Hieda no Are
Encyclopedia
is primarily known for being instrumental to the compilation of the Japan
ese text Kojiki
in 712. While birth and date are unknown, Are was active during the late 7th and early 8th century.
Scholars such as Kunio Yanagita
and Saigō Nobutsuna theorize that Are was a woman. Are was given the title of , which is typically a male title. However, members of the Sarumenokimi family are renowned as shrine maidens to the court, a female institution. In addition, a number of passages within the Kojiki appear to have been written by a woman.
set about to correct inconsistencies within the national history contained in the various Teiki
and Kyūji
circulating with the nobles. He sorted through them and commanded Are, presently at the age of 28, to memorize them. Are was renowned for his intelligence: "naturally bright and intelligent, Are could recite upon reading but once and memorize upon hearing but once." Temmu died before the work could be completed. Later, Empress Gemmei
ordered Ō no Yasumaro
to compile the Kojiki based on what Are had memorized. This was completed in 712.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese text Kojiki
Kojiki
is the oldest extant chronicle in Japan, dating from the early 8th century and composed by Ō no Yasumaro at the request of Empress Gemmei. The Kojiki is a collection of myths concerning the origin of the four home islands of Japan, and the Kami...
in 712. While birth and date are unknown, Are was active during the late 7th and early 8th century.
Background
Very little is known about Are's background. A passage in the Seikyūki (西宮記) suggests that Are belongs to the Sarumenokimi family, who trace their ancestry back to the goddess Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto.Scholars such as Kunio Yanagita
Kunio Yanagita
was a Japanese scholar who is often known as the father of Japanese native folkloristics, or minzokugaku.He was born in Fukusaki, Hyōgo Prefecture. After graduating with a degree in law from Tokyo Imperial University, he became employed as a bureaucrat in the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce...
and Saigō Nobutsuna theorize that Are was a woman. Are was given the title of , which is typically a male title. However, members of the Sarumenokimi family are renowned as shrine maidens to the court, a female institution. In addition, a number of passages within the Kojiki appear to have been written by a woman.
Kojiki
During the 7th century, Emperor TemmuEmperor Temmu
was the 40th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Temmu's reign lasted from 672 until his death in 686.-Traditional narrative:...
set about to correct inconsistencies within the national history contained in the various Teiki
Teiki
The is a historical text purported to have been compiled in 681. The text is no longer extant.-Background:According to the Nihon Shoki: On the seventeenth day, the emperor, residing in his place in the Daigokuden, commanded Prince Kawashima, Prince Osakabe [etc...] to record a definitive edition...
and Kyūji
Kyuji
, also known as and , is an ancient Japanese historical text. Its existence is recorded in the Kojiki which claims to have been composed based on its contents...
circulating with the nobles. He sorted through them and commanded Are, presently at the age of 28, to memorize them. Are was renowned for his intelligence: "naturally bright and intelligent, Are could recite upon reading but once and memorize upon hearing but once." Temmu died before the work could be completed. Later, Empress Gemmei
Empress Gemmei
, also known as Empress Genmyō, was the 43rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Gemmei's reign spanned the years 707 through 715....
ordered Ō no Yasumaro
O no Yasumaro
was a Japanese nobleman, bureaucrat, and chronicler. He may have been the son of , a participant in the Jinshin War of 672.He is most famous for compiling and editing, with the assistance of Hieda no Are, the Kojiki, the oldest extant Japanese history. Empress Genmei was a Japanese nobleman,...
to compile the Kojiki based on what Are had memorized. This was completed in 712.