Higanbana - The Flower of the Dead. Johannes Schonherr. Higanbana (Red Spider Lily) heralds the start of fall. O-higan is the day of the autumn equinox and it's a national holiday in Japan.
The red spider lily is often used in anime as a symbol of death or the afterlife. This is because the flower is associated with funerals and graves in Japanese culture.
Japanese lily
Color is also important when conveying meaning with the lily (yuri). For example, white lilies represent purity, orange lilies show revenge or hatred, and a red spider lily (manjushage) symbolizes a final goodbye.
The red spider lily, known as Higabana in Japanese, commonly appears in anime right before any tragic scene, most notably before a death. Despite originating in China and Korea, these flowers made their way to Japanese folklore, as they are now commonly associated with death and demise.
Higanbana: Red Spider Lily
Often used for funerals, the red spider lily is said to grow on paths where people part ways for good. Fabled to be the flower that greets the dead on their path through the afterlife, the higanbana is the flower that is seen to mark the end of an important chapter.
Demon Flowers (Japanese: 狂い咲きの花, Hepburn: Kuruizaki no Hana) is a horror manga with boys' Love themes by Hakase Mizuki.
The name Higanbana 彼岸花 means the flower of Higan. Higan is the buddhist festival associated with the autumn equinox and a national holiday in Japan.
What is the flower that means death? The chrysanthemum traditionally represents the death of a loved one.
Higanbana (Red Spider Lily)
Higanbana is a gorgeous and impressive bright red lily with dramatically curled petals and extended stamens. It is believed to be a flower of death and sadness, with a long tail of myths and lore behind it.
The corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanum) is the largest unbranched inflorescence in the plant kingdom, boasts a powerful stink, and blooms for just 2-3 days once every year or two. The bloom can grow up to 8 feet tall!
Red spider lily / Higanbana
They are associated with final goodbyes, and legend has it that these flowers grow wherever people part ways for good. In old Buddhist writings, the red spider lily is said to guide the dead through samsara, the cycle of rebirth.
The Meaning of the Lily Flower in Japan
Those that are orange depict revenge and/or hatred. Spider lilies stand for sweetness, tiger lilies mean fortune and wealth.
The forename "Lily" (also: Lilly, Lillie) is written in Japanese katakana characters as "ririi".
The Lycoris radiata, also called higanbana in Japan, is known as a toxic plant, especially its scales, which contain highly potent alkaloids.
Higanbana - The Flower of the Dead. O-higan is the day of the autumn equinox and it's a national holiday in Japan. From this day on, September 23rd to be correct, the dark of night will become longer than the day-light period. It's time to get serious about the ghosts that haunt the long winter nights.
死 (shi) means “death,” and consists of two parts. The top and left line represents a bone and the left side represents a person who is upside down in the ground. It indicates death of the person.
Manjushage / Higanbana
Manjushage (曼珠沙華 / まんじゅしゃげ) – flower that blooms in heaven and not on earth, usually white, often associated with Buddhism.
/ 悲 - Japanese Kanji character for Sad, Sorrow.
Red Spider Lily
The plant blooms in late September and early October, which is also the time of year when Japanese people traditionally visit the graves of their ancestors. As a result, the red spider lily has come to represent death and mourning in Japanese culture.
As the flowers most often associated with funerals, lilies symbolize that the soul of the departed has received restored innocence after death.
The rose is perhaps the most well-known flower associated with death, and lilies are also commonly used in funeral arrangements. In many cultures, chrysanthemums represent grief and sorrow, and carnations are often given to mourners at funerals. Red poppies are also associated with death, as are marigolds.
Chrysanthemums
Asian countries see white chrysanthemums as a symbol of grief, whereas European countries view this flower as a symbol of death and only use them for memorial services or graves.
urashima (Japanese Cobra Lily)
Tricyrtis are called toad Lilies because the flowers and the leaves are spotted like a toad. In addition, the flowers have warty bumps at the flower's base that appear like a toad. These bumps are the nectaries of the flower. The Japanese also called the toad lilies “hototogiso“, which means “little cuckoo“.
This flower has many different meanings in different cultures. In China, the blue spider lily symbolizes death and mourning. This is because the flower often blooms in cemeteries and on gravesites. In Japanese culture, this flower is used to ward off evil spirits.