So I read this myth/legend years ago when I had to have been 9-10, so I'm sure I'm not remembering everything right, but does anyone know where it's from or if it's even real? Based on how my childhood memories go, it's entirely possible that I'm making this up. This is what I remember (keep in mind that I'm pretty sure some of this is complete 10yo bs)
I remember something about two lovers who had somehow ended up offending some big spirit or god or something, so they ended up in the sky seperated by a great big river in the clouds or sum like that. I think it was like, on the seventh day of the seventh month they had the chance to cross the river at sunset, but only if the river was 'calm' (the sky is clear).
I have literally no idea if any of this is real, but I've been checking the clouds every July 7 since I was 9/10. I tried googling it when I was like… 16 but had no luck.
by chewy_salmonpaste
10 comments
Check out “[Tanabata](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanabata)”-not exactly the clouds but separated by the milky way (あまのかわ=river of heaven/sky)
Sounds like the myth of Vega and Altair: https://star-name-registry.com/blog/item/the-romance-of-altair-and-vega#
Joining the chorus of others to agree that this is the story of Orihime and Hikoboshi as commemorated/celebrated in the Festival of Tanabata
Isn’t this the Chinese legend about the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl？
I think its a chinese myth that became popular in japan
Yep it is about Hikoboshi and Orihime from “Tanabata”. Here is the story translated from page 355 of “Genki Vol 1 3rd edition”: Here is the story in English:
Long, long ago, there lived a god in the heavens. He had a daughter named Orihime. Orihime was a very diligent girl who would wake up early every morning to weave on her loom.
One day, the god thought, “Orihime is now a grown woman. It would be good for her to get married.”
The god found a suitable man for Orihime. His name was Hikoboshi and he lived across the Milky Way. Hikoboshi worked in the fields using his cows.
Orihime and Hikoboshi got married and fell deeply in love. They spent all their time together and stopped working.
The god became very angry. But the couple continued to neglect their duties.
Frustrated, the god took Orihime back to her home. The two had to be separated. Orihime cried every day wanting to see Hikoboshi.
The god felt bad for the couple and said, “Orihime, Hikoboshi, you two can only meet once a year. That will be on the night of July 7th. Orihime, you may cross the Milky Way that night. But you must return before morning.”
So, on the night of Tanabata, Orihime and Hikoboshi are able to meet once a year. Their wishes are granted on this special day.
On Tanabata, we write our wishes on colorful tanzaku papers. It is said that the wishes written on Tanabata will come true. A child might write “I want to get good grades.” Someone else might write “I want to meet a wonderful person.” What wish will you write on Tanabata?
Japanese text:
七月七日は七夕の日です。これは七夕の話です。
昔々、天に神様が住んでいました。娘が一人いて、名前はおりひめでした。おりひめはとてもまじめで、毎日、朝早く起きてはたを織っていました。
ある日、神様は思いました。「おりひめはもう大人だ。結婚したほうがいいこと」
神様はまじめな男の人を見つけました。天の川の向こうに住んでいる人で、名前はひこぼしでした。ひこぼしは牛を使って、畑で働いていました。
おりひめとひこぼしは結婚しました。二人はとても好きになりました。いつもいっしょにいて、ぜんぜん働きませんでした。
神様は怒りました。でも二人は仕事をしませんでした。
神様はとても怒って、おりひめを家に連れて帰りました。二人は別れなければいけませんでした。おりひめはひこぼしに会いたくて、毎日泣いていました。
神様は二人がかわいそうだと思って、言いました。
「おりひめ、ひこぼし、あなたたちは一年に一度だけ会ってもいい。それは七月七日の夜だ。おりひめ、あなたはその日、天の川の向こうに行ってもいい。でも、朝までに帰らなければいけない。」
一年に一度、七夕の夜におりひめとひこぼしは会います。二人の願いはかなうのです。
この日、私たちは赤や青などいろいろな色のたんざくに願いを書きます。七夕の日の願いはかなうと人々は言います。ある子供は「いい成績を取りたい」と書きます。ある人は「すてきな人に会いたい」と書きます。あなたは七夕の日にどんな願いを書きますか。
Took from the Chinese one. Weaver woman and the cowherd
Actually this is not strictly a Japanese fairytale/mythology but also an ancient chinese one.
You can’t Google ‘The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl’ story.
Well that legend is popular in Vietnam too.
It originated in Han Dynasty and spreads out across the Sinosphere.
https://vi.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ng%C6%B0u_Lang_Ch%E1%BB%A9c_N%E1%BB%AF
This is a Tanabata festival theme. It originally comes form this kind of festival from China. The characters are from Chinese mythology. Also these Chinese festivals followed lunar calendar and certain seasons are also from that calendar. They don’t match much today with the actual weather. When the festivals and calendar got adopted in Japan, it also got changed. For example now is a season of Geshi 夏至 summer solstice, subseason of 乃東枯 Natsukarekusa karuru – Prunella flowers wither.