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Home: www.three-monkeys.info
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about the three wise monkeys that hear, see and speak no evil.
This page is part of www.three-monkeys.info,
a website entirely dedicated to the three wise monkeys that hear, see and speak no evil |
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Questions (Click on the questions) |
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Q01. What is the
origin of the three monkeys? Q02. What is the meaning
of the three monkeys? Q03. How old are
the three monkeys? Q04. Why is
there so much confusion about the origin of the 3 monkeys? Q05. What are the
names of the 3 monkeys? Q06. Are the three
monkeys connected with the god of the roads?
Q07. Is the three
monkeys sculpture in Nikko Japan “the original”? Q08. Sometimes it
is said that the 3 monkeys originate from Africa? Q09. Sometimes I
see a figurine with four monkeys. What is the idea? Q10. I own a set
of three monkeys, what is it worth? Q11. Are many
people collecting three monkeys? Q12. Why are
the 3 monkeys so popular in the Netherlands? Q13. How can I
join a collectors group? Q14. Where and
when are the next 3-monkeys-collectors’ meetings? Q15. What
is the official order of the 3 monkeys? Q16. I
would like advice about how to start collecting the 3 wise monkeys. Q17. How are the Japanese/Chinese
characters for hear, see and speak no evil? Q18. I have a question that is not
listed. |
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Answers |
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A01 What is the origin of the
three monkeys? It
is widely believed that the three monkeys, that keep eyes, ears and mouth closed,
originate from Japan. During the Japanese Moromachi
period this unique symbol of don’t hear, don’t see and don’t speak
(evil), has become part of a Japanese folk religion called Koshin.
This
belief basically is about staying healthy by behaving well. The original idea
of the Koshin belief is very old and it is assumed that this folk religion by
itself, (but not necessarily the 3 monkeys!) has its roots in China or India.
Consider the following: 1. In Japan, still hundreds, if not thousands
of Koshin-to (Stone slabs, many of them with
the three monkeys’ symbol) and other religious artifacts such as Koshin scrolls can be found. 2. If
the 3 monkeys would have originated from China or India, why are there hardly
any old statues or sculptures to be found in those countries? |
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A02 What is the meaning of the
three monkeys? It is
best to say that the role of the three monkeys is that of messengers. To
understand their meaning, it is important to know more about the Koshin
belief. |
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A03 How old are the three
monkeys? The
oldest items depicting the three monkeys are: o stone
slabs, also called Koshin stone monuments (Koshin-to)
o religious
paper scrolls used in Koshin
ceremonies and o wood
carvings in temples and shrines in Japan The
most famous three monkeys’ carving is found in Nikko
Japan. As of today this also is the oldest item as far as exact dating back
is concerned (1636 A.D.). There
are several Koshin-tos in Japan that are older than this date, but it is hard
to determine the exact year. The oldest Koshin stone monument in the
Kamakura area with a monkey (not the 3 monkeys) dates back to 1559, but
this one does not have the inscription of the word "Koshin“. There is
another one from 1628 which has both the inscriptions of a monkey and
Koshin. An
educated guess is that the three monkeys’ symbol is approx. 400 - 500 years
old. |
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A04.
Why is there so much confusion about the origin of the 3 monkeys? The confusion is caused by the fact that the Koshin belief
and the representation of the 3 monkeys are being mixed up. The Koshin belief
by itself (staying awake at night to avoid reporting of bad deeds to the
heavenly god) is very old and probably has its roots in China. When the Japanese monk Ennin
wrote in 838 AD that during his visit to China he had seen similar practices
as he was familiar with in Japan (staying awake at night), he was referring
to the belief, but not to the monkeys. The three monkeys only became part of the Koshin belief in Japan some
time during the 14th or the 15th century and the symbol
has spread over the country and been there during the past 4 to 5 centuries.
Initially one or two monkeys were depicted on scrolls and stone
monuments and later came the 3 monkeys doing the no evil gesture. |
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A05.
What are the names of the 3 monkeys? In Japanese
language, the three see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil monkeys are
called sanzaru (三猿) or sanbiki no saru (三匹の猿). The names of the
individual monkeys are: mizaru (see no monkey) (見猿) kikazaru (hear no monkey) (聞か猿) iwazaru (speak no monkey) (言わ猿) The Japanese
word for monkey is “saru",
which sounds very similar to the verb-ending “zaru", which means “not”.
In addition, “saru” also
means “go away”, which can be related to the “evil”. It is not
impossible that the appearance of the 3 monkeys in the Koshin
belief may have originated from a play on words. |
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A06.
Are the three monkeys connected with the god of the roads? There
are several internet pages suggesting this, but Shoumen Kongou, mostly with the 3 monkeys, is undoubtedly
the principal image of the Koshin
belief. However, Japanese are rather open to accept beliefs from
different sources merge them and then modify them to their own needs. In some
areas of Japan Dosojin (god of the roads) and sometimes
also Sarutahiko have been introduced in the
Koshin belief, but this has never become widespread. *In fact Dosojin
is the god for everyone who is “on the road” (or in transit) and therefore
also for the unborn baby in its mothers womb. |
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A07.
Is the three monkeys sculpture in Nikko Japan “the
original”? See
answer A03. The 3 monkeys in Nikko
are not “the original”, but of this carving it is known that it was there
when the Nikko shrine was completed, which was in the year 1636 A.D. |
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A08. Sometimes it is said that
the 3 monkeys originate from Africa? The
majority of 3-monkeys figurines originating from African countries are being
produced for the souvenir industry, but there are a few items that certainly
could give the impression that the three monkeys have been part of some
African cultures for a longer period of time. Click here for a few examples. It needs much more
research to find out how and when the 3-monkeys adage was introduced to
Africa. |
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A09.
Sometimes I see a figurine with 4 monkeys. What is the idea? A
fourth monkey (usually called “Do no Evil, Have no Fun or Have no Sex”) is a
later addition to the well-known trio, but has nothing to do with the
original Koshin belief. Monkey number 4 most probably has been
added by the souvenir industry. |
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A10.
I own a set of three monkeys, what is it worth? Some
kinds of three monkeys’ figurines have been produced in huge
quantities and can be found all over the world. Other items can be quite rare
and consequently have a higher collector’s value. If you are interested in
the value of your item, it is a good idea to have a look in internet auction
houses, like eBay, whether similar sets are offered for sale. For a start,
the best search word is “no evil”. You
can also email us with pictures and details about size, material and other relevant
information and we will give you an estimate about possible value and other
particulars. This service is free and without any obligations from both
sides. Click here for more information. To view all earlier
valuations, click here. |
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A11.
Are many people collecting three monkeys? It
is assumed that more than 300 collectors from all over the world are actively
searching the internet for 3 monkeys,
but there must be many more that don’t have or don’t want internet services. During
the early 1990’s, initiated by several newspaper articles, a few three-monkey
collectors in the Netherlands became aware that they were not alone with
their hobby. They contacted each other and decided to meet. That was in 1993
and since then yearly
meetings have been organized, mainly in the Netherlands.
Today the mailing list of No Evil collectors, just in Holland and Belgium, exceeds
100 persons. A
few years later, when internet auctions came up (especially eBay), it was
through this platform that 3 monkey-collectors in the
USA and in other countries discovered that there were
more people interested in the No Evils. They were outbidding each other to
such an extent that part of the eBay community (small at that time) was very
closely watching all what was happening in the “No Evil
Monkeys” sector. In spite of this heavy competing, the No Evil
enthusiasts contacted each other and decided to hold meetings, like the
European collectors. The first meeting was in 2001
in St. Louis, MO. The mailing list of US collectors presently includes
approx. 40 persons. As
mentioned before, we guess that there probably are about 300 three-monkey
collectors worldwide known or active on the internet: one hundred in the USA,
about one hundred in Holland & Belgium and another hundred in the rest of
the world. These figures are an assumption, also based on researching the
internet and eBay for many years. The validity of this figure stands or falls
with the definition “active collector” of course. Also
see the next Q&A 12, Why are the 3 monkeys so popular
in the Netherlands? |
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A12. Why are the 3 monkeys so popular in the Netherlands? Here is a possible explanation: From the early
1600’s to the middle of the 19th century, Japan was practically closed
to foreigners. The only Westerners allowed to stay in Japan and engage in
trade were the Dutch. They had to submit to very strict regulations and were
only allowed to live on Deshima (or
Dejima), a Dutch settlement in Nagasaki that became Japan's sole window to
the western world when Japan isolated itself. It
is not unlikely that during these almost 250 years of exclusive trade between
the Dutch and the Japanese, the three-monkey symbol has become known and also
popular in the Netherlands, earlier than in any other place of the world
outside of Japan. There is no proof for this statement yet. It is just an
assumption. If
you want to read more about the Dutch in Japan, click
here for a page with several very interesting links. In
any case, in the Netherlands, with a population of 16.5 million, almost 100
No Evil collectors are known. Add some for unknown*, that would mean that about one out of 150,000 people
there collects the Three Monkeys. If
we use this figure for the USA with a population of over 300 million, we
would come to 2,000 No Evil collectors in the United States only, which is extremely
unlikely. * Unknowns: the No Evil Collectors Group in the Netherlands is quite active, also
with acquiring new members and there won’t be too many “unknowns” anymore. |
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A13.
How can I join a collectors group? That
is very simple. Just
inform us of your interest and we will be pleased to add your name to our
mailing list. You can also keep track of the upcoming conferences by clicking
here. Both
in Europe and the USA newcomers will be welcomed by a nice bunch of people,
that all share the same interest of collecting the No Evils. |
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A14.
Where and when are the next 3-monkey-collectors’ meetings? Information
about past and future meetings in Europe and the USA can be found on the
following page. Just click here. If you would
like to stay informed about everything new in the field of collecting No
Evils, it is best to subscribe to our free Newsletter now. Click here. |
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A15.
What is the official order of the 3 monkeys? To
my knowledge, there is no official order or sequence of the three monkeys. In
Japan, the origin of the 3 monkeys, the sequence on Koshin
stones and on Koshin scrolls is erratic. For
example the famous 3 monkeys of the temple in Nikko
are in the sequence: hear - speak - see In
my collection of over 3500 items there also is no fix pattern. However,
in spoken and written form, the sequence hear - see - speak is
most commonly used, not only in English, but also in many other
languages. |
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A16.
I would like advice about how to start collecting the 3 wise monkeys. There
is a lot to say about collecting the 3 wise monkeys and I just write down what comes to my mind
(after more than 30 years of collecting them). In
the beginning I could not imagine that so many different 3
monkeys’ items would exist, so I collected everything that I
could find. My collection now includes over 3500 different sets (after a
“clean-up”) and if I could start all over again I would consider the
following: -
Just collect monkeys and no other animals or people that keep eyes, ears and
mouth closed. -
Some kinds of figurines exist in different sizes, materials or colors, but
basically are all of the same design. Keep one and ignore the rest. -
Concentrate on three monkeys only and forget about 4 monkeys’
sets. -
It could also be an idea to collect figurines only and no utility items with
the three monkeys, like ashtrays or T-shirts. - Some
people collect “attached” sets of 3 monkeys only, rather than “three piece
sets”. In
any case, put a sticker with a number to every item and note down where, from
whom, when and at what price you obtained it. In the beginning this may seem
unnecessary, but after some time one cannot remember all details. Part of the
fun of collecting is the "story" that belongs to every item. Try
to get an opportunity to meet with other collectors and see other
collections. I always found this very inspiring. If you tell me your
location, I hope to be able to get you into contact with a collector that
lives near your area. Otherwise it is an excellent idea to join one of the
next Three-Monkeys-Collectors-Conferences. Three
monkeys’ collectibles can be found on flea markets and in antique malls.
Other possible sources are souvenir- or gift shops. Sources
on the internet are auction houses like eBay.
Start with searching for "no evil" and see for yourself.
You can also try other search words of course. Another
option is internet shops, but these usually offer new items only. |
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A17.
How do the Japanese/Chinese characters for hear see and speak no evil
look like? This
question is frequently asked by people that are interested in getting a
tattoo made. The answer is here below. The
“problem” is that in Japan or China the expression “no evil” is not used in connection
with the three monkeys. It is either “three monkeys” or “hear no monkey, see
no monkey and speak no monkey”. Here
below are the options. Should you be interested in getting a tattoo made, you
will first have to find someone who is mastering Japanese calligraphy, so
that the symbols will look nice.
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A18.
I have a question that is not listed. We
welcome any questions. We like to hear what you are interested in and will be
pleased to share our knowledge. |
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