Mumyōzōshi

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Mumyōzōshi (無名草子, literally "nameless book") is an early 13th-century Japanese text. One volume in length, it is the oldest existing Japanese text on literary criticism.[1] The author is unknown.

Composition

The title means "Nameless Book". One manuscript gives the title as Kenkyū Monogatari (建久物語),[1] a reference to the era in which it was written. Composition occurred between 1200 and 1202.[2]

The author is unknown. Hypotheses include Fujiwara no Shunzei (c.1114 -1204); his granddaughter, often called "Shunzei's Daughter" (c. 1171 - 1252); Jōkaku (1147-1226); and Shikishi Naishinnō (1149-1201); but strongest support is for Shunzei's daughter.[1][2]


Contents

The volume is composed of four distinct sections: a preface, literary criticism, poetic criticism, and a discussion on prominent literary women.

The preface introduces an 83 year old woman on a trip. She stops to rest at a house where she writes down the conversation of a group of women talking about literature, creating a frame tale excuse to write the volume. The frame tale itself has many elements from monogatari of the time.[3]

The literary criticism covers 28 stories including Genji Monogatari, Sagoromo Monogatari, Yoru no Nezame, Hamamatsu Chūnagon Monogatari, and Torikaebaya Monogatari. The others mostly do not exist anymore.[1][2][4]

For poetic criticism, it covers Ise Monogatari, Yamato Monogatari, Man'yōshū, and private and imperial collections. The editor laments at the lack of women compilers in the collections.[1][2][4]

It then goes on to discuss the ability and upbringing of a number of prominent women: Ono no Komachi, Sei Shōnagon, Izumi Shikibu, Akazome Emon, Murasaki Shikibu and others.[1][2][4]

The text is particularly valuable as a resource since it includes descriptions of a number of either completely or partially lost texts.[1]

See also

  • Fūyō Wakashū, a collection of poetry from various literary sources, many of which are no longer extant

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Nihon Koten Bungaku Daijiten (1986:1798-1799)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Kubota (2007:341-342)
  3. ↑ Rohlich, Thomas H. (1997). "In search of critical space : The path to Monogatari criticism in the Mumyozoshi". Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 57 (1): 179–204. doi:10.2307/2719364. JSTOR 2719364. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Hayashiya (1973)

References

  • Hayashiya, Tatsusaburō (1973). Nihon Shisō Taikei 23: Kodai Chūsei Geijutsuron (in Japanese). Iwanami Shoten. ISBN 4-00-070023-5. 
  • Kubota, Jun (2007). Iwanami Nihon Koten Bungaku Jiten (in Japanese). Iwanami Shoten. ISBN 978-4-00-080310-6. 
  • Nihon Koten Bungaku Daijiten: Kan'yakuban. Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten. 1986. ISBN 4-00-080067-1. 

Further reading


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