Uncategorized March 29, 2013

Taketori Monogatari－The tale of the Bamboo Cutter.

  Somehow the stories about the moon are always related to the female in oriental cultures, such as Chang E fly to the moon with her rabbit in Chinese culture,  the moon princess from “The tale of the bamboo cutter” in Japanese literatures. These stories inspired me to start a “Luna Project”, the drawings of moon tales in Asia.
   As the first tale in Japanese literature history, “The tale of the bamboo cutter” is about an old bamboo cutter found a mini baby inside of the bamboo, he and her wife adopted her,  raise her. When she became a unbelievably beautiful young lady, Many suiters came to the bamboo cutter’s family ask for marriage. But they all failed under the impossible task order from the lady. In the end, the Emperor came to ask for marriage, she refused as well. That summer, she told the old bamboo cutter couple the truth, she is the princess of the moon . She had to return home, it was time . In the end of the story, she said farewell to the old couple and fly back to the moon.
   In the most of modified versions of this story, the background is based on Heian era. I think it is a perfect match. It is amazing to think about how many things the moon gives to us : a source of great inspiration and beauty, it works on our imaginations pulling the strings of ideas , drawing them out of us.


Illustration by Nancy.Z

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