Red string of fate
Encyclopedia
The red string of fate, also referred to as the red thread of destiny, red thread of fate, and other variants, is an East Asia
n 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. Often, in Japanese culture, it is thought to be tied around the little finger
. According to Chinese legend, the deity in charge of "the red thread" is believed to be Yuè Xià Lǎo (月下老, often abbreviated to "Yuèlǎo" [月老]), the old lunar matchmaker god who is also in charge of marriages.
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 soulmate
s or a twin flame.
and several other manga and anime series like
The Vision of Escaflowne
, InuYasha
, Toradora
,Fruits Basket
, Bound beauty, an episode of XxX Holic,AkiSora, etc. Usually overlooked, most seem to be developed with teenage characters and tagged as romances.
Also in Naruto, Kushina Uzumaki's red hair is a symbol of "the red thread of fate" that lead her to her soulmate and future husband, Minato Namikaze.
And in the Gumi song "Diamond and Lies" Lucy Kaplansky Wikipedia - The Red Thread
one of the weapons obtained by the character Gepetto is called 'Crimson Thread'. It is described as 'A thread that connects the fates of two people' and 'Legend says this thread links the fate of a star-crossed couple. Said to make the owner's deepest wish a reality'.
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
n 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. Often, in Japanese culture, it is thought to be tied around the little finger
Little finger
The little finger, often called the pinky in American English, pinkie in Scottish English , or small finger in medicine, is the most ulnar and usually smallest finger of the human hand, opposite the thumb, next to the ring finger.-Muscles:There are four muscles that...
. According to Chinese legend, the deity in charge of "the red thread" is believed to be Yuè Xià Lǎo (月下老, often abbreviated to "Yuèlǎo" [月老]), the old lunar matchmaker god who is also in charge of marriages.
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 soulmate
Soulmate
A soulmate is believed by some to be the person with whom one has a feeling of deep or natural affinity, similarity, love, intimacy, sexuality, spirituality, or compatibility. A related concept is that of the twin flame or twin soul, which is thought to be the ultimate soulmate...
s 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). The man explains to the boy that he is attached to his destined wife by a red thread. Yue Xia Lao shows the boy the young girl who is destined to be his wife. 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, showing that they were connected by the red string of fate.In Japanese manga
Heavy references or inferences to the "red string" throughout the KekkaishiKekkaishi
is a supernatural manga series written and illustrated by Yellow Tanabe. It was serialized in Japan by Shogakukan in the manga magazine Shōnen Sunday from 2003 to 2011 , and licensed for an English-language release in North America by Viz Media. It was adapted as a fifty-two episode anime series by...
and several other manga and anime series like
The Vision of Escaflowne
The Vision of Escaflowne
is a 26-episode Japanese anime television series produced by Sunrise Studios and directed by Kazuki Akane. It premiered in Japan on April 2, 1996 on TV Tokyo, with the final episode airing on September 24, 1996. Sony's anime satellite channel, Animax also aired the series, both in Japan and on its...
, InuYasha
InuYasha
, also known as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It premiered in Weekly Shōnen Sunday on November 13, 1996 and concluded on June 18, 2008...
, Toradora
Toradora!
is a Japanese light novel series by Yuyuko Takemiya, with illustrations by Yasu. The series includes ten novels released between March 10, 2006 and March 10, 2009, published by ASCII Media Works under their Dengeki Bunko imprint. Three volumes of a spin-off light novel series was also created,...
,Fruits Basket
Fruits Basket
, sometimes abbreviated , is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Natsuki Takaya. It was serialized in the semi-monthly Japanese magazine Hana to Yume, published by Hakusensha, from 1999 to 2006. The series was also adapted into a 26-episode anime series, directed by Akitaro...
, Bound beauty, an episode of XxX Holic,AkiSora, etc. Usually overlooked, most seem to be developed with teenage characters and tagged as romances.
Also in Naruto, Kushina Uzumaki's red hair is a symbol of "the red thread of fate" that lead her to her soulmate and future husband, Minato Namikaze.
In film
- In the 1957 film SayonaraSayonaraSayonara is a 1957 color American film starring Marlon Brando. It tells the story of an American Air Force flier who was an "ace" fighter pilot during the Korean War....
, Miiko TakaMiiko Takais a Japanese American actress best known for co-starring with Marlon Brando as Hana-ogi in the 1957 movie Sayonara.-'Sayonara':Taka was born in Seattle, but raised in Los Angeles, California as a Nisei; her parents had immigrated from Japan. She graduated from Los Angeles High School in 1943...
's character Hana-ogi points out to Marlon BrandoMarlon BrandoMarlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
's character, Lloyd Gruver, her lover, two rocks in the sea close to shore, which are said to be "married", as shown by the red rope connecting them across the waves. - In the feature film DollsDolls (film)is a 2002 Japanese film written, edited and directed by Japanese director Takeshi Kitano. A highly stylized art film, Dolls is part of Kitano's non-crime film oeuvre, like 1991's A Scene at the Sea, and unlike most of his other films, he does not act in it...
, two of the main characters go through the story attached with a red piece of rope. - In the 2006 Japanese film Wool 100% red yarn is shown throughout as linking the characters.
In music
In the song "Makka Na Ito" by the Japanese band Plastic tree there are references to the red string of fate in the chorus. The title translates to "crimson thread". Also quoting the "Vocaloid2" song "Just be friends" aka "JBF" by Luka Megurine. In the PV, Luka and Boy ("Masuta/Master" perhaps) are connected by the red string of fate, resembling their soul-ship, even though they broke up.And in the Gumi song "Diamond and Lies" Lucy Kaplansky Wikipedia - The Red Thread
The Red Thread (Lucy Kaplansky album)
The Red Thread is the fifth solo album by New York singer-songwriter Lucy Kaplansky, released in 2004.- Track listing :Unless noted otherwise, lyrics by Lucy Kaplansky & Richard Litvin, music by Lucy Kaplansky# "I Had Something" – 4:16...
In Video Games
In 2004 game Shadow Hearts: CovenantShadow Hearts: Covenant
Shadow Hearts: Covenant is a console role-playing game developed by Nautilus and published by Midway in 2004. It is a direct continuation of Shadow Hearts and the second official game in the Shadow Hearts series. The game features two DVD-ROM discs instead of the usual one, which provides,...
one of the weapons obtained by the character Gepetto is called 'Crimson Thread'. It is described as 'A thread that connects the fates of two people' and 'Legend says this thread links the fate of a star-crossed couple. Said to make the owner's deepest wish a reality'.
See also
- Red string (Kabbalah)Red string (Kabbalah)Wearing a thin red string is a custom, popularly thought to be associated with Judaism's Kabbalah, to ward off misfortune brought about by an "evil eye" . In Yiddish the red string is called a roite bindele....
- Chinese mythologyChinese mythologyChinese mythology is a collection of cultural history, folktales, and religions that have been passed down in oral or written tradition. These include creation myths and legends and myths concerning the founding of Chinese culture and the Chinese state...
- MangaMangaManga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
- Red String (webcomic)Red String (webcomic)Red String is a webcomic series created by Gina Biggs. Starting in 2002, this story chronicles the daily life of a Japanese high school student, Miharu Ogawa who discovers one day that she is the victim of an arranged marriage. The series premise is based on the red string of fate of Japanese and...