Heian Literature and Japanese Court Women

Introduction

• around the 8th century, emperor of Japan chose a new site for his capital

  • old city — Nada , seen as poorly located and overrun by political interference from Buddhist temples

  • construction of the new capital at Heian, ( now Kyoto) in 794 — ushered in Heian period

  • modeled off the Chinese capital at the time reflecting the considerable influence of China on Japanese culture

  • Buddhism, Confucianism, poetry, art, and government all been imported in various forms from China

  • power was concentrated into the hands of the Fujiwara Clan — dominated imperial court

    • ushered an era of peace in the capital that would last until the turn of the new millennium

    • for Heian elite culture was power

      • quality of ones art, poetry, and writing could determine access to political influence and wealth

      • powers were restricted to men

      • from the prespective of court women, men were all officials whether they were great or small ones

      • wrote in Chinese for philosophy works but Japanese script called Konbun poetry

Monogatari

• women were permitted to read and write in hiragana

  • script that directly represented sounds of japanese without using Chinese characters

• some women did study Chinese texts and compositions in secret

  • any ranking woman who could read Chinese was publicly ridicule — a severe punishment

• poetry was key to social life and political advancement

  • fiction were considered to be beneath the dignity of powerful men, aka worthless fantasy

    • stories were made by women for women, but when they gain popularity men also began reading

    • monogatari — stories

• when the Heian court collapsed in the face of the growing power of the provincial warrior class, government vanish but literature survived

• works by female authors offers insight into the lives of the Heian elite men and women

  • works are studied today in high school and college, same way as shakespeare in bthe US

  • diary style writings gives us a direct look into the day to day life of the japanese aristocratic class in this era

• Murasakai was born around 973 to a middle level aristocracy of Heian Japan as a member of a minor branch of the Fuji family

  • real name is unknown

  • married in 999, bore a daughter in 1001 and was widowed by 1006

  • called to serve empress Akiko on account of her talent

    • reached the highest level of the Court in 1013

  • likely died in the following year

Tale of Genji

• Murasaki most famous novel is “The Tale of Genji” written in 1008

  • oldest novel from any culture

  • recognized as a major masterpiece of literature (54 chapters, 1000+ pages)

  • monumental work by any standard

  • some believe that parts may have been added later ( possibly her daughter)

• major ambition for a man in Kyoto was to present a daughter to the emperor

  • emperor has a range of recognized relationships with women

    • due to making his prestige accessible to the upper aristocracy in the culture of Heian Japan

• Sei Shonagon — Murasaki’s rival

  • daughter of a prental official famous for his poetry and scholarship

  • also don’t know her real name

  • nothing of her personal life but her literary rivalry with Murasaki

  • in 993 entered the service of the empress Satako — oldest daughter of a leading Fuji Clan member

  • The Pillow Book was her most famous work

    • written in diary fashion

    • private until 996 which then began to circulate in the Heian court