Murasaki Shikibu

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Murasaki Shikibu (ca. 976-ca. 1031) was a Japanese writer of the late Heian period. Her "The Tale of Genji," the world's first psychological novel, is one of the longest and most distinguished masterpieces of Japanese literature.

The exact dates of the life of Lady Murasaki are not known, nor is her name. Shikibu, a title, may refer to her father, who served in the Ministry of Ceremonial, or of Rites (Shikibu Shō). The name Murasaki, literally "Violet," could refer to one of the heroines of The Tale of Genji or to the first element of her maiden name, Fujiwara, one of the greatest names in Japanese history. Murasaki was born into a lesser but distinguished and cultured branch of this family in the last quarter of the 10th century. Her father, Fujiwara Tamatoki, an official and poet, was at one time a provincial governor; his grandfather was a poet.

Murasaki records in her diary her lessons in Chinese with her brother. She was so quick to learn that her father regretted that she was not a boy. Presumably Murasaki was educated in the usual Chinese and Buddhist classics as well as in Japanese literature, though this kind of learning was not stressed for young women in those days. Murasaki was married at about the age of 20, but her husband died soon after, in 1001, leaving her with a daughter. After her husband's death, Murasaki lived in retirement for some years.

In 1004 Murasaki's father was appointed governor of the province of Echizen, 80 miles from the capital, a great distance in the 11th century. Arrangements were made for Murasaki to enter the service of Akiko, the young consort of Emperor Ichijo, as lady-in-waiting. Murasaki's diary, begun in 1008 and continued for 2 years thereafter, recounts her life at court. At the death of Emperor Ichijo in 1011, the Empress, with her suite of ladies, went into retirement. At this time Murasaki's father was appointed governor of the province of Echigo; in 1016 he retired from the world to take holy orders. Little or nothing of Murasaki's life is positively known from the time she entered the service of Empress Akiko. Murasaki is thought to have died about 1031.

Her Writings

Murasaki's knowledge of the great world is amply exhibited in The Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari) as well as in her Diary, and it may be assumed that she chronicled something resembling her own life, however idealized. Murasaki may have begun her novel about 1003 and continued writing it, with interruptions, until her death, at which time it might or might not have been finished.

The size and scope of The Tale of Genji are enormous. Divided into 54 books or episodes, the novel is twice as long as War and Peace. The action, covering the better part of a century, with over 400 characters and four generations, is meticulously and consistently elaborated by Murasaki. The hero, Hikaru Genji, the Shining One, pursues love and happiness impelled always by the haunting image of his dead mother, Kiritsubo, the consort of an emperor. Her early death overshadows Genji's youth. By virtue of his exuberant personality Genji becomes supremely popular at court, indulges in a series of amorous encounters, and wins the admiration of his peers when he dances the "Waves of the Blue Sea."

The character of Genji may be based in part on the personality of Fujiwara Korechika (975-1010), a nephew of Fujiwara Michinaga (966-1027), a great statesman and distant relative of Lady Murasaki. Genji, as a result of his numerous love affairs, incurs the jealousy and wrath of powerful rivals who bring about his disgrace and exile. But this ill luck is of short duration, and Genji is pardoned, is recalled to the capital, and regains his prominence. An encounter with the girl Murasaki Ue had led Genji to undertake her education so that she could be molded into the perfect wife. He builds his sumptuous villa in the capital and installs his several wives in their apartments with Murasaki in the place of honor. But excess of passion takes its toll, and Genji suffers emotional agony because of unhappiness in love. Murasaki, his favorite wife, dies childless, leaving Genji in a world of memories.

Soon, Genji too passes from the Realm of Maya, and the center of attention is turned to his descendants, Kaoru, his supposed son, and Niou, his grandson. Both have aspects of Genji's personality but cannot take his place. This portion of the novel, called the "Uji Chapters" because much of the action takes place at the small village of Uji, depicts the confrontation of Kaoru and Niou for the affections of the girl Ukifune. Kaoru, sensitive, retiring, obsessed by the mystery of his paternity, would sacrifice his high position for Ukifune. But she is confused by her feelings for him and for the high-spirited and charming Niou, who in so many ways resembles Genji.

Having yielded to Niou's blandishments, Ukifune can resolve her dilemma only by an attempt at suicide and, when that fails, by retirement from the world to live out her life as a nun. Kaoru is left in grief, bewilderment, and uncertainty, for although he comes to suspect that Ukifune may still be alive, he is never able to learn the truth. Thus, the lengthy novel, which began with the enchanting atmosphere of a fairy tale, ends in the most complex psychological analysis of unhappy people shrouded in blackest gloom.

Further Reading

Lady Murasaki's The Tale of Genji was translated by Arthur Waley in 1926. Useful background studies are George B. Sansom, Japan: A Short Cultural History (1938; rev. ed. 1962); Annie Shepley Omori, trans., Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan, with an introduction by Amy Lowell (1961); and Ivan Morris, The World of the Shining Prince (1964).

Additional Sources

Murasaki Shikibu, Murasaki Shikibu, her diary and poetic memoirs: a translation and study, Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1982.

For other uses, see Murasaki (disambiguation).

This article is missing citations or needs footnotes. Please help add inline citations to guard against copyright violations and factual inaccuracies. (April 2009)

Murasaki Shikibu
Murasaki Shikibu, illustration by Tosa Mitsuoki (17th century)
Born	circa 973 Kyoto
Died	circa 1014 Kyoto
Occupation	Heian court lady-in-waiting
Genres	novel, poetry
Subjects	Japanese court customs
Relative(s)	Fujiwara no Tametoki, father

Writing Murasaki Shikibu, by Kikuchi Yosai (1788–1878)

Rozan-ji in Kyoto, a temple associated with her

2000 Yen note in her honour

Murasaki Shikibu (紫式部; c. 973–c. 1014 or 1025), or Lady Murasaki as she is often known in English, was a Japanese novelist, poet, and a maid of honor of the imperial court during the Heian period. She is best known as the author of The Tale of Genji, written in Japanese between about 1000 and 1008, one of the earliest novels in human history.

"Murasaki Shikibu" was not her real name, which is unknown. Some scholars have postulated that her given name might have been Fujiwara Takako, recorded as a name of a lady-in-waiting ranked shōji on the 29th day of the 1st month, Kankō 4 (February 19, 1007) according to Midō Kampaku Ki, a diary written by Fujiwara no Michinaga, although this theory has not been supported by many others.^[1] Her own diary, The Murasaki Shikibu Diary, states that she was nicknamed "Murasaki" ("purple wisteria blossom") at court, after a character in The Tale of Genji. "Shikibu" refers to her father's position in the Bureau of Ceremony (shikibu-shō).

Contents 1 Biography 2 Legacy and influence 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

Biography

Lady Murasaki Shikibu was born about 973 in Kyoto, Japan. She was born in a family of minor nobility and a member of the northern branch of the Fujiwara clan.

Murasaki's mother died while she was a child, so Murasaki was raised, contrary to customs of the time, by her father Fujiwara no Tametoki, a scholar and officer of the imperial court. During Heian-era Japan, couples lived separately and children were raised by the mother and her family. Also contrary to customs of the time, her father gave her a male education. Men were taught kanji and classical Chinese literature as the requisite culture, while women were taught kana and poetry. Her father praised her intelligence and ability, but lamented that she was "born a woman". She was married in her early 20s and had one child, Daini no Sanmi, who was a poet in her own right.^[2]

At the royal court, she was the lady-in-waiting for Empress Shoshi (Akiko) and may have been hired by Fujiwara no Michinaga to serve the Empress.

Murasaki died either in 1014, when records show that her father suddenly returned to Kyoto from his governor's mansion, or between 1025 and 1031, when she would have been in her mid-50s, fairly old by Heian standards.

Three works are attributed to Murasaki, the most important being The Tale of Genji. The Murasaki Shikibu Diary and The Murasaki Shikibu Collection were arranged and published posthumously. The collection is a compilation of 128 poems written by Murasaki.

Legacy and influence

Murasaki is considered one of the greatest writers of Japanese literature. Statues in her honour have been erected throughout Japan, her works are a staple part of the education curriculum in Japan. The 2000 yen note was issued in commemoration to her and her greatest epic work, The Tale of Genji. She was a lady-in-waiting for Emperor Ichijo at the time. After his death, she became the lady-in-waiting for the Empress Akiko.

A fictionalized biography of Murasaki called The Tale of Murasaki: A Novel was written by Liza Dalby. Another fictionalized biography of Murasaki Shikibu is an Italian novel by Gabriella Magrini: Mille Autunni, vita di Murasaki Dama di Corte, Edizione Frassinelli 1985; translated into French under the title La dame de Kyoto, Editions Belfond, 1987, ISBN 2 7144 1973 9. A fictitious descendant of Lady Murasaki is a major character in the Thomas Harris novel and subsequent horror film Hannibal Rising.

See also

• Sei Shōnagon - court rival and fellow contemporary diarist
• Ono no Takamura - an earlier Japanese poet whose grave is situated across from Lady Murasaki's
• The Tale of Genji - a novel (considered the world's first novel) written by Murasaki Shikibu.

References

1. ^ (a) Bunei Tsunoda "Real name of Murasahiki Shikibu" Kodai Bunka (Cultura antiqua) 1963, no.7. (b) Gen-e Imai "Questions on the theory of the real name of Murasaki Shikibu as Takako" Kokugo Kokubun (Japanese Language and Literature) Vol. 34 (no. 1) (1965). Both articles in Japanese.
2. ^ Kenneth Rexroth and Ikuko Atsumi, Women Poets of Japan, New Directions Press (1982) at 143.

• Dalby, Liza. The Tale of Murasaki: A Novel (Anchor, 2001). ISBN 0-385-49795-4.
• Lady Murasaki, Arthur Waley (trans.). The Tale of Genji, published in 6 volumes from 1921-33.
• Shikibu, Murasaki; Tyler, Royall (trans.). The Tale of Genji (Viking, 2001.) ISBN 0-670-03020-1.

External links

• Media related to Murasaki Shikibu at Wikimedia Commons
• Murasaki's Grave
• Murasaki Shikibu (Spanish)
• The Diary of Murasaki Shikibu
• [1]

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