Eiga monogatari
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese monogatari
, or epic
, 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 monogatari serves as a sequel to the Rikkokushi
, and discusses the life and exploits of Michinaga and his family. 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 portion, ten volumes covering the reign of Emperor Horikawa
, is generally attributed to Dewa no Ben who would have written between 1092 and 1107. The forty scrolls which comprise the text are written entirely in kana
, and include many excerpts from diaries and notes of court ladies. Twenty-eight of these scrolls are devoted to Michinaga's governance, while the remaining twelve concern related topics, including other aspects of his life and the lives of his family.
The work was translated into English by William H. and Helen Craig McCullough
in 1980.
Monogatari
is a literary form in traditional Japanese literature, an extended prose narrative tale comparable to the epic. 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...
, or epic
Epic poetry
An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Oral poetry may qualify as an epic, and Albert Lord and Milman Parry have argued that classical epics were fundamentally an oral poetic form...
, which relates events in the life of courtier
Kuge
The was a Japanese aristocratic class that dominated the Japanese imperial court in Kyoto until the rise of the Shogunate in the 12th century at which point it was eclipsed by the daimyo...
Fujiwara no Michinaga
Fujiwara no Michinaga
represents the highpoint of the Fujiwara regents' control over the government of Japan.-Early life:He was the fourth or fifth son of Fujiwara no Kaneie by his wife Tokihime, daughter of Fujiwara no Nakamasa...
. 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
Fujiwara family
The Fujiwara clan , descending from the Nakatomi clan, was a powerful family of regents in Japan.The clan originated when the founder, Nakatomi no Kamatari , was rewarded by Emperor Tenji with the honorific "Fujiwara", which evolved as a surname for Kamatari and his descendants...
especially Michinaga.
The monogatari serves as a sequel to the Rikkokushi
Rikkokushi
is a general term for Japan's six national histories chronicling the mythology and history of Japan from the earliest times to AD 887. The six histories were written at the imperial court during the eighth and ninth centuries, under order of the Emperors...
, and discusses the life and exploits of Michinaga and his family. The first part, thirty volumes detailing the period from the reign of Emperor Uda
Emperor Uda
was the 59th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Uda's reign spanned the years from 887 through 897.-Name and legacy:Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was or Chōjiin-tei....
until Michinaga's death, is believed to have been written between 1028 and 1034 by Akazome Emon
Akazome Emon
was a Japanese waka poet who lived in the mid-Heian period. She is a member both of the and the .-Biography:Emon is though to be the daughter of Akazome Tokimochi, but her biological father was likely her mother's first husband, Taira Kanemori. Emon was born before her mother's marriage to...
and/or Fujiwara no Tamenari. The second portion, ten volumes covering the reign of Emperor Horikawa
Emperor Horikawa
was the 73rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Horikawa's reign spanned the years from 1087 through 1107.-Traditional narrative:...
, is generally attributed to Dewa no Ben who would have written between 1092 and 1107. The forty scrolls which comprise the text are written entirely in kana
Kana
Kana are the syllabic Japanese scripts, as opposed to the logographic Chinese characters known in Japan as kanji and the Roman alphabet known as rōmaji...
, and include many excerpts from diaries and notes of court ladies. Twenty-eight of these scrolls are devoted to Michinaga's governance, while the remaining twelve concern related topics, including other aspects of his life and the lives of his family.
The work was translated into English by William H. and Helen Craig McCullough
Helen Craig McCullough
Helen Craig McCullough was an eminent scholar of classical Japanese poetry and prose. Born in California, she graduated from Berkeley in 1939 with a degree in political science. After the outbreak of World War II, she entered the U.S. Navy’s Japanese Language School in Boulder, Colorado...
in 1980.
External links
- Manuscript scans at Waseda University LibraryWaseda University LibraryThe library of Waseda University is one of the largest libraries in Japan. It was established in 1882, and currently holds some 4.5 million volumes and 46,000 serials.-History:...
: 10-volumes (unknown date), 9 volumes (unknown date)