Chinese concept ~ The Red String of Fate

The Red String of Fate is a popular myth in both Chinese and Japanese culture.

Its the idea that theres an invisible 'Red String' which is tyed to our little fingers or ankles, which connect us to our soulmates.

The Folklore for the Chienese concept, where it is most likely to have originated is...

'The story involves a young boy. Walking home one night, a young boy sees an old man standing beneath the moonlight. The man explains to the boy that he is attached to his destined wife by a red thread. He 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 the old man back in his childhood'.

'http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_string_of_fate'

This idea has been re-represented in many ways through both Chinese and Japanese media, along with popular culture all over the world.

Red String of Fate

For the idea of my first Treatment which i presented to the group, I've looked further into my idea of the red strings of fate to show the woman's connection the the men she's cheating on.

This video uses the idea of how the string works, and plays heavily on the 'fate' idea, as he saves the girl from the truck. This could be in interesting concept to include in my story, as we can use the idea of foreboding that the strings show her fate, rather than connection.




This video is another representation to the red string of fate, and how two people follow theirs together, but when they reach the end they're not fated to each other, but decide they would rather ignore the string, and stay together. I liked this take on the idea as it showed that the strings arent set, and dont have to be followed. Perhaps sometimes a perfect relationship isnt a relationship at all, and i'd like the maybe experiment with this idea by showing how the men choose to ignore the strings to the woman.Leaving her.

I had more inspiration from an episode of animated series i watched called XXX Holic, in this episode a woman with many boyfriends begins to feel ill from the lies she tells. By making a pinky promise and lying she slowly becomes so tangled in the strings of fate she cant move her little finger.This idea has had the most impact on my story, it's where my idea sprouted from, as i remebered the story from watching it some time ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doCq-CE5XIo&p=93CE3109BCF51778&playnext=1&index=1