With the recent announcement that Harrison Ford will be reprising his role as Han Solo in J. J. Abrams’ Star Wars VII, all manner of Solo-themed notions have loomed large over the culture. It’s brought to mind another Han who has inevitably benefitted from a spike in collateral search traffic. Han Shan, the 7th century Tang Dynasty poet might see an uptick in Google-love but not just for being a typo.
Han Shan (wandering poet) and Han Solo (itinerate space cowboy) share some biographical details as well. Both were traveling rogues and occasional heros, they both consorted with royalty and each had a trusty sidekick (though Shan’s was a hirsute poet named Shide instead of a wookie).
And then there’s the poetry…
Our natural mind like the Autumn moon
Reflected on a clear jade lake.
Nothing like it
How to explain it?
– Han Shan (627 A.D.)
Millennium Falcon over moons
of Tatooine. Made the Kessel Run
in parsecs less
than twelve, explain that!
– Han Solo (a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.)
