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Some minor technical tweaks; removing inappropriate cats and adding one more appropriate; removing inappropriate "See also" link; adding incomplete list of otogi-zoshi. I hope to eventually fill out this list with individual articles on every extant one. |
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{{dablink|This article deals with medieval Japanese illustrated short stories; for the anime series, see [[Otogi Zoshi (anime)]].}} |
{{dablink|This article deals with medieval Japanese illustrated short stories; for the anime series, see [[Otogi Zoshi (anime)]].}} |
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[[Image:Otogizoshi5.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Illustration from '' |
[[Image:Otogizoshi5.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Illustration from ''otogi-zōshi'' tale, published c. 1725]] |
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{{nihongo|''''' |
{{nihongo|'''''Otogi-zōshi'''''|御伽草子}} refers to a group of about 350 Japanese prose narratives written primarily in the [[Muromachi period]] (1392–1573). These illustrated short stories, which remain unattributed, together form one of the representative literary genres of the Japanese medieval era. |
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==Overview== |
== Overview == |
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{{unsourced section|date=November 2017}} |
{{unsourced section|date=November 2017}} |
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This type of short prose narrative from [[Japan]] is often considered a transitional genre, which bridges the gap between the courtly literature of the [[Heian period]] (794-1160) and the more [[Plebs|plebeian]] ''[[kanazōshi]]'' (tales written in [[kana]]) and ''[[ukiyo-zōshi]]'' (tales of the floating world) of the [[Edo period]] (1600–1868). The stories were originally recorded in both illustrated scrolls or booklets ([[Nara-ehon]]) which link the picture scrolls of the Heian era with the [[woodblock print]] books of the Edo period. This suggests that '' |
This type of short prose narrative from [[Japan]] is often considered a transitional genre, which bridges the gap between the courtly literature of the [[Heian period]] (794-1160) and the more [[Plebs|plebeian]] ''[[kanazōshi]]'' (tales written in [[kana]]) and ''[[ukiyo-zōshi]]'' (tales of the floating world) of the [[Edo period]] (1600–1868). The stories were originally recorded in both illustrated scrolls or booklets ([[Nara-ehon]]) which link the picture scrolls of the Heian era with the [[woodblock print]] books of the Edo period. This suggests that ''otogi-zōshi'' were meant to be read aloud, with the illustrations serving as reference guides. |
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Because the stories were frequently recited before an audience, many narratives are simple, with little description, depth, or development. Others, however, are more poetically allusive, suggesting composition by literati. Many of the tales are straightforward [[quest]] narratives, often revolving around a single heroic figure. In order to advance the plot, the passage of time is swift, with characters sometimes aging years or decades in the space of a single sentence. |
Because the stories were frequently recited before an audience, many narratives are simple, with little description, depth, or development. Others, however, are more poetically allusive, suggesting composition by literati. Many of the tales are straightforward [[quest]] narratives, often revolving around a single heroic figure. In order to advance the plot, the passage of time is swift, with characters sometimes aging years or decades in the space of a single sentence. |
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The vast topical range of '' |
The vast topical range of ''otogi-zōshi'' discourages easy generalization. The subject matter includes worldly concerns (love, marriage, family); spiritual matters (the pursuit of enlightenment, encounters with manifestations of the Buddha); martial adventures; farce, and supernatural fantasy. While some of the stories exhibit a clear didactic agenda, most ''otogi-zōshi'' appear to have been composed primarily for the sake of entertainment. |
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===Categories of '' |
=== Categories of ''otogi-zōshi'' === |
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[[Image:Otogizoshi4.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Cover from volume of '' |
[[Image:Otogizoshi4.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Cover from volume of ''otogi-zōshi'' tales, published c. 1725.]] |
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'' |
''Otogi-zōshi'' have been broken down into multiple categories: tales of the [[aristocracy]], which are derived from earlier works such as ''[[The Tale of Genji]]'', ''[[The Tale of the Heike]]'' and the ''[[Taiheiki]]''; religious tales; tales of warriors, often based on ''[[The Tale of the Soga]]'' and the ''[[Gikeiki]]'' (The Tale of Yoshitsune); tales of foreign countries, based on the ''[[Konjaku Monogatarishū]]''. The most well-known of the tales, however, are retellings of familiar [[Japanese mythology|legend]]s and [[Japanese folklore|folktale]]s, such as ''[[Issun-bōshi]]'', the story of a one-inch-tall boy who overcomes countless obstacles to achieve success in the capital. |
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===Origins of the term '' |
=== Origins of the term ''otogi-zōshi'' === |
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The term ''otogi'' literally means "[[wikt:companion|companion]]", with the full name of the genre translating to "companion tale". This designation, however, did not come into use until 1725, when a publisher from [[Osaka]] released a set of 23 illustrated booklets titled ''[[Shūgen otogibunko]]'' (Fortuitous Companion Library). As other publishers produced their own versions of ''Shūgen otogibunko'', they began referring to the set of tales as '' |
The term ''otogi'' literally means "[[wikt:companion|companion]]", with the full name of the genre translating to "companion tale". This designation, however, did not come into use until 1725, when a publisher from [[Osaka]] released a set of 23 illustrated booklets titled ''[[Shūgen otogibunko]]'' (Fortuitous Companion Library). As other publishers produced their own versions of ''Shūgen otogibunko'', they began referring to the set of tales as ''otogi-zōshi''. Gradually the term came to describe any work from the Muromachi or early Edo period that exhibited the same general style as the tales in ''Shūgen otogibunko''. |
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===History of '' |
=== History of ''otogi-zōshi'' scholarship === |
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'' |
''Otogi-zōshi'' came to the attention of modern [[Literary criticism|literary historian]]s in the late nineteenth century. For the most part, scholars have been critical of this genre, dismissing it for its perceived faults when compared to the aristocratic literature of the Heian and Kamakura periods. As a result, standardized [[Education in Japan|Japanese school]] [[textbook]]s often omit any reference to ''otogi-zōshi'' from their discussions of medieval Japanese literature. Recent studies, however, have contradicted this critical stance, highlighting the vitality and inherent appeal of this underappreciated genre. The term "chusei shosetsu" (medieval novels), coined by eminent scholar Ichiko Teiji, attempts to situate the tales within a narrative continuum. |
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== List of ''otogi-zōshi'' == |
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⚫ | |||
* ''[[Aisome-gawa (otogi-zōshi)|Aisome-gawa]]'' |
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* ''[[Aki no Yo no Naga Monogatari]]'' |
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* ''[[Komachi Sōshi]]'' |
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* ''[[Koshikibu (one-volume otogi-zōshi)|Koshikibu]]'' (I) |
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* ''[[Koshikibu (two-volume otogi-zōshi)|Koshikibu]]'' (II) |
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* ''[[Utatane no Sōshi]]'' |
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⚫ | |||
*''[[Man'yōshū]]'' |
*''[[Man'yōshū]]'' |
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*''[[The Murasaki Shikibu Diary]]'' |
*''[[The Murasaki Shikibu Diary]]'' |
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*''[[Kokusho Sōmokuroku]]'' |
*''[[Kokusho Sōmokuroku]]'' |
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*''Sengoku Otogizōshi [[Inuyasha]]'' (manga and anime) |
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==References== |
== References == |
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*Araki, James. "Otogizōshi and Nara-Ehon: A Field of Study in Flux", ''[[Monumenta Nipponica]]'', Vol. 36: 1-20. |
*Araki, James. "Otogizōshi and Nara-Ehon: A Field of Study in Flux", ''[[Monumenta Nipponica]]'', Vol. 36: 1-20. |
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*Kavanagh, Frederick G. "An Errant Priest. Sasayaki Tale". ''Monumenta Nipponica'', Vol. 51: 219-244. |
*Kavanagh, Frederick G. "An Errant Priest. Sasayaki Tale". ''Monumenta Nipponica'', Vol. 51: 219-244. |
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*Waters, Virginia Skord. "Sex, Lies and the Illustrated Scroll: The Dojoji Engi Emaki", ''Monumenta Nipponica'', Vol. 52,59-84. |
*Waters, Virginia Skord. "Sex, Lies and the Illustrated Scroll: The Dojoji Engi Emaki", ''Monumenta Nipponica'', Vol. 52,59-84. |
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==External links== |
== External links == |
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*[http://dbs.humi.keio.ac.jp/naraehon/index-e.html "''Sekai no Dejitaru Nara Ehon Detabesu''" at Keiō University] |
*[http://dbs.humi.keio.ac.jp/naraehon/index-e.html "''Sekai no Dejitaru Nara Ehon Detabesu''" at Keiō University] |
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*[http://www.meijigakuin.ac.jp/~pmjs/rom/trans_or.html Translations of Classical Japanese Works], [[Meiji Gakuin University]] |
*[http://www.meijigakuin.ac.jp/~pmjs/rom/trans_or.html Translations of Classical Japanese Works], [[Meiji Gakuin University]] |
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{{Authority control}} |
{{Authority control}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT: |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Otogi-zoushi}} |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Otogi-zōshi]] |
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[[Category:Japanese folklore]] |
[[Category:Japanese folklore]] |
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[[Category:Early Middle Japanese texts]] |
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[[Category:Late Middle Japanese texts]] |
[[Category:Late Middle Japanese texts]] |
Revision as of 10:53, 3 December 2017
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Otogizoshi5.jpg)
Otogi-zōshi (御伽草子) refers to a group of about 350 Japanese prose narratives written primarily in the Muromachi period (1392–1573). These illustrated short stories, which remain unattributed, together form one of the representative literary genres of the Japanese medieval era.
Overview
This type of short prose narrative from Japan is often considered a transitional genre, which bridges the gap between the courtly literature of the Heian period (794-1160) and the more plebeian kanazōshi (tales written in kana) and ukiyo-zōshi (tales of the floating world) of the Edo period (1600–1868). The stories were originally recorded in both illustrated scrolls or booklets (Nara-ehon) which link the picture scrolls of the Heian era with the woodblock print books of the Edo period. This suggests that otogi-zōshi were meant to be read aloud, with the illustrations serving as reference guides.
Because the stories were frequently recited before an audience, many narratives are simple, with little description, depth, or development. Others, however, are more poetically allusive, suggesting composition by literati. Many of the tales are straightforward quest narratives, often revolving around a single heroic figure. In order to advance the plot, the passage of time is swift, with characters sometimes aging years or decades in the space of a single sentence.
The vast topical range of otogi-zōshi discourages easy generalization. The subject matter includes worldly concerns (love, marriage, family); spiritual matters (the pursuit of enlightenment, encounters with manifestations of the Buddha); martial adventures; farce, and supernatural fantasy. While some of the stories exhibit a clear didactic agenda, most otogi-zōshi appear to have been composed primarily for the sake of entertainment.
Categories of otogi-zōshi
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Otogizoshi4.jpg)
Otogi-zōshi have been broken down into multiple categories: tales of the aristocracy, which are derived from earlier works such as The Tale of Genji, The Tale of the Heike and the Taiheiki; religious tales; tales of warriors, often based on The Tale of the Soga and the Gikeiki (The Tale of Yoshitsune); tales of foreign countries, based on the Konjaku Monogatarishū. The most well-known of the tales, however, are retellings of familiar legends and folktales, such as Issun-bōshi, the story of a one-inch-tall boy who overcomes countless obstacles to achieve success in the capital.
Origins of the term otogi-zōshi
The term otogi literally means "companion", with the full name of the genre translating to "companion tale". This designation, however, did not come into use until 1725, when a publisher from Osaka released a set of 23 illustrated booklets titled Shūgen otogibunko (Fortuitous Companion Library). As other publishers produced their own versions of Shūgen otogibunko, they began referring to the set of tales as otogi-zōshi. Gradually the term came to describe any work from the Muromachi or early Edo period that exhibited the same general style as the tales in Shūgen otogibunko.
History of otogi-zōshi scholarship
Otogi-zōshi came to the attention of modern literary historians in the late nineteenth century. For the most part, scholars have been critical of this genre, dismissing it for its perceived faults when compared to the aristocratic literature of the Heian and Kamakura periods. As a result, standardized Japanese school textbooks often omit any reference to otogi-zōshi from their discussions of medieval Japanese literature. Recent studies, however, have contradicted this critical stance, highlighting the vitality and inherent appeal of this underappreciated genre. The term "chusei shosetsu" (medieval novels), coined by eminent scholar Ichiko Teiji, attempts to situate the tales within a narrative continuum.
List of otogi-zōshi
- Aisome-gawa
- Aki no Yo no Naga Monogatari
- Komachi Sōshi
- Koshikibu (I)
- Koshikibu (II)
- Utatane no Sōshi
See also
References
- Araki, James. "Otogizōshi and Nara-Ehon: A Field of Study in Flux", Monumenta Nipponica, Vol. 36: 1-20.
- Kavanagh, Frederick G. "An Errant Priest. Sasayaki Tale". Monumenta Nipponica, Vol. 51: 219-244.
- Mulhern, Chieko Irie. "Otogizōshi. Short Stories of the Muromachi Period", Monumenta Nipponica, Vol. 29: 181-198.
- 『室町時代物語大成』. Kadokawa Shoten.
- 奥野健男. 『お伽草紙』. 新潮文庫. ISBN 4-10-100607-5
- Skord, Virginia. "Tales of Tears and Laughter: Short Fiction of Medieval Japan", University of Hawaii Press, 1991.
- Skord, Virginia. "Monogusa Tarō: From Rags to Riches and Beyond", Monumenta Nipponica, Vol. 44, 171-198.
- Waters, Virginia Skord. "Sex, Lies and the Illustrated Scroll: The Dojoji Engi Emaki", Monumenta Nipponica, Vol. 52,59-84.