From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The red string of fate (Traditional Chinese: 紅線; Simplified
Chinese: 紅线; Yale:
hung4sin3; Pinyin: hóngxiàn), also referred to as
the red thread of destiny, red thread of
fate (and by other variants) is an East Asian belief originating from Chinese
legend and is also used in Japanese legend. According to this myth,
the gods tie an invisible red string around the ankles of men and
women who are destined to be soul mates and will one day marry each
other. According to Chinese legend, the deity in charge of "the red
thread" is believed to be Yue Xia Lao (月下老) (often abbreviated to
"Yuelao" [月老]), the old lunar matchmaker god who is also in charge
of marriages.
"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to
meet,
regardless of time, place, or circumstance.
The thread may stretch or tangle,
but it will never break."
- an ancient Chinese belief
The two people connected by the red thread are destined lovers,
regardless of time, place or circumstances. This magical cord may
stretch or tangle, but never break. This myth is similar to the
Western concept of soulmates or a twin flame.
Folklore
One story featuring the red string of fate involves a young boy.
Walking home one night, a young boy sees an old man standing
beneath the moonlight (Yue Xia Lao). He explains to the boy that he
is attached to his destined wife by a red thread. Yue Xia Lao shows
the boy his destined wife, a young girl. Being young and having no
interest in having a wife, the young boy picks up a rock and throws
it at the girl, running away. Many years later, when the boy has
grown into a young man, his parents arrange a wedding for him. On
the night of his wedding, his wife waits for him in their bedroom,
with the traditional veil covering her face. Raising it, the man is
delighted to find that his wife is one of the great beauties of his
village. However, she wears an adornment on her eyebrow. He asks
her why she wears it and she responds that when she was a young
girl, a boy threw a rock at her that struck her, leaving a scar on
her eyebrow. She self consciously wears the adornment to cover it
up. The woman is, in fact, the same young girl connected to the man
by the red thread shown to him by Yue Xia Lao back in his
childhood.
See also
- Red string (Kabbalah) the
talisman also known as red string, it is associated with Kabbalah, when worn on the
left wrist, and with Buddhism when worn on the right wrist.
- Chinese
mythology a collection of cultural history, folktales, and
religions that have been passed down in oral or written form.
- Red String, a webcomic by Gina Biggs, gains
its title from the first chapter's reference to the red string of
fate and the adventures of the two people entwined by it.
References
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