Post by jade on May 15, 2008 6:00:53 GMT -5
With a vivid interest in different cultures, particularly pertaining to folklore, myth and legends, I happened across the most beautiful Chinese love story and decided that it is way too beautiful not to share.
In late summer, the stars Altair and Vega are high in the night sky, and then this love-story is being told.
A young cowherd (named Altair) comes across seven fairy sisters, bathing in a lake. Encouraged by his mischievous companion, the ox, he steals their clothes and waits to see what will happen. The fairy sisters elect the youngest, and fairest sister (named Vega) to retrieve their clothing. She does that, but since Altair saw her naked, she had to agree to marry him. They were very happy together, until:
The Goddess of Heaven, the fairy’s mother found out that a mere mortal married her youngest fairy girl and in a rage she forced the weaver fairy back to her duty of weaving clouds in the sky.
Meanwhile, back on earth, Altair was without his beautiful wife. Then his ox tells him to kill him, and wear his hide. This would enable Altair to go to the heaven and find his lost bride. With tears flowing, Altair did just that.
The Goddess however found out that he had come and with a raging strike of her hairpin, she scratched a wide river in the sky to separate the two lovers forever – thus forming the Milky Way, which separates the stars Altair and Vega.
Once every 1000 years, legend tells that all the magpies in the world take pity on the two lovers, and fly up unto heaven to form a bridge, so the lovers may be together – for a single night, the seventh night of the seventh moon. Since then, the number seven signified ‘togetherness’ in Chinese Culture.
In late summer, the stars Altair and Vega are high in the night sky, and then this love-story is being told.
A young cowherd (named Altair) comes across seven fairy sisters, bathing in a lake. Encouraged by his mischievous companion, the ox, he steals their clothes and waits to see what will happen. The fairy sisters elect the youngest, and fairest sister (named Vega) to retrieve their clothing. She does that, but since Altair saw her naked, she had to agree to marry him. They were very happy together, until:
The Goddess of Heaven, the fairy’s mother found out that a mere mortal married her youngest fairy girl and in a rage she forced the weaver fairy back to her duty of weaving clouds in the sky.
Meanwhile, back on earth, Altair was without his beautiful wife. Then his ox tells him to kill him, and wear his hide. This would enable Altair to go to the heaven and find his lost bride. With tears flowing, Altair did just that.
The Goddess however found out that he had come and with a raging strike of her hairpin, she scratched a wide river in the sky to separate the two lovers forever – thus forming the Milky Way, which separates the stars Altair and Vega.
Once every 1000 years, legend tells that all the magpies in the world take pity on the two lovers, and fly up unto heaven to form a bridge, so the lovers may be together – for a single night, the seventh night of the seventh moon. Since then, the number seven signified ‘togetherness’ in Chinese Culture.