Sunday, August 14, 2005
Folktails and Modern Holidays
Aibek had an interesting post about the Chinese Valentine's Day - which I quickly saw was the same story I have read in children's books in my childhood.
I know Digidy is gagging at anything that has to do with Valentine's and romance, but it's a very interesting thread into Asian mythology and folktales. Japan and China have very similar roots, and more often than not, Japan has adapted the Chinese versions to fit our own culture.
The story of Otohime (the weaving maiden) and Hikoboshi (the ox herder) is one of two lovers separated by the gods, punished for being pleasure-mongers, which affected other people's lives (Otohime weaves everyone's clothes and Hikoboshi took care of the oxen). Therefore, they were separated by the Ama-no-Kawa (Milky Way) and could only reunite once a year - July 7. See story here. Illustrated version here (click on links to turn pages).
This holiday, called Tanabata, has become more or less a commercial holiday in Japan, where we put up bamboo trees in our garden and make a wishlist to hang on July 7 (although we use the Western calendar). We can wish for the happy reunification of Otohime and Hikoboshi, as well as something for ourselves. It's a holiday of wishes coming true.
It's kind of funny, because it's like a hybrid of Valentine's and Christmas - but perhaps a different way of putting it is that Valentine's Day is like Tanabata. I always feel that Chinese and Japanese culture is enriched by the animistic and nature-fearing attitude - many more mythologies were made in order to explain phenomenons such as the sun, origin of agriculture, and natural disasters - somewhat erotic and human too.
I know Digidy is gagging at anything that has to do with Valentine's and romance, but it's a very interesting thread into Asian mythology and folktales. Japan and China have very similar roots, and more often than not, Japan has adapted the Chinese versions to fit our own culture.
The story of Otohime (the weaving maiden) and Hikoboshi (the ox herder) is one of two lovers separated by the gods, punished for being pleasure-mongers, which affected other people's lives (Otohime weaves everyone's clothes and Hikoboshi took care of the oxen). Therefore, they were separated by the Ama-no-Kawa (Milky Way) and could only reunite once a year - July 7. See story here. Illustrated version here (click on links to turn pages).
This holiday, called Tanabata, has become more or less a commercial holiday in Japan, where we put up bamboo trees in our garden and make a wishlist to hang on July 7 (although we use the Western calendar). We can wish for the happy reunification of Otohime and Hikoboshi, as well as something for ourselves. It's a holiday of wishes coming true.
It's kind of funny, because it's like a hybrid of Valentine's and Christmas - but perhaps a different way of putting it is that Valentine's Day is like Tanabata. I always feel that Chinese and Japanese culture is enriched by the animistic and nature-fearing attitude - many more mythologies were made in order to explain phenomenons such as the sun, origin of agriculture, and natural disasters - somewhat erotic and human too.
// posted by sakit @ 8:08 AM 
