also: かつらお
man in the moon
Archaic term for the mythical figure said to live on the moon, often associated with a laurel tree (桂). Not used in modern everyday language.
In old tales, the man in the moon is said to be cutting a laurel tree on the moon.
Standard kanji spelling for this archaic term.
Alternate reading; less common than かつらおとこ.
The term reflects the Chinese legend of the man in the moon who endlessly cuts a cassia tree, represented by 桂. In Japanese tradition this lunar figure came to be called 桂男.