Okinawan Folktale: Salt a Treat from the Ocean

Rainy Season

 

 

This story takes place during a period of never ending rain.

Dark skies and a continuous downpour made travel by land or, sea impossible.

The King was confined to Shuri Castle and, worried about the island's crops.

To End Depression

 

 

The king had the servants brought together to tell stories. 

He asked, if anyone might have an idea, what types of stories, could cheer him up.

One servant, suggested, talking about tasty foods, might help end the gloom and doom.

They took turns, describing the most delicious foods, they could imagine.

Some, considered rice to be the best food.

Others, preferred fish, goat or wild boar as their favorite choices.

Finally, the king asked the original servant, to describe his favorite meal.

Standing proudly before the king and all his court, he said, "Salt is the best thing in the world."

This made the king angry and, he thought the servant was poking fun at him. 

The king quickly, banished the servant to Yaeyama Island. 

Rain Ruined the Crops

 

 

 

Torrential downpours left the crops rotting away in the fields.

With nothing fresh, to flavor meals, the king complained about his tasteless dinners.

Servants dreaded bringing him meals and, hearing him grumble.

  

Mysterious Tasty Dish

 

 

One afternoon, the king tasted his soup and, smiled.  It was delicious.

He wanted to know what had been added, to make this meal so mouthwatering.

The servants told him, nothing special had been added to the meal.

The king insisted, something  different had been put in the food and wanted to know what it was.

A cook, checking the pot of fish, lifted the lid. And, something dropped into the soup.

It had come from the rafters, overhead.

When the servant looked to see what it was, he found a bag of salt, soaked from the rain. 

Sea salt was the magic ingredient, that made his food taste so good.

The king remembered the man he sent into exile for his comment about salt.

Now, he felt badly and, wished for that servant to return.

A messenger was dispatched to Yaeyama, to find the exiled man.

The servant refused to return to Shuri Castle, as the king had banished him for lifetime.

The king sent a second mission to do whatever it would take for the servant to return.

The servant agreed to return to Shuri only under a certain condition.

Three Harii (dragon boats) would have to come to get him and race home to Naha.

The king odrered the Harii boats, to be built and, they sailed to Yaeyama.

 The boats raced back to Naha, carrying the servant in the center harii.

The rainy season, stopped, as the harii and exiled servant returned to Shuri.

On the 5th day of the 5th month of the lunar calendar, each year, the Naha Harii takes place.

  

It helps, stop the rain and, the God of the Sea is thanked for the delicious ingredient; sea salt.

REFERENCE:

 Okinawan Folk Stories ISBN978-4-99009-146-0 P.119

Condensed from Salt Is the Number One Treat



MORE FOLKLORE

Kin Town Harii Aka -- Dragon Boat Races

Ten Photos of Sabani Boats in Action

 

 

It's a good thing, I changed my mind and went to this activity today.

No alcohol was consumed last night.  Instead, I took some Aspirin and crashed early.

The sun was already blazing, high in the sky by the time I woke up.

The wife laughed and told me, "Don't worry about the Harii. Skip it.

"You're getting too old for that stuff.  Sleeping late is good for you."

So, I told her, "You're probably right. I won't go."

But, around 10AM, I packed some cameras and started walking.

A taxi driver friend came along and asked where I was going.

So, I hopped in and said, "Take me to Kin Port."

The sky was looking kind of iffy but, that can always change.

Sure enough, the black clouds, moved out of the scene.

The afternoon sun lit up the power plant and gave me some blue skies.

So, I stayed on that side of the port and tried to shoot each team.

Most of these people, rowing the sabani boats, only get to do it once a year.

And, when they run across me, it's always, "Mike, did you get my picture?"

Truthfully, with about 2,000 folks at the event, I don't know, who I shot.

Husbands, wives, grandparents and children are everywhere at gatherings like this.

A photographer, at a sporting event, isn't exactly a good census taker.

There are some friends of mine, who do special events photography.

So, when someone wants their own photographer, I can give them a referral.

Special event photographers, come at a price.

The type of photography, I'm doing here, you could say, is cultural photography.

 So, I tell people asking me about a photo, I may or, may not have taken, to look.

If they see their offspring on my blog, website or, Facebook, just let me know.

If they want a printed photo, I can be very reasonable.

That's why, we all carry model releases.