Altair and Vega, The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl: An Analysis of a Living Sky-myth

This paper examines the elements that comprise the ancient Chinese legend of The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, a mythic tale that is played out against a cosmic background, and whose narrative has its basis in the astronomical cycle of the stars, Altair and Vega. The descent of the myth’s characters and subsequent ascent into the skies sets up a cosmic interplay, creating interaction between the mythic and the mortal, the heavens and the earth, the divine and the human. This paper will also discuss the cosmological symbolism of textile production at the centre of the myth’s storyline, whereby weaving is a means of manufacturing the cosmos and colouring the heavens. The legend can be considered living myth, in that it gives rise to contemporary festivals in several cultures in East Asia, which are inspired by folklore and traditional customs. Themes that are central to the myth’s narrative, such as love, weaving, and the movement of the stars, are acknowledged and celebrated in these festivals, themselves survivors of an earlier lunar calendar system. The paper goes on to assess the relevance and cultural interaction of both the myth and the festival amongst a small group of selected volunteer respondents, selected from the Chinese and Japanese communities residing in the UK.