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物語
is a literary form in traditional Japanese literature – an extended prose narrative tale comparable to the epic novel. ''Monogatari'' is closely tied to aspects of the oral tradition, and almost always relates a fictional or fictionalized story, even when retelling a historical event. Many of the great works of Japanese fiction, such as the '' Genji Monogatari'' and the '' Heike Monogatari'', are in the ''monogatari'' form. History The form was prominent around the 9th to 15th centuries, reaching a peak between the 10th and 11th centuries. ''Monogatari'' was the court literature during the Heian era and also persisted in the form of archaic fiction until the sixteenth century. According to the ''Fūyō Wakashū'' (1271), at least 198 ''monogatari'' existed by the 13th century and that only 24 exist today. Genres The genre is sub-divided into multiple categories depending on their contents: ''Denki-monogatari'' Stories dealing with fantastical events. ''Uta-monogatar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Medieval Japanese Literature
Japan's medieval period (the Kamakura, Nanbokuchō and Muromachi periods, and sometimes the Azuchi–Momoyama period) was a transitional period for the nation's literature. Kyoto ceased being the sole literary centre as important writers and readerships appeared throughout the country, and a wider variety of genres and literary forms developed accordingly, such as the ''gunki monogatari'' and ''otogi-zōshi'' prose narratives, and ''renga'' linked verse, as well as various theatrical forms such as ''noh''. Medieval Japanese literature can be broadly divided into two periods: the early and late , the former lasting roughly 150 years from the late 12th to the mid-14th century, and the latter until the end of the 16th century. The early saw a continuation of the literary trends of the classical period, with court fiction (''monogatari'') continuing to be written, and composition of ''waka'' poetry reaching new heights in the age of the '' Shin-kokin Wakashū'', an anthology compi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Tale Of The Bamboo Cutter
is a (fictional prose narrative) containing elements of Japanese folklore. Written by an unknown author in the late 9th or early 10th century during the Heian period, it is considered the oldest surviving work in the form. The story details the life of Kaguya-hime, a princess from the Moon who is discovered as a baby inside the stalk of a glowing bamboo plant. After she grows, her beauty attracts five suitors seeking her hand in marriage, whom she turns away by challenging them each with an impossible task; she later attracts the affection of the Emperor of Japan. At the tale's end, Kaguya-hime reveals her celestial origins and returns to the Moon. The story is also known as , after its protagonist.Katagiri et al. 1994: 81. Background ''The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter'' is considered the oldest surviving , though its exact date of composition is unknown. A poem in the , a 10th-century work that describes life in the imperial court, invokes the tale in reference to a moon-vie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Torikaebaya Monogatari
, translated into English as ''The Changelings'', is a Japanese tale from the late Heian period (794 to 1185) by an unknown author, or possibly more than one author. It is four volumes in length.Kubota (2007:255) It is the tale of two siblings whose mannerisms are those of the opposite sex, and their relationships in the Emperor's court. It has been adapted as a novel, two different manga series, and a Takarazuka Revue play. It was translated into English in 1983. The reception of the tale over time has depended on how the society sees sex and gender issues, with one reading of it being as a ribald erotic comedy, while another reading is as a serious attempt to discuss sex and gender issues through a Heian Buddhist understanding. Story The story tells of a Sadaijin (high-ranking courtier) who has two similar-looking children by different mothers, but their mannerisms are those of the opposite sex. The title, "Torikaebaya", literally means "If only I could exchange them!", a c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heike Monogatari
is an epic account compiled prior to 1330 of the struggle between the Taira clan and Minamoto clan for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War (1180–1185). Heike () refers to the Taira (), ''hei'' being the ''on'yomi'' reading of the first ''kanji'' and "ke" () means family. Note that in the title of the Genpei War, "hei" is in this combination read as "pei" and the "gen" () is the first kanji used in the Minamoto (also known as "Genji" which is also pronounced using ''on'yomi'', for example as in '' The Tale of Genji'') clan's name. It has been translated into English at least five times, the first by Arthur Lindsay Sadler in 1918–1921. A complete translation in nearly 800 pages by Hiroshi Kitagawa & Bruce T. Tsuchida was published in 1975. Also translated by Helen McCullough in 1988. An abridged translation by Burton Watson was published in 2006. In 2012, Royall Tyler completed his translation, which seeks to be mindful of the performance styl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ochikubo Monogatari
, also known as ''The Tale of Ochikubo'', is a story from the Heian period which is similar to the famous fairy tale Cinderella. ''Ochikubo Monogatari'' was written during the later part of the 10th century by an unknown author. It is known as the oldest surviving tale in Japanese literature to include harassment and bullying from a stepmother. Ochikubo Monogatari's well-formed plot and vivid description of characters influenced many writers such as Murasaki Shikibu, author of The Tale of Genji. The lively dialogues are also of particular quality. Plot After suffering from relentless harassment from her stepmother, Princess Ochikubo meets a man named Michiyori who is a general. The two marry and Princess Ochikubo lives very happily with him. Michiyori starts to take revenge on Princess Ochikubo's family, setting up a series of humiliating events. Characters Chūnagon Is a title for a noble who is Middle Rank and one of the three State Counsellors. His real name is unknown an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Utsubo Monogatari
is a late 10th century Japanese story. It is Japan's oldest full-length narrative.Kubota (2007:34)Nihon Koten Bungaku Daijiten Henshū Iinkai (1986:170-173) Composition The author is unknown. Minamoto no Shitagō is cited as a likely candidate; however, it may have had multiple authors spanning a number of years. The text is referenced in a number of later works such as (), (1002), and (), suggesting compilation between . The text is illustrated in an by Asukabe no Tsunenori, with calligraphy by Ono no Michikaze. Title The title of the story, ''Tale of the Hollow Tree'', is taken from an incident early in the text. The protagonist Nakatada and his mother flee to the mountains and live in hollow cedar tree. The ateji 宇津保 are also used. Contents The story is twenty volumes in length and revolves around a mystical koto (musical instrument), harp that passes through four generations. It belongs to the monogatari genre and is subclassified as a denki monogatari. It con ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ise Monogatari
is a Japanese ''uta monogatari'', or collection of ''waka (poetry), waka'' poems and associated narratives, dating from the Heian period. The current version collects 125 sections, with each combining poems and prose, giving a total of 209 poems in most versions. Concerning the exact date of composition and authorship there is only unresolved speculation. The identity of the nameless, idealised central character is unclear, though it is suggested to be Ariwara no Narihira (825–880). Thirty of the poems from ''The Tales of Ise'' appear in the ''Kokin Wakashū'' (905), with similar headnotes, all attributed to Narihira. The combination of these poems, and the similarity of some events in the tales to Narihira's life, have led to the additional suggestion that Narihira actually composed the work; however, the inclusion of material and events dating after 880 suggests otherwise. Title The late-eleventh centuryKeene 1999 : 518–519. work known as ''Sagoromo Monogatari, The Tale of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tsutsumi Chūnagon Monogatari
is a post late-Heian period Japanese collection of short stories. Authorship With the exception of one story, the authorship is unknown. It is likely each story was written by different authors at various times and later collected together into a single text. ''Ōsaka Koenu Gonchūnagon'' is known to have been composed in 1055 by Lady Koshikibu. This is confirmed in volume 8 of which includes one of the poems from this story. In addition, poems from ''Hanazakura Oru Shōshō'', ''Hodohodo no Kesō'', ''Kaiawase'', and ''Haizumi'' are included in the 1271 ''Fūyō Wakashū'' indicating an upper bound for these stories. Tradition states that Fujiwara no Tameuji (1222–1286) and Fujiwara no Tamesuke (1263–1328) created copies of the manuscripts also indicating completion of the text by the 13th century. Contents The meaning of the title is unknown. There are two main theories: *A reflection of the various stories (''monogatari'') bound (''tsutsumi'') together into a single ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai
was a popular didactic Buddhist-inspired parlour game during the Edo period in Japan. Play The game was played as night fell upon the region using three separate rooms. In preparation, participants would light 100 andon in the third room and position a single mirror on the surface of a small table. When the sky was at its darkest, guests gathered in the first of the three rooms, taking turns orating tales of ghoulish encounters and reciting folkloric tales passed on by villagers who claimed to have experienced supernatural encounters. These tales soon became known as kaidan. Upon the end of each kaidan, the story-teller would enter the third room and extinguish one andon, look in the mirror and make their way back to the first room. With each passing tale, the room slowly grew darker and darker as the participants reached the one hundredth tale, creating a safe haven for the evocation of spirits. However, as the game reached the ninety-ninth tale, many participants would stop, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yamato Monogatari
is a collection of 173 short stories which give details about life in the imperial court in the 9th and 10th centuries. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Yamato monogatari''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 1047. It is an ''uta monogatari'' (a work combining narrative fiction with ''waka'' poetry) from the 10th-century Japan. The exact date of the completion of the text is unknown, but the majority of the text was completed in the year 951 by an unknown author. Content The ''Ise Monogatari'' had a strong influence on the composition of ''Yamato Monogatari'', one that can be seen in the fact that some of the same tales appear in both works. The appearance of many historical figures and the absence of a single main character are characteristics of this text. Origin The poems in ''Yamato Monogatari'' were written in a time when Japanese literature and art was flourishing, after having stopped communications with China. Deciding that the declining Tang dynasty was no longer worth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eiga Monogatari
is a Japanese ''monogatari'' which relates events in the life of courtier Fujiwara no Michinaga. It is believed to have been written by a number of authors, over the course of roughly a century, from 1028 to 1107. It is notable for giving high credits to the Fujiwara family especially Michinaga. The work was translated into English by William H. and Helen Craig McCullough in 1980 as ''A Tale of Flowering Fortunes''. It forms the basis for and is frequently referenced in Fumiko Enchi's retelling, ''A Tale of False Fortunes''. Summary The ''monogatari'' is related both to official court histories, such as the ''Rikkokushi'', and other prose fiction, such as '' The Tale of Genji''. It discusses the life and exploits of Michinaga and his family following his death. The first part, thirty volumes detailing the period from the reign of Emperor Uda until Michinaga's death, is believed to have been written between 1028 and 1034 by Akazome Emon and/or Fujiwara no Tamenari. The second ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ōkagami
''Ōkagami'' () is a Japanese historical tale written in around 1119 by an unknown author. It covers the period 850 to 1025, the golden days of the Fujiwara family's rule. It is said to be a successor (世継物語, ''yotsugi monogatari'') with the records of the Eiga Monogatari. In the tale, the writer listens to a conversation mainly led by a 190-year-old man, Ōyake no Yotsugi (大宅世継, literally "world-successor"), who recalls the past. A 180-year-old man, Natsuyama no Shigeki (夏山繁樹), adds comments and a young samurai puts questions to these two elders. This narrative strategy makes the story vivid and allows for the natural addition of various opinions and criticisms. The structure is modelled after traditional Chinese history books like ''the Records of the Grand Historian''. It consists of Preface, Stories of Emperors, Stories of Ministers, Miscellaneous Stories and Post-fin. This and three other tales with ''mirror'' (鏡 ''kagami'', also read ''kyō'') in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
