Description
Here is my second fan-art work for the anime Folktales from Japan (ふるさと再生 日本の昔ばなし) . It is the girl from the series' retelling of the "Oshira" legend for episode #38.
In that version, the girl is a daughter of a rich man who have had her in the "November" of his life; he loves her so much, that he never lets her leaves the property. To make sure she has someone to play with, her father gave her a little foal she named "Haru" (which means "spring") because to her he smelt just like the grass after the snow melts. The two became close friends. Years later when the girl grew into a beautiful young woman and Haru a fine, handsome stallion. But Haru became sick that he couldn't eat the grass he loves, even though he seems fine. And when he went berserk, the rich man was afraid that Haru would kick his daughter; but you and I know he would never do that! So being an overprotective father, the man sold Haru to a horse dealer.
But things got worse, when along the road Haru went wild and fell into the sea. The poor girl was really sad that she locked herself in the weaving shed. No matter how her father pleaded she wouldn't come out, until her father decide to have some of his men break the door. But a strange wind came about and smash the roof; they could see it's Haru's spirit and he whisks the girl away to the heavens. The poor man was beside himself with grief. Then one night, his daughter appeared in his dream saying she is happy now and she would appear in the mulberry tree outside. The man woke up and rush to the mulberry tree, and found only two slikworms eating the leaves. Now this might sound strange, but to him the munching sound was like his daughter's soft voice saying:
"Haru and I were in love with each other, but he suffered because he could not tell me how he felt with words. Now we can share what is in our hearts." Her father now understood.
Within time the worms ate their fill and spun two shining cocoons. To the man, his dear daughter is happy even though she and Haru would never come back. So he had a shrine built under the mulberry tree. So the girl and her beloved Haru became "Oshira" : the silkworm deity.
For this picture I had drawn a Disneyfied version of the girl and I hope those who watched the series would love it
Folktales from Japan © Tomason
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