Editing Gourd (section)

==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. <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 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|jstor=1497969 }}</ref>