MON book translation please.

[Barrie B]

Hi all,

 

Was researching Gourd Mons, but this is all I could find. Can someone please translate this paragraph for me? I read somewhere that only Hideyoshi adopted this Mon. Is this what this page says? I can only read Hideyosh in the centre of the text. Does it list any other families etc please? It is from a book called The World of Family Crests in Japan ISBN978-4-7816-0052-9.

 

Any assistance appreciated. Thankyou in advance.

 

Barrie B.

[k morita]

Description of a book is as following.

 

[Gourd Crests (Hyōtan mon)]

Gourd(Hyōtan in Japanese) is a fruits of Cucurbitaceae.

To gouge out the inside of the gourd, and dry it,then used for a bottle of alcohol drink etc.

It was believed at ancient times that a divine spirit reside in a gourd, and it was used also for religious service.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi used ensign bearing a cluster of gourds(sen'nari byotan) in the battle.

And whenever he won the battle, he increased the number of gourds.

 

 

 

*Sorry poor my English.

[Barrie B]

Morita San,

 

Once again I (and others, I'm sure) am in indebted to your generosity and kindness in helping me (and others) out here when we need it. Thank you.

 

More homework for me then; surely Hideyoshi did not own all these mons? I was hoping to know who they belonged to..

 

Anyway, thank you.

 

Barrie B.