up.  He took them home and made the soup for his mother, and she revived.

          A creation myth from the Philippines says the first man and woman were born from a stalk of bamboo. Before them, there was only the sky, the sea, and one solitary bird.

          The bird, having no place to land, was exhausted from constantly flying.  It stirs up a commotion in the sky, causing it to rain down islands, complete with trees.  A bamboo pole fell on its head.

          In retaliation, the bird began pecking at the pole.  The pole eventually split open, and out came a man (the Strong) and a woman (the Beautiful).  

          Fireworks were invented in China and used during their many seasonal festivals.  The both awakened helpful spirits and frightened away bad ones.  The very first were bamboo stems thrown into a fire; they made a loud bang. Later, gunpowder packed into small stems or rolled paper was used to mimic the sound of exploding bamboo.

          Some call bamboo invasive; others see it as a reliably renewable resource.  It grows incredibly fast, and can be harvested without replanting. In Asia, people have long used it to build houses and make weapons; they also ate its tender shoots.

          Because of its prolific nature and flexible strength, it is now used in a variety of products, including yarn, fabric (it absorbs moisture and dries quickly), furniture, medicine, musical instruments (pan flutes, didgeridoos, lyre harps, drum sticks, ukuleles, and xylophones), paper (coffee filters, diapers, toilet paper, copier paper, and paper cups), baskets, construction materials, and utensils.

          In a changing world with shrinking resources, it’s nice to know we still have bamboo.

© Copyright 2023 Lisa Karen Miller