The First Hantei's Bride
It is said that during the dawn of the Empire, Hantei sought a bride to accompany him in life and bear his heir. He traveled through all of Rokugan, seeking the perfect woman, but could not find a suitable match anywhere. He turned to his sister Doji for help, and her followers searched far and wide to find a suitable woman, but still in vain.
In the village of Ichito, just south of Kyuden Doji, one fisherman had a daughter of true magnificence. Doji Mioko had a voice so pure and beautiful that the fish in the ocean would rise to the surface to listen to her—which made fishing very easy for her father. When Doji’s samurai came looking, the fisherman feared for his livelihood, so he took his daughter to an island off the coast to hide.
Hantei remained dissatisfied with the many beautiful women brought to court by Kakita and Doji. There was nothing lacking in their honor, beauty, or skills. But none inspired him, none made his heart beat as his sister had admitted Kakita did for her. The Emperor decided to abandon the search for a time, and went hunting with his falcons to raise his spiritis. While chasing a stray bird, he found himself on the coast, listening to the sea breeze—and with it, a beautiful and hauntingly sad tune. When he told Kakita of this, the husband of Doji took him to the village, seeking a ferry to the island which seemed to be the source of the mysterious song.
The only fisherman not out to sea was Mioko’s father, and it was he who took Hantei and Kakita to the island. When he realized the purpose of their trip, the clever fisherman regaled them with tales of the wind blowing through rocks and coral. He claimed it could often sound like a maiden singing for her lover. Disappointed, Hantei returned to the mainland to meet the next group of Crane maidens.
After the samurai had left, the fisherman returned to the island to speak to his daughter and bring her food. She had seen him at sea and asked who the man with him had been, but he replied it was merely a beggar. Then he praised her for her obedience and returned to the mainland. The fisherman did not realize that Mioko had in fact fallen instantly deeply in love with the radiant young Emperor. She wrote a haiku about the man she had seen on a ribbon, and tied it to the leg of a bird she had befriended. With a prayer to Amaterasu, she released the dove to carry her feelings away from the island. The dove flew true and came to Hantei’s rooms in the Imperial Palace.
No sooner had Hantei read the poem than he summoned Kakita. He proclaimed the author of the poem was the only woman he would marry, and commanded his champion to find her. Crane samurai once again set out to scour their lands for the soul who wrote the haiku, but no one could tell them who had written the poem on the ribbon.
When the fisherman told his daughter of the Emperor’s search, Mioko burst into tears. The Emperor had stolen her words and taken them as his own. Now she would never have her handsome beggar. The quick-thinking fisherman asked for the words to the poem, telling his daughter he would teach them to another village girl. Once the Emperor had left, he promised, he would help her find her “beggar.”
The fisherman brought a village girl to the Emperor’s palace, bearing his daughter’s words. The Crane rejoiced at having finally provided a bride for the Emperor, but Hantei’s divine nature let him sense something was amiss. He asked the girl for more of her poetry, but found it lacking. The girl soon broke down and confessed the truth.
Hantei was angry, but he chose a cunning strategy rather than direct confrontation. The next day he visited the fisherman and aksed to hear the music from the island coral once more. The fisherman grudgingly rowed the young Kami out to the island. When Mioko saw her father return with her “beggar,” she rushed out to meet him…and when Hantei saw Mioko, he dropped to his knees and declared his love for her. It is said that when Mioko accepted his love and returned it, Hantei wept tears that turned to pure jade as they fell upon the sand. He collected the tears and gave them to Kakita in exchange for the Crane maiden’s hand in marriage.
As for the greedy fisherman, he was condemned to live on the island for the rest of his life, with only the wind in the coral for companionship.
In the village of Ichito, just south of Kyuden Doji, one fisherman had a daughter of true magnificence. Doji Mioko had a voice so pure and beautiful that the fish in the ocean would rise to the surface to listen to her—which made fishing very easy for her father. When Doji’s samurai came looking, the fisherman feared for his livelihood, so he took his daughter to an island off the coast to hide.
Hantei remained dissatisfied with the many beautiful women brought to court by Kakita and Doji. There was nothing lacking in their honor, beauty, or skills. But none inspired him, none made his heart beat as his sister had admitted Kakita did for her. The Emperor decided to abandon the search for a time, and went hunting with his falcons to raise his spiritis. While chasing a stray bird, he found himself on the coast, listening to the sea breeze—and with it, a beautiful and hauntingly sad tune. When he told Kakita of this, the husband of Doji took him to the village, seeking a ferry to the island which seemed to be the source of the mysterious song.
The only fisherman not out to sea was Mioko’s father, and it was he who took Hantei and Kakita to the island. When he realized the purpose of their trip, the clever fisherman regaled them with tales of the wind blowing through rocks and coral. He claimed it could often sound like a maiden singing for her lover. Disappointed, Hantei returned to the mainland to meet the next group of Crane maidens.
After the samurai had left, the fisherman returned to the island to speak to his daughter and bring her food. She had seen him at sea and asked who the man with him had been, but he replied it was merely a beggar. Then he praised her for her obedience and returned to the mainland. The fisherman did not realize that Mioko had in fact fallen instantly deeply in love with the radiant young Emperor. She wrote a haiku about the man she had seen on a ribbon, and tied it to the leg of a bird she had befriended. With a prayer to Amaterasu, she released the dove to carry her feelings away from the island. The dove flew true and came to Hantei’s rooms in the Imperial Palace.
No sooner had Hantei read the poem than he summoned Kakita. He proclaimed the author of the poem was the only woman he would marry, and commanded his champion to find her. Crane samurai once again set out to scour their lands for the soul who wrote the haiku, but no one could tell them who had written the poem on the ribbon.
When the fisherman told his daughter of the Emperor’s search, Mioko burst into tears. The Emperor had stolen her words and taken them as his own. Now she would never have her handsome beggar. The quick-thinking fisherman asked for the words to the poem, telling his daughter he would teach them to another village girl. Once the Emperor had left, he promised, he would help her find her “beggar.”
The fisherman brought a village girl to the Emperor’s palace, bearing his daughter’s words. The Crane rejoiced at having finally provided a bride for the Emperor, but Hantei’s divine nature let him sense something was amiss. He asked the girl for more of her poetry, but found it lacking. The girl soon broke down and confessed the truth.
Hantei was angry, but he chose a cunning strategy rather than direct confrontation. The next day he visited the fisherman and aksed to hear the music from the island coral once more. The fisherman grudgingly rowed the young Kami out to the island. When Mioko saw her father return with her “beggar,” she rushed out to meet him…and when Hantei saw Mioko, he dropped to his knees and declared his love for her. It is said that when Mioko accepted his love and returned it, Hantei wept tears that turned to pure jade as they fell upon the sand. He collected the tears and gave them to Kakita in exchange for the Crane maiden’s hand in marriage.
As for the greedy fisherman, he was condemned to live on the island for the rest of his life, with only the wind in the coral for companionship.
