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Over 150 years ago a group of anonymous Japanese artists created a 34-ft long scroll titled He-Gassen (屁合戦), literally: “Fart Battle.”
The scroll, which was created during the Edo Period (probably around 1846) in Japan, consists of roughly 15 different scenes depicting people directing their farts at other people or objects. There are people farting at each other. There are people farting through objects. There are people combating farts with fans. There are bags of farts being released. Trees and cats get blown away by farts. And the scroll culminates with a divine gust of flatulence knocking over a ceremony and causing complete and utter chaos.
The scroll in its entirety was digitized by Waseda University and can be seen in hi-res format by accessing their database.
Via Spoon & Tamago.
Le Pétomane: “the stage name of the French flatulist (professional farter) […]”
blf@#1:
“petard” is literally a “farter”
The French don’t throw firecrackers, they throw “farters”
I rest my case.
I imagine that some day in the distant future, the works of Chuck Tingle will be discovered and there will be a somewhat bemused posting in the 3301AD version of “news of the weird” …
The artwork of the scroll is fabulous, and still incredibly rich after all this time. It’s hard to pick a favourite panel, but I quite like the one with the cat caught in a fart crossfire.
That tree in the fourth image up there looks kind of surprised, doesn’t it?
The name of the scroll makes it even better.
Ledasmom:
Yes, it looks very surprised. I’d be surprised too. :D
I did a little dictionary wandering and found one possible translation for ‘sophistry’ is
屁理屈
he ri tsuku
fart reasoning.
Chigau @ 7:
That’s good to know.
I fart is “he”, would a Japanese person might have giggled at chorus of the novelty song/summer hit Asereje (Ketchup Song) by Las Ketchup? The chorus (which is basically what a Spaniard, who doesn’t know English would sing along when listening to Rapper’s Delight by Sugar Hill Gang) goes something like:
Aserejé ja de je de jebe
tu de jebere seibiunouva
majabi an de bugui
an de buididipí
Asere-FART ha de FART de FART-be
tu de FART-bere seibiunouva
Mahavi an de bugui
an de buididipi
Ice Swimmer:
I dunno about Japanese people, but that made me giggle. :D
The title of the scroll is one of those wonderful accidental linguistic convergences that make perfect sense.
I don’t know about favourite panels, but I’m rather partial to the idea of capturing farts in large bags and releasing them at need.
rq:
Me too! :D