Tanabata, Pegasus and Laputa

An exchange student rewrites a Japanese myth…

Eiko: July 7 is Tanabata.

Starlight: Tana – what?

Eiko: Orihime, the WeaverPrincess and Hikoboshi, the CowHerderStar, were married. There was a leadup to this but we'll skip that. Once married they got a bit lazy, weaving and cow herding. Orihime's father became annoyed and stuck them on opposite sides of the Milky Way and allowed them to meet only once a year, and only then if they had done their work diligently for a year. So every July 7 they can cross the Milky Way and meet on a bridge made of wings of magpies flying together.

Starlight: MAGPIE wings?

Eiko: Sounds a bit far-fetched, doesn’t it? Maybe these days they might use FaceBook, or Skype each other?

Starlight: Out of keeping with the original story. How about… (thinks) How about that winged horse, Pegasus, flies down and carries them to some meeting place?

Eiko: I know. Up to Laputa, Castle in the Sky.

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Voice-over

Guest Blogger “Starlight” came up with this incredibly credible contemporary ending: Pegasus flying the pair to Laputa for their annual holiday. All the more apt for a Milky Way location since Pegasus is a star constellation. And the link to Miyazaki Hayao’s Laputa revitalizes Tanabata into a modern myth.

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