Current mood:	contemplative
Current music:	Carole King -|- Too late
Entry tags:	a lesson learned, culture, home, story

The Story of Botan Dôrô
This is the story of, Botan Dôrô, and it begins like this: There was once, long ago, a brave samurai named Ogiwara Shinnojo. His wife had died many years before this story, but it is important to remember, for he was very lonely.

On the first night of Obon, he sees a beautiful woman and her maid walking past his house carrying a Peony lantern. I should explain that Obon is a Buddhist holiday that is meant to honor the dead. The girl he sees that night is named Otsuyu, and he falls madly in love with her. They vow to be together for all eternity.

But something was odd about Otsuyu, she only came to him at dusk, and leaves before the sun rose. Still, Ogiwara is in love with his beautiful girl, and continues to see her. It is not until one night, when his servant peeks into his room, does he see Ogiwara having relations with a decaying corpse.

Of course Ogiwara does not see this, does not believe it until he is visited by the local Buddhist monk. The monk shows him the tomb of Otsuyu, and convinces Ogiwara to guard himself against the spirits that torment him. He puts up charms around his house to keep the ghosts at bay, but he is miserable, for he still loves his beautiful Otsuyu. . .

One night, Ogirwara can stand it no longer. He is weak, his skin is pale and his eyes are hallow. He has not been eating, for his heart has been sick with longing, with grief. When the heart is sick nothing can cure it but the one thing it longs for. So he takes the charms and the wards off the house, he invites Otsuyu back into the house, back into his bed.

The next morning, his servants find him, the skeleton of Otsuyu in his arms, a blissful look upon his face. For in death he found a way to truly be with his beloved ghost.