Zhinü is the goddess of

weaving Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal th ...

and the star

Vega Vega is the brightest star in the northern constellation of Lyra. It has the Bayer designation α Lyrae, which is Latinised to Alpha Lyrae and abbreviated Alpha Lyr or α Lyr. This star is relatively close at only from the Sun, an ...

in Chinese mythology. She was the youngest of seven daughters of the

Jade Emperor The Jade Emperor or Yudi ( or , ') in Chinese culture, traditional religions and myth is one of the representations of the first god ( '). In Daoist theology he is the assistant of Yuanshi Tianzun, who is one of the Three Pure Ones, the three ...

. It is believed that she weaved her father’s royal robes out of the clouds. She is identified as the star

in the constellation

Lyra Lyra (; Latin for lyre, from Greek ''λύρα'') is a small constellation. It is one of the 48 listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and is one of the modern 88 constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union. Lyra was ...

. Zhinü was a legendary figure and main character in the popular Chinese folk tale ''

The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl "The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl" are characters found in Chinese mythology and characters appearing eponymously in a romantic Chinese folk tale. The story tells of the romance between Zhinü (; the weaver girl, symbolizing the star Vega) and ...

''. The earliest record of this myth is traced to over 2600 years ago.

Legend

Zhinü was the seventh daughter of the

. One day she came down to Earth and, while bathing in a river, met

Niulang Niulang is a Chinese deity who is identified as the star Altair in the constellation Aquila (constellation), Aquila. He was a legendary figure and main character in the popular Chinese folk tale ''The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl''. The earliest ...

, a cowherd. Niulang was so amazed by her beauty that he instantly fell in love with her and stole her clothes. Without her clothes, Zhinü was unable to return to heaven. Instead, she decided to marry Niulang. Niulang farmed in the fields while Zhinü weaved at home and took care of their children. Zhinü was so deeply in love and for so long that she no longer desired a return to heaven. However, their relationship was discovered by her father, Jade Emperor, who ordered the

Queen Mother of the West The Queen Mother of the West, known by various local names, is a mother goddess in Chinese religion and mythology, also worshipped in neighbouring Asian countries, and attested from ancient times. From her name alone some of her most importan ...

to bring Zhinü back to Heaven. Niulang was very upset when he found out his wife had been taken back to heaven. Niulang's ox, who saw the events unfold, built a boat for him to carry his children up to Heaven. The ox was once the god of cattle but was punished after he had violated the laws of Heaven. Just when Niulang and his sons were about to reach Heaven, the Queen Mother of the West punished them by creating the River of Heaven, or

Milky Way The Milky Way is the galaxy that includes our Solar System, with the name describing the galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars that cannot be individually distinguished by the naked eye ...

, across the middle of the sky, separating the two lovers forever. Heartbroken, Zhinü became the star Vega and Niulang the star

Altair Altair is the brightest star in the constellation of Aquila and the twelfth-brightest star in the night sky. It has the Bayer designation Alpha Aquilae, which is Latinised from α Aquilae and abbreviated Alpha Aql or ...

. Eventually, the Queen Mother of the West allowed them to meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month when a flock of

magpie Magpies are birds of the Corvidae family. Like other members of their family, they are widely considered to be intelligent creatures. The Eurasian magpie, for instance, is thought to rank among the world's most intelligent creatures, and is one ...

s swarm into the sky and create a bridge for them to cross. The day is celebrated as the "

Qixi Festival The Qixi Festival ( zh, 七夕), also known as the Qiqiao Festival ( zh, 七巧, links=no), is a Chinese festival celebrating the annual meeting of The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, Zhinü and Niulang in Chinese mythology... The festival is cele ...

", also known as China's

Valentine’s Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, thro ...

. Today the Chinese phrase "Niulang Zhinü" is commonly used to describe loving married couples. The story was selected as one of China's Four Great Folktales by the "Folklore Movement" in the 1920s—the others being the

Legend of the White Snake The Legend of the White Snake is a Chinese legend. It has since been presented in a number of major Chinese operas, films, and television series. The earliest attempt to fictionalize the story in printed form appears to be ''The White Maiden L ...

Lady Meng Jiang Lady Meng Jiang or Meng Jiang Nü () is a Chinese tale with many variations. Later versions are set in the Qin dynasty, when Lady Meng Jiang's husband was pressed into service by imperial officials and sent as corvee labor to build the Great Wa ...

, and

Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai The Butterfly Lovers is a Chinese legend of a tragic love story of a pair of lovers, Liang Shanbo () and Zhu Yingtai (), whose names form the title of the story. The title is often abbreviated to Liang Zhu (). The story was selected as one o ...

Gallery

File:Jūnishi nochi ushi "kengyūsei" by Yamamoto Hōsui.jpg, A painting by

Yamamoto Hōsui was a Japanese artist. He is also sometimes known as Yamamoto Tamenosuke. Biography He was born in Mino Province. He first trained in the Nanga (Bunjinga) style before studying Western painting with Charles Wirgman and Goseda Horyu (1827–9 ...

in 1892. File:The Weaver Girl, by Zhang Ling.jpg, Zhinü with a shuttle in her hand, painted by Zhang Ling, Ming dynasty. File:Famous Women, 1799 (H).jpg, Zhinü crossing the River of Heaven, as painted by

Gai Qi Gai Qi (; 1774–1829), courtesy name Bowen 伯蕰, art names Qiliang 七郎 and Yuhu Waishi 玉壶外史, was a poet and painter born in western China during the Qing dynasty. As an artist, he was active in Shanghai. His paintings mainly conce ...

, 1799. File:Zhinu, ceiling of Muxuyuan Station, Nanjing metro.jpg, Zhinü as depicted on the ceiling of Muxuyuan Station, Nanjing. File:Yoshitoshi - 100 Aspects of the Moon - 40-2.jpg, Zhinü and Niulang, by the Japanese painter

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi Tsukioka Yoshitoshi ( ja, 月岡芳年; also named Taiso Yoshitoshi ; 30 April 1839 – 9 June 1892) was a Japanese printmaker. Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric. (2005)"Tsukoka Kōgyō"in ''Japan Encyclopedia,'' p. 1000. Yoshitoshi h ...

. File:Guo Xu album dated 1503 (11).jpg, Depiction of the creation of the River of Heaven (Milky Way), painted by Guo Xu, Ming dynasty.

References

{{reflist Chinese goddesses

Legend

Gallery

See also

References