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On the Origin of Species: Farfetch'd (view source)
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{{Article| | {{Article| | ||
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tagline=Investigating the inspirations behind Pokémon | | tagline=Investigating the inspirations behind Pokémon | | ||
blurb=In another column exploring the likely cultural and zoological origins of Pokémon species, we take a look at the Wild Duck Pokémon, Farfetch'd. }} | blurb=In another column exploring the likely cultural and zoological origins of Pokémon species, we take a look at the Wild Duck Pokémon, Farfetch'd. }} | ||
{{CategorizeIn|Columns|6|10}} | {{CategorizeIn|Columns|6|10}} | ||
[[File: | [[File:083Farfetch'd.png|200px|thumb|Farfetch'd, the Wild Duck Pokémon]]When I first sat down to research {{p|Farfetch'd}}, I wasn't really sure if there would be enough material for a good article. The legend that inspired its creation, numerous websites assured me, was that of a wild duck that carried a green onion, which would appear in forests to offer itself up as a meal for starving travelers. As odd and faintly amusing as this tale was, there didn't seem to be a lot to it, and so I set out to research it further in the hope that I might discover additional details that would be of interest. | ||
And what I found was... nothing. Searching through numerous online archives of Chinese and Japanese folklore, I couldn't find any reference to this legend at all. In fact, the only places that ''did'' make reference to such a legend were... Pokémon sites. Could the tale of the onion-bearing duck offering itself to travelers actually be a creation of the fandom? | And what I found was... nothing. Searching through numerous online archives of Chinese and Japanese folklore, I couldn't find any reference to this legend at all. In fact, the only places that ''did'' make reference to such a legend were... Pokémon sites. Could the tale of the onion-bearing duck offering itself to travelers actually be a creation of the fandom? | ||
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So, where ''does'' Farfetch'd come from? My research suggests that the true origin actually isn't a million miles away from the version above; only rather than being inspired by a legend, it comes from a certain Japanese saying: ''Kamo ga negi wo shotte kuru'' (鴨が葱を背負って来る), literally meaning 'a duck comes bearing green onions'. The phrase can be shortened simply to ''kamo negi'' (鴨葱)... which, when written in {{wp|katakana}}, is Farfetch'd's Japanese name (カモネギ). | So, where ''does'' Farfetch'd come from? My research suggests that the true origin actually isn't a million miles away from the version above; only rather than being inspired by a legend, it comes from a certain Japanese saying: ''Kamo ga negi wo shotte kuru'' (鴨が葱を背負って来る), literally meaning 'a duck comes bearing green onions'. The phrase can be shortened simply to ''kamo negi'' (鴨葱)... which, when written in {{wp|katakana}}, is Farfetch'd's Japanese name (カモネギ). | ||
Let's take a step back for a moment and look at Farfetch'd itself. Its Japanese name | Let's take a step back for a moment and look at Farfetch'd itself. Its Japanese name is made up of ''kamo'' (鴨 or カモ), meaning 'duck', and ''negi'' (葱 or ネギ), which refers to a variety of green onion, ''{{wp|Welsh onion|Allium fistulosum}}'' – specifically, the onion that Farfetch'd can be seen carrying. Pokédex entries over the years have made several references to its rarity, and in the original {{bp|Pokémon Red and Blue Versions|Red and Blue}} games, only a single Farfetch'd is available, as a trade from an in-game trainer. The {{bp|Pokémon anime|anime}} has also stated that the reason for this Pokémon's rarity is that it is a delicacy. | ||
And culinary matters are central to the origins of Farfetch'd. Duck and green onion are the primary ingredients for a good duck stew, and so finding a duck carrying green onions would be a surprising but convenient occurrence. This is the first meaning of the idiom: something not asked for, but very convenient; a serendipitous event. In Red and Blue, the player's acquisition of the very rare Farfetch'd, traded for a common {{p|Spearow}}, could be seen as just such an event. The phrase is given a literal portrayal, as the player actually obtains a duck carrying a green onion. | And culinary matters are central to the origins of Farfetch'd. Duck and green onion are the primary ingredients for a good duck stew, and so finding a duck carrying green onions would be a surprising but convenient occurrence. This is the first meaning of the idiom: something not asked for, but very convenient; a serendipitous event. In Red and Blue, the player's acquisition of the very rare Farfetch'd, traded for a common {{p|Spearow}}, could be seen as just such an event. The phrase is given a literal portrayal, as the player actually obtains a duck carrying a green onion. | ||