Kuebiko

Cover image for the Kuebiko word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Kuebiko

n.
a state of exhaustion inspired by senseless tragedies and acts of violence, which force you to abruptly revise your expectations of what can happen in this world, trying to prop yourself up like an old scarecrow, who’s bursting at the seams yet powerless to do anything but stand there and watch.

In Japanese mythology, Kuebiko is the name of a kami deity, a scarecrow who stands all day watching the world go by, which has made him very wise but locked in place. Pronounced “koo-web-i-koh.”

Fool’s Guilt

Cover image for the Fool’s Guilt word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Vaucasy

Cover image for the Vaucasy word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Vellichor

shelves with many books stacked and organized

Arroia

people standing on a stage

Tirosy

a close-up of a young child's face

Feresy

Cover image for the Feresy word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows