織姫(おりひめ)

おりひめ
noun
Orihime; the Weaver Princess (star Vega)
culturereligion
1. Orihime; the Weaver Princess
a figure from the Tanabata legend who represents the star Vega, separated from her lover Hikoboshi (Altair) by the Milky Way and allowed to meet him only once a year on the seventh of July
織姫(おりひめ)と彦星(ひこぼし)の伝説(でんせつ)は有名(ゆうめい)だ。
The legend of Orihime and Hikoboshi is famous.
七夕(たなばた)の夜(よる)に織姫(おりひめ)と彦星(ひこぼし)が会(あ)える。
On the night of Tanabata, Orihime and Hikoboshi can meet.
子(こ)どもたちは七夕(たなばた)の日(ひ)に、織姫(おりひめ)と彦星(ひこぼし)の物語(ものがたり)を聞(き)きながら短冊(たんざく)に願(ねが)いごとを書(か)いた。
On Tanabata, the children wrote their wishes on paper strips while listening to the story of Orihime and Hikoboshi.
2. weaver woman; woman who weaves cloth
a woman whose occupation is weaving fabric on a loom
昔(むかし)は織姫(おりひめ)が布(ぬの)を織(お)っていた。
In the old days, weaver women used to weave cloth.
村(むら)の織姫(おりひめ)たちが美(うつく)しい反物(たんもの)を作(つく)った。
The village weaver women made beautiful bolts of cloth.
機織(はたお)りの技術(ぎじゅつ)を受(う)け継(つ)いだ織姫(おりひめ)は、地域(ちいき)の伝統(でんとう)工芸(こうげい)を支(ささ)えていた。
Weaver women who inherited the craft of weaving supported the region's traditional arts.

Written with 織(おり) (weaving) and 姫(ひめ) (princess, young woman). In its primary sense, 織姫(おりひめ) refers to the celestial weaver from the 七夕(たなばた) (Tanabata) festival legend, based on the Chinese tale of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. The star Vega in the constellation Lyra represents 織姫(おりひめ), while Altair represents 彦星(ひこぼし).

Cultural note

The 七夕(たなばた) festival on July 7th celebrates this story. People write wishes on 短冊(たんざく) (paper strips) and hang them on bamboo branches, hoping for clear skies so the lovers can cross the 天(あま)の川(がわ) (Milky Way) to reunite.

Similar words

  • 彦星(ひこぼし): Hikoboshi; the Cowherd Star (Altair) — 織姫(おりひめ)'s lover in the legend
  • 七夕(たなばた): Tanabata; Star Festival — the festival celebrating their reunion
  • 機織(はたお)り: weaving — the act of weaving on a loom

Related Words

Compare: 彦星(ひこぼし) (Hikoboshi)
Compare: 七夕(たなばた) (Tanabata)
general
Added 2026.4.23 20:27 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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