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Gourds include the fruits of some flowering plant species in the family Cucurbitaceae, particularly Cucurbita and Lagenaria. The term refers to a number of species and subspecies, many with hard shells, and some without. Many gourds have large, bulbous bodies and long necks, such as Dipper Gourds, many variations of Bottle Gourd and caveman club gourds. One of the earliest domesticated types of plants, subspecies of the bottle gourd, Lagenaria siceraria, have been discovered in archaeological sites dating from as early as 13,000 BC. Gourds have had numerous uses throughout history, including as tools, musical instruments, objects of art, film, and food.

Terminology

Gourd is occasionally used to describe crop plants in the family Cucurbitaceae, like pumpkins, cucumbers, squash, luffa, and melons.^[1] More specifically, gourd refers to the fruits of plants in the two Cucurbitaceae genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita,^[2]^[3] or also to their hollow, dried-out shell.

There are many different gourds worldwide. The main plants referred to as gourds include several species from the genus Cucurbita (mostly native to North America, including the Malabar gourd and turban squash), Crescentia cujete (the tree gourd or calabash tree, native to the American tropics) and Lagenaria siceraria (bottle gourd, thought to be originally from Africa but present worldwide).^[4]^[5]^: 21 Other plants with gourd in their name include the luffa gourd (likely domesticated in Asia), which includes several species from the genus Luffa, as well as the wax gourd, snake gourd, teasel gourd, hedgehog gourd, buffalo gourd/coyote gourd. The bitter melon/balsam apple/balsam pear is also sometimes referred to as a gourd.^[5]^{: 18–19, 21}

History

L. siceraria or bottle gourd, are native to the Americas, being found in Peruvian archaeological sites dating from 13,000 to 11,000 BC and Thailand sites from 11,000 to 6,000 BC.^[4] A study of bottle gourd DNA published in 2005 suggests that there are two distinct subspecies of bottle gourds, domesticated independently in Africa and Asia, the latter approximately 4,000 years earlier. The gourds found in the Americas appear to have come from the Asian subspecies very early in history, although a new study now indicates Africa.^[6] The archaeological and DNA records show it is likely that the gourd was among the first domesticated species, in Asia between 12,000 and 13,000 years before present, and possibly the first domesticated plant species.^[7]

Wild, poisonous gourds (Citrullus colocynthis) were unknowingly added to the company of prophets' stew according to a story of Elisha in the Hebrew Bible. Elisha added flour to the stew in order to purify it.^[8] This interpretation of the verse is disputed by Rashi's interpretation,^[9] who translates it as poisonous mushrooms, not poisonous gourds.^[10]

Gourds continued to be used throughout history in almost every culture throughout the world. European contact in North America found extensive gourd use, including the use of bottle gourds as birdhouses to attract purple martins, which provided bug control for agriculture. Almost every culture had musical instruments made of gourds, including drums, stringed instruments common to Africa and wind instruments, including the nose flutes of the Pacific.^[5]^: 23

Research

Scientists in India have been working on crossbreeding six members of the Momordica (bitter gourd) genus found in India to reduce the unpleasant taste while retaining the nutritional and medicinal values of the plants. These include Teasle gourd (Momordica dioica), Spine gourd (Momordica subangulata), Sweet gourd (Momordica cochinchinensis), balsam apple (Momordica balsamina) and Momordica sahyadrica.^[11]

Uses

Cultures from arid regions often associate gourds with water, and they appear in many creation myths. Since before human written history, they have had a multitude of uses including food storage, cooking tools, toys, musical instruments and decoration.^[4] Today, gourds are commonly used for a wide variety of crafts, including jewelry, furniture, dishes, utensils and a wide variety of decorations using carving, burning and other techniques such as lamps and containers for storing objects.^[12]

Just one example of a musical instrument is the West African Balafon, a xylophone that has gourds attached to the bottom of each note for resonance.^[13]

Calabash gourd, Lagenaria siceraria, used for drinking mate
Chinese snuff bottle (biyanhu) with body from a gourd grown inside a mould, and a jade stopper
A fixed-key balafon, showing gourd resonators with membrane holes

Folklore

Gourds have maintained a prominent role in the mythology of numerous cultures. In regard to Christianity, several artists such as Frans Floris and Carlo Crivelli have depicted the gourd as a symbol of the Resurrection of Christ, juxtaposed with the Fruit of Good and Evil that was consumed by Adam and Eve. In the Old Testament of the Christian bible, a gourd tree was used to shield Jonah from intense weather conditions while he was surveying Nineveh. ^[14] This terminology is contested by the New King James Version which calls which simply uses the term plant. In Catholicism, the calabash and rod that pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago adorn have become synonymous with the image of Raphael (archangel).

The gourd also makes frequent appearances in Chinese mythology. The Chinese god of longevity Shouxing is often depicted carrying a staff with a gourd attached to its end. Li Tieguai, one of the Eight Immortals is also often depicted with a bottle gourd that contains a special medicine that he uses to aid the sick, poor, or needy. These depictions denote the fruit's significance as a symbol of longevity and the power of medicine within Chinese culture. ^[15]

Citations

^ Andres, T. C. (2004). "Cucurbitaceae". The Cucurbit Network. Archived from the original on 2011-10-28. Retrieved 2011-10-24.
^ Paris, Harry S. (October 1989). "Historical records, origins, and development of the edible cultivar groups of Cucurbita pepo (Cucurbitaceae)". Economic Botany. 43 (4): 423–443. Bibcode:1989EcBot..43..423P. doi:10.1007/BF02935916. S2CID 29052282.
^ Cutler, Hugh C.; Whitaker, Thomas W. (April 1961). "History and Distribution of the Cultivated Cucurbits in the Americas" (PDF). American Antiquity. 26 (4): 469–485. doi:10.2307/278735. JSTOR 278735. S2CID 161495351. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-05-12.
^ ^a ^b ^c Prance, Ghillean; Nesbitt, Mark, eds. (2012). The Cultural History of Plants. Routledge. pp. 21, 348. ISBN 978-1135958107.
^ ^a ^b ^c Summit, Ginger (2001). Gourds in Your Garden: A Guidebook for the Home Gardener. Sterling Publishing Company. ISBN 0806926996.
^ Wade, Lizzie (2014-02-10). "Scientists Solve Mystery of World-Traveling Plant". Science. Archived from the original on 2018-06-15.
^ Erickson, David L.; Smith, Bruce D.; Clarke, Andrew C.; Sandweiss, Daniel H.; Tuross, Noreen (2005). "An Asian origin for a 10,000-year-old domesticated plant in the Americas" (PDF). PNAS. 102 (51): 18315–18320. Bibcode:2005PNAS..10218315E. doi:10.1073/pnas.0509279102. PMC 1311910. PMID 16352716.
^ 2 Kings 4:38–41
^ "II Kings 4:39".
^ תרגום הלע"ז https://books.google.com/books?id=NsZiAAAAMAAJ&q=398 https://books.google.com/books?id=NsZiAAAAMAAJ&q=397
^ S., Indu Mathi (2012-09-30). "Bitter gets better". Down To Earth. Archived from the original on 2012-10-22. Retrieved 2012-12-21.
^ Baskett, Mickey (2005). Glorious Gourd Decorating. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. p. 9. ISBN 1402727755.
^ Gourlay, K. A.; Durán, Lucy (2001). "Balo". Grove Music Online. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.01914. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0.
^ Jonah 4:2–11
^ Wilson, Eddie W. (April 1951). "The Gourd in Folk Symbolism". Western Folklore. 10 (2): 162–164. doi:10.2307/1497969.

General bibliography

Egorova, I. V.; Zhidkov, V. V.; Grinishak, I. P.; Bagryanskaya, I. Yu.; Pervukhina, N. V.; El'tsov, I. V.; Kurat'eva, N. V. (January 2019). "Antimony Complexes {[2,6−(OMe)₂C₆H₃]³SbCH₂C(O)OEt}⁺₂[Hg₂I₆]²⁻and {[2,6−(OMe)₂C₆H₃]₃SBME}⁺₂[HgI₄]²⁻⋅DMSO: Synthesis and Structure". Russian Journal of Inorganic Chemistry. 64 (1): 28–35. doi:10.1134/s0036023619010078. ISSN 0036-0236. S2CID 199447333.^[relevant?]

External links

"Gourd" . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911.

[1] Andres, T. C. (2004). "Cucurbitaceae". The Cucurbit Network. Archived from the original on 2011-10-28. Retrieved 2011-10-24.

[2] Paris, Harry S. (October 1989). "Historical records, origins, and development of the edible cultivar groups of Cucurbita pepo (Cucurbitaceae)". Economic Botany. 43 (4): 423–443. Bibcode:1989EcBot..43..423P. doi:10.1007/BF02935916. S2CID 29052282.

[3] Cutler, Hugh C.; Whitaker, Thomas W. (April 1961). "History and Distribution of the Cultivated Cucurbits in the Americas" (PDF). American Antiquity. 26 (4): 469–485. doi:10.2307/278735. JSTOR 278735. S2CID 161495351. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-05-12.

[Prance-4] Prance, Ghillean; Nesbitt, Mark, eds. (2012). The Cultural History of Plants. Routledge. pp. 21, 348. ISBN 978-1135958107.

[Summit2001-5] Summit, Ginger (2001). Gourds in Your Garden: A Guidebook for the Home Gardener. Sterling Publishing Company. ISBN 0806926996.

[6] Wade, Lizzie (2014-02-10). "Scientists Solve Mystery of World-Traveling Plant". Science. Archived from the original on 2018-06-15.

[7] Erickson, David L.; Smith, Bruce D.; Clarke, Andrew C.; Sandweiss, Daniel H.; Tuross, Noreen (2005). "An Asian origin for a 10,000-year-old domesticated plant in the Americas" (PDF). PNAS. 102 (51): 18315–18320. Bibcode:2005PNAS..10218315E. doi:10.1073/pnas.0509279102. PMC 1311910. PMID 16352716.

[8] 2 Kings 4:38–41

[9] "II Kings 4:39".

[10] תרגום הלע"ז https://books.google.com/books?id=NsZiAAAAMAAJ&q=398 https://books.google.com/books?id=NsZiAAAAMAAJ&q=397

[11] S., Indu Mathi (2012-09-30). "Bitter gets better". Down To Earth. Archived from the original on 2012-10-22. Retrieved 2012-12-21.

[12] Baskett, Mickey (2005). Glorious Gourd Decorating. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. p. 9. ISBN 1402727755.

[:0-13] Gourlay, K. A.; Durán, Lucy (2001). "Balo". Grove Music Online. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.01914. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0.

[14] Jonah 4:2–11

[15] Wilson, Eddie W. (April 1951). "The Gourd in Folk Symbolism". Western Folklore. 10 (2): 162–164. doi:10.2307/1497969.

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+{{Short description|Type of fruit}}
-A '''gourd''' is a hollow, dried [[shell (fruit)|shell]] of a [[fruit]] in the [[Cucurbitaceae]] family of [[plant]]s. Gourds can be used as a number of things, including bowls or bottles. Gourds are also used as [[resonating chamber]]s on certain [[musical instrument]]s including some [[stringed instrument]]s and [[drum]]s. Instruments of this type are common in [[Africa]], [[South Asia]], and the [[Caribbean]]. Gourds are also used as a tool for sipping [[yerba mate]] by means of a bombilla, in [[Uruguay]], [[Argentina]], [[Paraguay]] and [[Brazil]], where it is called "cuia" (kOOya). Birdhouse gourds, (Lagenaria siceraria), are commonly used in southern USA for group housing for [[purple martin]]s, which reputedly help control [[mosquito]]es.
+{{Other uses}}
+[[File:Դդմեղէն.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|Gourds at a market in [[Massachusetts]]]]
+'''Gourds''' include the fruits of some [[flowering plant]] species in the family [[Cucurbitaceae]], particularly ''[[Cucurbita]]'' and ''[[Lagenaria]]''. The term refers to a number of species and subspecies, many with hard shells, and some without. Many gourds have large, bulbous bodies and long necks, such as Dipper Gourds, many variations of [[Calabash|Bottle Gourd]] and caveman club gourds. One of the earliest domesticated types of plants, subspecies of the [[bottle gourd]], ''[[Lagenaria siceraria]]'', have been discovered in archaeological sites dating from as early as 13,000 BC. Gourds have had numerous uses throughout history, including as tools, musical instruments, objects of art, film, and food.
-Day-blooming gourds are [[pollination|pollinated]] the same as [[Squash_(vegetable)|squash]], and commercial plantings should have [[Pollination management|bee hives]] supplied. Night blooming gourds are pollinated by [[moth]]s, which are normally present in adequate supply unless they are drawn off by [[Light pollution|night lights]] in the area.
+==Terminology==
-Gourds were originally used by man as containers or vessels before clay or stone pottery, and is sometimes referred to as "nature's pottery". The original and evolutional shape of clay pottery is thought to have been modeled on the shape of certain gourd varieties.
+[[File:Gourds - grown in the garden.JPG|thumb|''[[Cucurbita pepo]]'' gourds grown in a suburban garden in [[Australia]]]]
+''Gourd'' is occasionally used to describe crop plants in the [[family (biology)|family]] Cucurbitaceae, like [[pumpkin]]s, [[cucumber]]s, [[Cucurbita|squash]], [[luffa]], and [[melon]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cucurbit.org/family.html|title=Cucurbitaceae|last=Andres|first=T. C.|date=2004|website=The Cucurbit Network|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111028061200/http://www.cucurbit.org/family.html|archive-date=2011-10-28|url-status=dead|access-date=2011-10-24}}</ref> More specifically, ''gourd'' refers to the [[fruits]] of plants in the two Cucurbitaceae genera ''[[Lagenaria]]'' and ''[[Cucurbita]]'',<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Paris|first=Harry S.|date=October 1989|title=Historical records, origins, and development of the edible cultivar groups of ''Cucurbita pepo'' (Cucurbitaceae)|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/251359943|journal=[[Economic Botany]]|volume=43|issue=4|pages=423–443|doi=10.1007/BF02935916|bibcode=1989EcBot..43..423P |s2cid=29052282}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Cutler|first1=Hugh C.|last2=Whitaker|first2=Thomas W.|author-link2=Thomas W. Whitaker|date=April 1961|title=History and Distribution of the Cultivated Cucurbits in the Americas|url=http://www.adwr.state.az.us/Adjudications/documents/HopiContestedCaseDisclosures/Hopi%20Initial%20Disclosure/HP416%20-%20HP433.pdf|url-status=dead|journal=[[American Antiquity]]|volume=26|issue=4|pages=469–485|doi=10.2307/278735|jstor=278735|s2cid=161495351 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512232554/http://www.adwr.state.az.us/Adjudications/documents/HopiContestedCaseDisclosures/Hopi%20Initial%20Disclosure/HP416%20-%20HP433.pdf|archive-date=2013-05-12}}</ref> or also to their hollow, dried-out shell.
-In addition to utilitarian uses, gourds have been assigned various other functions throughout history in various cultures. Very early specimens of gourd shells discovered (for example, in Peru) indicate the use of gourds as means of recording events of the time.
+There are many different gourds worldwide. The main plants referred to as gourds include several species from the genus ''Cucurbita'' (mostly native to North America, including the [[Malabar gourd]] and [[turban squash]]), ''[[Crescentia cujete]]'' (the tree gourd or calabash tree, native to the American tropics) and ''[[Lagenaria siceraria]]'' (bottle gourd, thought to be originally from Africa but present worldwide).<ref name=Prance/><ref name=Summit2001>{{cite book |last=Summit |first=Ginger |year=2001 |title=Gourds in Your Garden: A Guidebook for the Home Gardener |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p3Wv9PjoXQsC&q=Gourds+in+history&pg=PA23 |publisher=Sterling Publishing Company |isbn=0806926996}}</ref>{{rp|21}} Other plants with gourd in their name include the luffa gourd (likely domesticated in Asia), which includes several species from the genus ''[[Luffa]]'', as well as the [[wax gourd]], [[snake gourd]], [[Momordica dioica|teasel gourd]], [[hedgehog gourd]], [[buffalo gourd]]/coyote gourd. The [[bitter melon]]/balsam apple/balsam pear is also sometimes referred to as a gourd.<ref name=Summit2001/>{{rp|18–19, 21}}
-Generally, gourds are used more for utilitarian uses than for food. Only a few varieties are actually harvested for consumption, mostly in Asia. The shell of the gourd, when dried, has a wooden appearance. Gourd "wood" is essentially cellulose that has no grain. Drying gourds, which takes months in some cases, causes the internal contents (seeds and fruit matter) to dry out completely, although seeds are often still capable of germination. For the uninitiated, cutting open a dried gourd (which can be done with a craft knife or miniature jig-saw) can present hazards; the resulting dust is extremely fine and can cause respiratory problems. A bitter taste or smell is typically evident when opening a gourd that has not completely dried out.
+==History==
-The harder outer surface lends the gourd to a wide variety of creative appeals, including carving, [[pyrography]], sculpture, basketry, masks, musical instruments, and much more. A steadily growing following has emerged in the United States and other Western countries for the use of gourds for artistic and craft-related purposes. There is a steadily increasing list of publications specific to this subject.
+''L. siceraria'' or bottle gourd, are native to the Americas, being found in Peruvian archaeological sites dating from 13,000 to 11,000 BC and Thailand sites from 11,000 to 6,000 BC.<ref name=Prance/> A study of bottle gourd [[DNA]] published in 2005 suggests that there are two distinct subspecies of bottle gourds, domesticated independently in Africa and Asia, the latter approximately 4,000 years earlier. The gourds found in the Americas appear to have come from the Asian subspecies very early in history, although a new study now indicates Africa.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/scientists-solve-mystery-world-traveling-plant|title=Scientists Solve Mystery of World-Traveling Plant|last=Wade|first=Lizzie|date=2014-02-10|website=[[Science (journal)|Science]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615164759/https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2014/02/scientists-solve-mystery-world-traveling-plant|archive-date=2018-06-15|url-status=live}}</ref> The archaeological and DNA records show it is likely that the gourd was among the first domesticated species, in Asia between 12,000 and 13,000 [[Before Present|years before present]], and possibly the first domesticated plant species.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Erickson|first1=David L.|last2=Smith|first2=Bruce D.|author-link2=Bruce D. Smith|last3=Clarke|first3=Andrew C.|last4=Sandweiss|first4=Daniel H.|last5=Tuross|first5=Noreen|year=2005|title=An Asian origin for a 10,000-year-old domesticated plant in the Americas|url=https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/102/51/18315.full.pdf|journal=[[PNAS]]|volume=102|issue=51|pages=18315–18320|bibcode=2005PNAS..10218315E|doi=10.1073/pnas.0509279102|pmc=1311910|pmid=16352716|doi-access=free}}</ref>
+Wild, poisonous gourds (''[[Citrullus colocynthis]]'') were unknowingly added to the company of prophets' stew according to a story of [[Elisha]] in the [[Hebrew Bible]]. Elisha added flour to the stew in order to purify it.<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Kings|4:38-41|NKJV}}</ref> This interpretation of the verse is disputed by Rashi's interpretation,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sefaria.org/II_Kings.4.39?lang=he&p2=Rashi_on_II_Kings.4.39.3&lang2=he | title=II Kings 4:39 }}</ref> who translates it as poisonous mushrooms, not poisonous gourds.<ref> תרגום הלע"ז https://books.google.com/books?id=NsZiAAAAMAAJ&q=398 https://books.google.com/books?id=NsZiAAAAMAAJ&q=397</ref>
-Gourd crafting (or ''gourding'' as it is often referred) is supported by festivals and art/craft events in practically every U.S. state, Canadian province, in Australia and elsewhere. The oldest running U.S. Gourd Festival is held in North Carolina; the 2005 event will be the 64th Annual event, held in Raleigh. Finely crafted gourd art pieces can fetch considerable prices, often into the high hundreds and more. A gourd artpiece created by a California gourd artist on commission was valued at USD $20,000 in 2003; the piece was inlayed with precious and semi-precious stones.
+Gourds continued to be used throughout history in almost every culture throughout the world. [[European discovery of the Americas|European contact]] in North America found extensive gourd use, including the use of bottle gourds as birdhouses to attract [[purple martin]]s, which provided bug control for agriculture. Almost every culture had musical instruments made of gourds, including drums, stringed instruments common to Africa and wind instruments, including the [[nose flute]]s of the Pacific.<ref name=Summit2001/>{{rp|23}}
-There are several farms throughout the U.S. that cater to gourds. The Welburn Gourd Farm, for example, located near Fallbrook, California, harvests hundreds of thousands of gourds annually from its 80+ acres, and ships them to all corners of the globe.
-==See also==
+==Research==
+[[File:Gourd image.jpg|thumb|An [[India]]n gourd]]
+Scientists in India have been working on crossbreeding six members of the ''[[Momordica]]'' (bitter gourd) genus found in India to reduce the unpleasant taste while retaining the nutritional and medicinal values of the plants. These include [[Momordica dioica|Teasle gourd (''Momordica dioica'')]], [[Spine gourd]] (''[[Momordica subangulata]]''), Sweet gourd (''[[Momordica cochinchinensis]]''), balsam apple (''[[Momordica balsamina]]'') and ''Momordica sahyadrica''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/bitter-gets-better-39103|title=Bitter gets better|last=S.|first=Indu Mathi|date=2012-09-30|website=Down To Earth|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022001546/http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/bitter-gets-better|archive-date=2012-10-22|url-status=live|access-date=2012-12-21}}</ref>
-* [[Guiro]]
-* [[Maraca]]
-* [[Sitar]]
-* [[Bottle gourd]]
-* [[Bitter gourd]]
-* [[Snake gourd]]
-* [[Pointed gourd]]
-* [[Luffa|Ridge gourd]]
-* [[Decorated Gourd]]
-==External links==
+==Uses==
+Cultures from arid regions often associate [[Water canister|gourds with water]], and they appear in many [[creation myths]]. Since before human written history, they have had a multitude of uses including [[food storage]], cooking tools, toys, [[musical instruments]] and decoration.<ref name="Prance">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8ejo63Wk5rgC&q=history+gourds&pg=PT901|title=The Cultural History of Plants|publisher=Routledge|year=2012|isbn=978-1135958107|editor1=Prance|editor-first=Ghillean|editor-link=Ghillean Prance|pages=21, 348|editor2=Nesbitt|editor-first2=Mark}}</ref> Today, gourds are commonly used for a wide variety of crafts, including jewelry, furniture, dishes, utensils and a wide variety of decorations using carving, burning and other techniques such as lamps and containers for storing objects.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7qHKALAWe8QC&q=crafts+with+gourds|title=Glorious Gourd Decorating|last=Baskett|first=Mickey|publisher=Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.|year=2005|isbn=1402727755|page=9}}</ref>
+Just one example of a musical instrument is the West African [[Balafon]], a [[xylophone]] that has gourds attached to the bottom of each note for [[resonance]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000001914|title=Balo |encyclopedia= Grove Music Online|publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.01914|last1=Gourlay|first1=K. A. |last2=  Durán|first2=Lucy|year=2001 |isbn=978-1-56159-263-0 }}</ref>
-* [http://www.abotech.com/Articles/SJones01.htm A Brief History of Gourds].
+<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
-==Craft Links==
+File:Calebasse.jpg|[[Calabash]] gourd, ''[[Lagenaria siceraria]]'', used for drinking ''[[mate (beverage)|mate]]''
+File:Snuff Bottle (Biyanhu) with Flower Vases and Inscriptions LACMA M.45.3.333a-b.jpg|Chinese [[snuff (tobacco)|snuff]] bottle (biyanhu) with body from a gourd grown inside a mould, and a [[jade]] stopper
+File:Balafoon.jpg|A ''fixed-key'' balafon, showing gourd resonators with membrane holes
+</gallery>
+==Folklore==
-* The American Gourd Society [http://www.americangourdsociety.org/]
+Gourds have maintained a prominent role in the mythology of numerous cultures. In regard to [[Christianity]], several artists such as [[Frans Floris]] and [[Carlo Crivelli]] have depicted the gourd as a symbol of the Resurrection of Christ, juxtaposed with the Fruit of Good and Evil that was consumed by Adam and Eve. In the [[Old Testament]] of the Christian bible, a gourd tree was used to shield [[Jonah]] from intense weather conditions while he was surveying Nineveh. <ref>{{bibleverse|Jonah|4:2-11|KJV}}</ref> This terminology is contested by the New King James Version which calls which simply uses the term plant. In [[Catholicism]], the [[calabash]] and rod that pilgrims on the [[Camino de Santiago]] adorn have become synonymous with the image of [[Raphael (archangel)]].
-* The Welburn Gourd Farm [http://welburngourdfarm.com/]
+The gourd also makes frequent appearances in [[Chinese mythology]]. The Chinese god of longevity [[Shouxing]] is often depicted carrying a staff with a gourd attached to its end. [[Li Tieguai]], one of the [[Eight Immortals]] is also often depicted with a bottle gourd that contains a special medicine that he uses to aid the sick, poor, or needy. These depictions denote the fruit's significance as a symbol of longevity and the power of medicine within Chinese culture. <ref>{{Cite journal|last=Wilson|first=Eddie W.|date=April 1951|title=The Gourd in Folk Symbolism|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1497969|journal=[[Western Folklore]]|volume=10|issue=2|pages=162–164|doi=10.2307/1497969}}</ref>
+==See also==
+* A [[güiro]] is a Latin American percussion instrument made from a gourd.
+* [[Maraca]]s are percussion instruments often made from gourds.
+* A [[sitar]] is a plucked stringed instrument, parts of which are made from gourds.
+* [[Africa]]n percussion instruments are made incorporating gourds, including the [[shekere]], [[axatse]], [[balafon]], and [[caxixi]].
+* [[Salakot]], a traditional headgear of the Philippines which can be made from the [[bottle gourd]]
+== Citations ==
+{{reflist|30em}}
+== General bibliography ==
+* {{Cite journal |last1=Egorova |first1=I. V. |last2=Zhidkov |first2=V. V. |last3=Grinishak |first3=I. P. |last4=Bagryanskaya |first4=I. Yu. |last5=Pervukhina |first5=N. V. |last6=El'tsov |first6=I. V. |last7=Kurat'eva |first7=N. V. |date=January 2019 |title=Antimony Complexes {[2,6−(OMe)<sub>2</sub>C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>3</sub>&#93;<sup>3</sup>SbCH<sub>2</sub>C(O)OEt}<sup>+</sup><sub>2</sub>[Hg<sub>2</sub>I<sub>6</sub>&#93;<sup>2−</sup>and {[2,6−(OMe)<sub>2</sub>C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>3</sub>&#93;<sub>3</sub>SBME}<sup>+</sup><sub>2</sub>[HgI<sub>4</sub>&#93;<sup>2−</sup>⋅DMSO: Synthesis and Structure |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1134/s0036023619010078 |journal=Russian Journal of Inorganic Chemistry |volume=64 |issue=1 |pages=28–35 |doi=10.1134/s0036023619010078 |s2cid=199447333 |issn=0036-0236 |ref=Egorova}}{{Relevance inline|reference|date=July 2021|reason=This reference was in this article, but the cited paper's abstract gives no clue as to how it is relevant to gourds.}}
+==External links==
+{{Commons category|Gourds}}
+* {{cite EB1911|wstitle=Gourd |short=x}}
+{{Authority control}}
-[[Category:Cucurbitales]]
-[[sv:Kalebass]]
+[[Category:Bottles]]
+[[Category:Cucurbitaceae]]