In disputes between sky and sea was born the bamboo
Once arguing the sea with the sky about the fact, who are most powerful. The sea splashed the sky with its foam. The skies filled up the sea with earth and stones. Thus appeared the first island, and one of them grew the first tall plant with lots of leaves, but without branches, the first bamboo on the ground. Then from it emerged a man and a woman, which was the beginning of all mankind.
Bamboo for Asian countries it means so much that even explains the creation of the first men.
So one tells the story of the Filipino legend. It shows the role played bamboo at all times. This is a very amazing plant. High and at the same time, not a tree. Seemingly not very durable, but able to withstand strong gusts of wind. He dedicated the verses, painted pictures, composed songs.
Time to grow up
The growth rate of bamboo is known even to Europeans. Some varieties of this plant are able to take the bar height is 50 cm. If you think that's a lot, then get up close and personal with a Japanese bamboo "MADAKE". In strictly controlled laboratory conditions, its stem could for 24 hours to grow by almost 120 centimeters!
The misuse
Such high-speed properties of the plant were used for the benefit and to the detriment of the person. People generally try to adapt the best to kill as many of their own kind. And bamboo found a kind of application.
The property of bamboo to a rapid growth was used to execute people or subtly torture them to death.
In China used the following method of execution, based on the ability of plants to germinate quickly. Took sentenced to death and were tied above the bed of young bamboo. The top of the plant was given a pointed look, so it turned out some sort of stakes.
Further resembled very sophisticated torture. During the day, the plant increased in height by tens of centimeters, piercing the skin, put to death in several places. The chicken was stuck in his body was growing inside the abdominal cavity and cause the strong flour.
According to eyewitnesses, recorded by chroniclers, the man could die like this for hours, or someone of the executioners "helped" him go to the light faster with the truncation of the head or poison.
Poetry bamboo
But not only the bloody pages of history opens the bamboo:
I spent the whole day wandering around the garden enjoy.
The bamboo whispers to me about the emptiness of life...
Wrote the great Chinese poet Tao yuan-Ming (365-427)
And, indeed, bamboo forest – a magnificent sight. And when you consider that these beds are growing very quickly – the beauty literally forms a wall in front of you.