Hamamatsu Chūnagon Monogatari
Encyclopedia
, also known as , is an eleventh century Japanese monogatari
that tells about a chūnagon
who discovers his father has been reborn as a Chinese prince. He visits his reincarnated father in China and falls in love with the Hoyang Consort, consort to the Chinese Emperor and mother to his reincarnated father. It is told in six chapters, but the first has been lost to antiquity.
The tale was written by a female author who employed several exotic locations in the work. The author considers the love between a parent and a child to be "deeper, lasting and more tender" than a romantic love between a man and a woman, which follows traditional virtues of filial piety
.
who lost his father when he was very young. His mother marries a widower with two daughters and he fell in love with the older daughter, Taishō no Kimi. The Chūnagon learns in a dream that his father has been reincarnated as the Third Prince of the Emperor of China, and he sets out on a three year trip to meet his father. Taishō no Kimi conceives a child with him as he leaves for China and upsets her father's plans for a good match for her, becoming a nun instead. The Chūnagon becomes the darling of the Chinese court, and falls in love with the mother of his father's reincarnation, the half-Japanese Hoyang Consort. She bears him a son, who he brings back to Japan to live with the Hoyang Consort's mother, the Yoshino Nun. After the Yoshino Nun passes away, Chūnagon takes her daughter, the Yoshino Princess, into his care, although a seer urges him to avoid marriage with her. Chūnagon dreams of the Hoyang Consort being very sick, and soon he is told by a spirit that she died and is now in Trayastrimsa, a Buddhist heaven. The Yoshino Princess is kidnapped by the Crown Prince, and is impregnated by him. The Hoyang Consort appears to Chūnagon in a dream, and tells him that her spirit now lives in the Yoshino Princess's unborn child. The Yoshino Princess is returned to Chūnagon.
, the author of Sarashina Nikki
. The tale was probably finished from the 1060s to the 1070s, and no copies of the first chapter exist.
, written by a female author between 1200 and 1202, which critiques various Heian tales, criticises the tale for the too-soon rebirth of the Hoyang Consort into the human world, when a soul is meant to remain in Trayastrimsa for a long time.
Unlike The Tale of Genji and Sagoromo Monogatari, Hamamatsu Chūnagon Monogatari does not pay much attention to the seasons or "the atmosphere of the time of day".
Shūichi Katō describes the plot as "totally divorced from reality", due to its use of dreams. Dreams are a staple plot device in Heian tales, and they are an especially important part of the plot in Hamamatsu Chūnagon Monogatari. The author's use of dreams "suggests considerable sophistication of narrative technique" to Harries.
Katō criticises the characterisation, saying that the events are so unusual that the characters "become puppets", buffeted around by the author. In one example, Katō found it "difficult to the point of impossibility" to guess the emotions of the Hamamatsu Chunagon on meeting his reincarnated father. Videen also criticises the characterisation – Hamamatsu Chunagon Monogatari takes place over six years, not a lifetime, as in Genji, but even so she considers the character of the Hamamatsu Chunagon to be "much the same" at the close of the tale as at the beginning, and the female characters to be "flat".
The relationships in Hamamatsu have parallels in Genji - the love triangle between the Chunagon, the Yoshino Princess and the Crown Prince is like that between Kaoru, Ukifune
and Prince Niou. Also, for the Chunagon, the Yoshino Princess is a replacement love for the Hoyang Consort, her close relative. This is similar to Genji's
relationship with Murasaki, after his relationship with her aunt Fujitsubo. The Hoyang Consort's uneasy relationship with other consorts of the Chinese Emperor is considered similar to the relationship between Kiritsubo Consort
, Genji's mother, and the other consorts of the Emperor. Several monogatari motifs are present in the tale. The author of the Mumyozoshi considers these familiar motifs as satisfying, although later generations would consider these derivative. Although the tale is considered less accomplished than The Tale of Genji, it illuminates the way Japanese literature developed after The Tale of Genji.
's Spring Snow
, and a former teacher of his had recently released an edition of Hamamatsu as Mishima began work on Spring Snow. The tale was also adapted for the stage by the Takarazuka Revue
in 2005, under the name 睡れる月 (Sleeping Moon).
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...
that tells about a chūnagon
Chunagon
was a counselor of the second rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century.The role was eliminated from the Imperial hierarchy in 701, but it was re-established in 705...
who discovers his father has been reborn as a Chinese prince. He visits his reincarnated father in China and falls in love with the Hoyang Consort, consort to the Chinese Emperor and mother to his reincarnated father. It is told in six chapters, but the first has been lost to antiquity.
The tale was written by a female author who employed several exotic locations in the work. The author considers the love between a parent and a child to be "deeper, lasting and more tender" than a romantic love between a man and a woman, which follows traditional virtues of filial piety
Filial piety
In Confucian ideals, filial piety is one of the virtues to be held above all else: a respect for the parents and ancestors. The Confucian classic Xiao Jing or Classic of Xiào, thought to be written around 470 BCE, has historically been the authoritative source on the Confucian tenet of xiào /...
.
Plot
Hamamatsu Chūnagon Monogatari is the tale of a chūnagonChunagon
was a counselor of the second rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century.The role was eliminated from the Imperial hierarchy in 701, but it was re-established in 705...
who lost his father when he was very young. His mother marries a widower with two daughters and he fell in love with the older daughter, Taishō no Kimi. The Chūnagon learns in a dream that his father has been reincarnated as the Third Prince of the Emperor of China, and he sets out on a three year trip to meet his father. Taishō no Kimi conceives a child with him as he leaves for China and upsets her father's plans for a good match for her, becoming a nun instead. The Chūnagon becomes the darling of the Chinese court, and falls in love with the mother of his father's reincarnation, the half-Japanese Hoyang Consort. She bears him a son, who he brings back to Japan to live with the Hoyang Consort's mother, the Yoshino Nun. After the Yoshino Nun passes away, Chūnagon takes her daughter, the Yoshino Princess, into his care, although a seer urges him to avoid marriage with her. Chūnagon dreams of the Hoyang Consort being very sick, and soon he is told by a spirit that she died and is now in Trayastrimsa, a Buddhist heaven. The Yoshino Princess is kidnapped by the Crown Prince, and is impregnated by him. The Hoyang Consort appears to Chūnagon in a dream, and tells him that her spirit now lives in the Yoshino Princess's unborn child. The Yoshino Princess is returned to Chūnagon.
Characters
- Hamamatsu Chūnagon - described as being hapless in love, like Kaoru GenjiKaoru GenjiKaoru Genji is a fictional character in The Tale of Genji . He is the son of Hikaru Genji's wife, "Third Princess" , and Genji's nephew Kashiwagi. Genji is aware of the affair by his wife and nephew Kashiwagi...
of The Tale of GenjiThe Tale of Genjiis a classic work of Japanese literature attributed to the Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu in the early 11th century, around the peak of the Heian period. It is sometimes called the world's first novel, the first modern novel, the first psychological novel or the first novel still to be...
, but slightly more successful. - Hoyang Consort or T'ang Consort - the half-Japanese wife of the Emperor of China, mother to the Chūnagon's reincarnated father.
- Taishō no Kimi - the Chūnagon's older stepsister and lover, she conceives a child with him as he leaves for China and upsets her father's plans for a good match for her. She becomes a nun. After Hamamatsu Chūnagon returns, they live together in a "chaste yet idyllic" relationship, described as a "reworking" of the relationship between Kaoru and Ōigimi.
- Yoshino Nun - the Japanese mother of the Hoyang Consort.
- Yoshino Princess - daughter of the Yoshino Nun, half-sister of the Hoyang Consort.
- Wakagimi - son of the Chūnagon and the Hoyang Consort.
- Crown Prince - the Chūnagon's rival.
Authorship
Authorship of the tale has been traditionally ascribed to Sugawara no Takasue no musumeSugawara no Takasue no musume
Sugawara no Takasue no musume , also known as Lady Sarashina, was a Japanese author. "Sugawara no Takasue no musume" means a daughter of Sugawara no Takasue. Her real name is unknown....
, the author of Sarashina Nikki
Sarashina Nikki
The is a memoir written by Lady Sarashina , a lady-in-waiting of Heian-period Japan. Her work stands out for its descriptions of her travels and pilgrimages and is unique in the literature of the period, as well as one of the first in the genre of travel writing...
. The tale was probably finished from the 1060s to the 1070s, and no copies of the first chapter exist.
Reception
The MumyōzōshiMumyōzōshi
is an early 13th century Japanese text. One volume in length, it is the oldest existing Japanese text on literary criticism. The author is unknown.-Composition:...
, written by a female author between 1200 and 1202, which critiques various Heian tales, criticises the tale for the too-soon rebirth of the Hoyang Consort into the human world, when a soul is meant to remain in Trayastrimsa for a long time.
Unlike The Tale of Genji and Sagoromo Monogatari, Hamamatsu Chūnagon Monogatari does not pay much attention to the seasons or "the atmosphere of the time of day".
Shūichi Katō describes the plot as "totally divorced from reality", due to its use of dreams. Dreams are a staple plot device in Heian tales, and they are an especially important part of the plot in Hamamatsu Chūnagon Monogatari. The author's use of dreams "suggests considerable sophistication of narrative technique" to Harries.
Katō criticises the characterisation, saying that the events are so unusual that the characters "become puppets", buffeted around by the author. In one example, Katō found it "difficult to the point of impossibility" to guess the emotions of the Hamamatsu Chunagon on meeting his reincarnated father. Videen also criticises the characterisation – Hamamatsu Chunagon Monogatari takes place over six years, not a lifetime, as in Genji, but even so she considers the character of the Hamamatsu Chunagon to be "much the same" at the close of the tale as at the beginning, and the female characters to be "flat".
The relationships in Hamamatsu have parallels in Genji - the love triangle between the Chunagon, the Yoshino Princess and the Crown Prince is like that between Kaoru, Ukifune
Ukifune
Ukifune , meaning "drifting boat" or "floating boat", is the title of the chapter of The Tale of Genji that revolves around the character of the same name. She is the unrecognized daughter of the Eighth Prince of Japan in the novel , and is the half sister of Oigimi and Nakanokimi...
and Prince Niou. Also, for the Chunagon, the Yoshino Princess is a replacement love for the Hoyang Consort, her close relative. This is similar to Genji's
Hikaru Genji
is the protagonist of Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji. In the story, he is described as the most handsome man in the world and he attracts all women. Genji is the second son of Emperor Kiritsubo , but he is delegated to civilian life for political reasons and begins a career as an imperial...
relationship with Murasaki, after his relationship with her aunt Fujitsubo. The Hoyang Consort's uneasy relationship with other consorts of the Chinese Emperor is considered similar to the relationship between Kiritsubo Consort
Kiritsubo Consort
is a fictional character in The Tale of Genji . She is mother of Genji. The Emperor favored her over all his other ladies, despite her relatively lower rank. He would stay with her longer than was generally considered "proper" and with the court's concern for propriety it was quite scandalous. ...
, Genji's mother, and the other consorts of the Emperor. Several monogatari motifs are present in the tale. The author of the Mumyozoshi considers these familiar motifs as satisfying, although later generations would consider these derivative. Although the tale is considered less accomplished than The Tale of Genji, it illuminates the way Japanese literature developed after The Tale of Genji.
Translations
Thomas H. Rohlich translated the tale as A Tale of Eleventh Century Japan: Hamamatsu Chunagon Monogatari in 1983, including a summary of the missing first chapter. Rabinovich praises his introduction as "informative and scholarly", but criticises it for suggesting but not discussing the topic of "the intrinsic value of the work". Videen regrets that the many tanka (short poems) in the work were not discussed more fully in the introduction.Adaptations
The dream and reincarnation themes of Hamamatsu Chūnagon Monogatari inspired Yukio MishimaYukio Mishima
was the pen name of , a Japanese author, poet, playwright, actor and film director, also remembered for his ritual suicide by seppuku after a failed coup d'état...
's Spring Snow
Spring Snow
is a 1966 novel by Yukio Mishima, the first in his Sea of Fertility tetralogy. Mishima did extensive research, including visits to Enshō-ji in Nara, to prepare for the novel.-Plot:...
, and a former teacher of his had recently released an edition of Hamamatsu as Mishima began work on Spring Snow. The tale was also adapted for the stage by the Takarazuka Revue
Takarazuka Revue
The Takarazuka Revue is a Japanese all-female musical theater troupe based in Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Women play all roles in lavish, Broadway-style productions of Western-style musicals, and sometimes stories adapted from shōjo manga and Japanese folktales. The troupe takes its name...
in 2005, under the name 睡れる月 (Sleeping Moon).