the legend
happened a long time ago
Long time ago, seven beautiful tennyo (celestial maidens) from heaven came down to earth to take a bath. A fisherman who was passing by saw them, and their hagoromo (feathered robes) that they hung on a nearby tree. The robes were the finest things he had ever seen, and greedily took one of them home.
It was time the tennyo went back to heaven. Each one had their hagoromo and flew. Only the seventh one was left behind crying, as a tennyo without her robe cannot return to heaven. She went looking for it, and ended up in the fisherman's house. When she saw him, she became suspicious and pleaded for her robe.
The fisherman did not give back the robe, instead, he pretended to know nothing about it. Broken and dishearted, she married him. Between the two, they bear children. Gradually, he convinces her to give him powers. Instead of using it wisely, he ended up abusing it.
Many years later, the tennyo finally found out where her hagoromo was for so long, when she heard her child singing a song. She rediscovers her robe, and returned to heaven. Although leaving the children may grieve her, she does not take them with her. Her spirit lives on, lending power to the children of the family.