Birds forming the star lovers’ bridge in Korean Fairy Tales, 1922
The waiting bride stands beside a bridge made from tightly gathered birds. The light-coloured birds are the artist’s treatment of the magpies named in the narrative; the picture does not establish a biological species or the festival’s calendar date.
Overview
Separated star lovers weep so much at the river between them that their tears threaten to flood the earth. An assembly of animals agrees that strong-flying birds must help. Millions of magpies gather, place their heads together as a floor and support the arch with their wings. The prince, his baggage and attendants cross to the waiting bride.
Griffis makes this an annual duty on the seventh day of the seventh month and explains the birds’ temporarily bare heads as the result of the crossing. His narration also substitutes August 7 for the lunar occasion; that is retained as a feature of the witness, not used to assign the festival a fixed Gregorian date. The hostile treatment it describes for absent birds is a historical narrative claim, not endorsed behavior.
The same author’s earlier Japanese Fairy World presents a distinct arrangement. Shokujo is the sun-king’s industrious daughter, married to the celestial herdsman Kingin. When marriage distracts her from weaving, her father orders the couple separated. At his command, myriads of magpies join their wings and backs into a firm road across the River of Heaven. Kingin crosses to the opposite bank, and the birds immediately disperse. Their first crossing therefore enforces the separation rather than ending it.
For the permitted annual meeting on the seventh night of the seventh month, the birds return and Shokujo crosses to her husband; he remains on his side. Rain can swell the celestial river enough to destroy even this living bridge. Unlike the Korean telling summarized above, this witness gives the sun-king the organizing command and makes the wife the annual traveler. Griffis narrates the first reunion under clear skies and its yearly repetition. These differences belong to two English retellings; neither should overwrite the other or establish a single universal festival narrative.
Origins & earliest records
Korean tale in an English literary retelling
Records & interpretation
Full relevant tale and collection preface directly read.
In the literature
“with their pinions they held up the great arch and highway”
The Sky Bridge of Birds, printed p.160
The magpies support the bridge used by the prince and his entourage.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Korean Fairy Tales
The Sky Bridge of Birds, pp.155–160
- 02
Japanese Fairy World: Stories from the Wonder-Lore of Japan
I, The Meeting of the Star-Lovers, pp.1–7; preface dated1880
- 03
Korean Fairy Tales — The Sky Bridge of Birds
NewYork:ThomasY.Crowell selected edition with copyright1911 and1922 explicitly printed; year1922 describes selected historical witness, not ancient origin. Full selected tales3/4/7/14/16/20 plus introductory note read independently. William Elliot Griffis is English reteller, not a documented individual Korean narrator. His fictional Grandma Kim/Mrs.Crinkles frames are distinguished from oral-source evidence.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
Primary records and illustrations
William Elliot Griffis, Korean Fairy Tales (1922)
The Sky Bridge of Birds. 155–160
Complete chapter read. Lunar seventh-month date distinguished from narrator’s August7 substitution; no modern calendrical claim. Original paraphrase; literary retelling without named actual informant. Japanese comparison: Griffis1887 I pp1–7 fully read, sun-king commands first bridge for husband exile, wife subsequently crosses annually; rain prevents crossing. Distinct from Korean animal-assembly/annual-prince crossing. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/29337/pg29337-images.html#THE_MEETING_OF_THE_STAR-LOVERS
Located primary passages
Specific passages supporting details in this entry, grouped by their published witness.
Korean Fairy Tales
NewYork:ThomasY.Crowell selected edition with copyright1911 and1922 explicitly printed; year1922 describes selected historical witness, not ancient origin. Full selected tales3/4/7/14/16/20 plus introductory note read independently. William Elliot Griffis is English reteller, not a documented individual Korean narrator. His fictional Grandma Kim/Mrs.Crinkles frames are distinguished from oral-source evidence.
- A king’s diligent daughter marries a prince who squanders his fortune and her dowry. Her father eventually banishes both to opposite sides of the Star River, allowing an annual meeting. Their tears threaten a terrestrial flood, so animals convene and strong-winged magpies build a bridge with heads as floor and wings as supports. The prince, baggage and followers cross; the account explains bare magpie heads, rain and thunder through the meeting and departure.
Seventh day of seventh lunar month and the reteller’s August7 substitution are features of this witness, not a fixed Gregorian date for the festival. Violence against absent birds is reported historical narrative conduct, not endorsed or instructed.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Historical English literary retellingGriffis, The Sky Bridge of Birds, pp.155–160Research access: 2026-10-05
- Historical English literary retellingGriffis, Japanese Fairy World, I, pp.1–7Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationBirds forming the star lovers’ bridge in Korean Fairy Tales, 1922
The waiting bride stands beside a bridge made from tightly gathered birds. The light-coloured birds are the artist’s treatment of the magpies named in the narrative; the picture does not establish a biological species or the festival’s calendar date.