July Red Clover and the Boar: Where Is It Running?
Look at the July card and you’ll see a wild boar running off somewhere through the grass. Where is it going? Actually, today’s article begins by clearing up one misunderstanding.
July Animal (boar)
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July Grass Ribbon
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July’s Flower Is the “Red Clover”
The plant with red flowers in the July picture is bush clover, so it is called “Red Clover” (Hong-ssari). In Japan, bush clover is called “hagi (萩)” and has long been loved as a typical flower that announces autumn. July is Red Clover. Please remember that!
Red Clover Is Different from Black Clover
April’s “Black Clover” and July’s “Red Clover” have similar names, so they are easy to mix up. July is the real bush clover with red flowers, while April is known to show wisteria flowers. The names used in Korea just ended up sounding alike. There is a simple way to tell them apart: red flowers and a boar mean July; dark leaves and a bird mean April!
Why a Boar Here?
In Japanese Hanafuda, July is a pair of bush clover and a boar. In Japanese it is called “inoshishi (猪).” There is no well-known story that clearly explains why the two became a pair. A common explanation is only that it shows a boar pushing through the grass in an autumn field. It is such a puzzling pair that I almost want to say, “If you know the reason, please tell me too.”
Look closely at the picture: the boar is running powerfully with its tail up. That is why many people remember it as a “charging” card, with the feeling of “running straight ahead like a boar.”
Old tales and legends are told a little differently depending on the book and the region. This article retells the commonly known story in simple words.
The Four Cards of July
| Card | Type | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Boar | Animal | One of the Animal cards that build up points in Hwatu |
| Red ribbon | Grass Ribbon | Gather the April, May and July Ribbons to make the Grass Ribbons |
| Red Clover (2 cards) | Junk | Ordinary Junk |
The July Ribbon is one piece of the Grass Ribbons. Together with the April and May Ribbons, it makes the “Grass Ribbons.” You can read about the ribbons in The Story of Red, Blue and Grass Ribbons.
By the way, in this game the July Animal is an Animal, not a Bright. Brights exist only in January, March, August, November and December.
In a nutshell
- July = Red Clover + Boar (Animal)
- April’s Black Clover and July’s Red Clover are different pictures
