Dong Yong and the Seventh Fairy
Dong Yong and the Seventh Fairyis aChinese legendcentered around a romance between an orphanedHan-dynastyman namedDong Yongand theSeventh Fairy,the youngest daughter of theJade Emperor.
Story[edit]
The seven daughters of theJade Emperortravel to the mortal world. The youngest of the seven fairy maidens was in search of her lost weaving equipment and her "coat of feathers," without which she was unable to fly. Another version of the story states that the seventh fairy's feather coat was actually stolen by a mortal named Dong Yong, advised by one of his cattle who happened to be an exiled fairy as well and disguised as a normal, aged bull. During the stay, the maiden falls in love with Dong Yong. He is a poor worker who had sold himself into servitude to pay for his father's funeral. With help of the other fairies, the seventh fairy managed to weave ten pieces ofbrocadefor Dong Yong to pay off his debt, shortening his indenture to 100 days. Before the couple can begin their life together, the Jade Emperor orders his daughters to return home. However, he is kind enough to allow the couple to reunite once a year on the Thất Tịch (the 7th Evening) -- later known as the traditional ChineseQixi Festival—by crossing theMilky Way.[1]
In memory of this story, ancient Chinese astrologers named two prominent stars that stand at a distance from each other Ngưu Lang, "cowherd man," and Chức Nữ, "weaving girl." These are the starsAltairin the constellation Aquila andVegain Lyra.
Adaptations[edit]
Films[edit]
| Year | Production | Additional information |
|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Mainland China | Fairy Couple( thiên tiên xứng ) |
| 1963 | Hong Kong | A Maid from Heaven( thất tiên nữ ) |
| 1963 | Taiwan | Seven Fairies( thất tiên nữ ) |
| 1964 | Taiwan | Seven Fairies( thất tiên nữ ) andSeven Fairies, Chapter 2( thất tiên nữ kết thúc thiên ) |
Television series[edit]
| Year | Production | Additional information |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Mainland China | New Fairy Couple( tân thiên tiên xứng ) |
| 2005 | Chinese Entertainment Shanghai (Mainland China) | The Little Fairy( thiên ngoại phi tiên ) |
| Beijing Advantages Competition International Culture and Arts & Jiangxi TV Co., Ltd. (Mainland China) | Huan Tian Xi Di Qi Xian Nu( hoan thiên hỉ địa thất tiên nữ ) | |
| 2007 | Mainland China | Fairy Couple( thiên tiên xứng ) |
| 2010 | Mainland China | Tian Di Yin Yuan Qi Xian Nu (Tian Xian Pei II)( thiên địa nhân duyên thất tiên nữ ( thất tiên nữ 2)) |
Publications[edit]
The tale has also been subject matter of literary adaptations and retellings:
- Mao, Xian (2013).Cowherd and Weaver and Other Most Popular Love Legends in China.eBook: Kindle Direct Publishing.
- The Seventh Fairy:a reinterpretation of the myth made by Angelo Paratico in a book published in Hong Kong in 2017 by Lascar Publishing.
See also[edit]
- The Weaver Girl and the Cowherd
- Icarus
- Tanabata
- The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter( Kaguyahime )
- Jaka Tarub and the Seven Apsaras(Indonesian folktale)
- The Heavenly Maiden and the Woodcutter(Korean folktale)
- Pernikahan Nawangsih
- Ayashi no Ceres
References[edit]
- ^Shang, Biwu. "Unnatural narratology and Zhiguai tales of the six dynasties in China". In:Neohelicon45, pp. 179–190 (2018).https://doi.org/10.1007/s11059-018-0421-5
Further reading[edit]
- Idema, Wilt L.Filial Piety and Its Divine Rewards: The Legend of Dong Yong and Weaving Maiden, with Related Texts.Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett, 2009.ISBN978-1-60384-135-1.
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