The Weaver Girl and the Herdsman (Jiknyeo and Gyeonwu) (A Korean Folklore)

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Long ago, in the celestial realm, lived the Jade Emperor, the ruler of the heavens. He had a beautiful and skilled daughter named Jiknyeo, the Weaver Girl. Jiknyeo was incredibly talented and spent her days diligently weaving beautiful and colorful silks for her father. Her fabrics were so exquisite that they adorned the clouds and the very stars in the night sky.
Because Jiknyeo was always working, she was often lonely and longed for companionship. Seeing his daughter's solitude, the Jade Emperor arranged for her to meet Gyeonwu, the Herdsman, who lived on the other side of the heavenly river (what we know as the Milky Way). Gyeonwu was a kind and hardworking young man who tended to the celestial oxen.
When Jiknyeo and Gyeonwu met, they fell deeply in love at first sight. They were so happy in each other's company that they spent all their time together. Jiknyeo neglected her weaving, and the skies began to look bare and dull. Gyeonwu's oxen wandered across the heavens, untended, causing chaos in the celestial realm.
The Jade Emperor, seeing the disorder their love had caused, became angry. He decreed that Jiknyeo and Gyeonwu must be separated. Jiknyeo was sent back to her loom on one side of the heavenly river, and Gyeonwu was sent to tend his oxen on the other. They were forbidden to cross.
Banished to opposite sides of the vast, starry river, Jiknyeo and Gyeonwu were heartbroken. They could see each other across the expanse but could never reach one another. Jiknyeo wept tears of longing, and her sorrowful cries echoed through the heavens. Gyeonwu, too, was filled with despair.
Moved by their plight, magpies from all over the world flew up to the heavens and formed a bridge across the Milky Way with their bodies, allowing Jiknyeo and Gyeonwu to reunite. The Jade Emperor, witnessing their deep love and the devotion of the magpies, relented and allowed them to meet once a year on the seventh night of the seventh lunar month.
It is said that on this special night, if you look up at the Milky Way, you can almost see the magpie bridge shimmering across the stars, and perhaps even hear the faint whispers of the Weaver Girl and the Herdsman as they finally embrace after a year of longing. The tears they shed throughout the year are said to fall to Earth as gentle rain.
Cultural Reflection
This beautiful creation myth explains the origin of the stars and the Milky Way through a poignant love story. It highlights themes of duty versus love, the pain of separation, and the power of devotion and perseverance. The annual reunion is still celebrated in Korea as Chilseok, a day associated with wishing for good fortune and remembering the enduring love of Jiknyeo and Gyeonwu. The story also subtly emphasizes the importance of balance and fulfilling one's responsibilities.

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