Setsuwa
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese
literary genre
. It consists of myths, legends
, folktales
, and anecdotes
.
Setsuwa are based foremost on oral tradition
. The stories are told to each other and later committed to text. As a genre, they "[...] have in common brevity; an uncomplicated plot unfolded in plain, direct language; character delineation through dialogue and action rather than through description and psychological analysis; and a predilection for amusing, starting, dramatic, or marvelous subject matter."
The genre may be divided into two major subcategories: general and Buddhist. A number of setsuwa deal with Buddhist matters such as karma and miracles.
Setsuwa may be found integrated in other literature or in setsuwa collections. The myths found within Kojiki
(712) are the oldest individual ones known to exist. The Nihon Ryōiki
(c. 822) is the oldest setsuwa collection.
The setsuwa genre last until the early 14th century when it was succeeded by the otogizōshi
genre.
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...
literary genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
. It consists of myths, legends
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
, folktales
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
, and anecdotes
Anecdote
An anecdote is a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person. It may be as brief as the setting and provocation of a bon mot. An anecdote is always presented as based on a real incident involving actual persons, whether famous or not, usually in an identifiable place...
.
Setsuwa are based foremost on oral tradition
Oral tradition
Oral tradition and oral lore is cultural material and traditions transmitted orally from one generation to another. The messages or testimony are verbally transmitted in speech or song and may take the form, for example, of folktales, sayings, ballads, songs, or chants...
. The stories are told to each other and later committed to text. As a genre, they "[...] have in common brevity; an uncomplicated plot unfolded in plain, direct language; character delineation through dialogue and action rather than through description and psychological analysis; and a predilection for amusing, starting, dramatic, or marvelous subject matter."
The genre may be divided into two major subcategories: general and Buddhist. A number of setsuwa deal with Buddhist matters such as karma and miracles.
Setsuwa may be found integrated in other literature or in setsuwa collections. The myths found within 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...
(712) are the oldest individual ones known to exist. The Nihon Ryōiki
Nihon Ryoiki
is an early Heian period setsuwa collection. Written by Kyōkai between 787 and 824, it is Japan's oldest collection of Buddhist setsuwa. It is three volumes in length.-Title:...
(c. 822) is the oldest setsuwa collection.
The setsuwa genre last until the early 14th century when it was succeeded by the otogizōshi
Otogizoshi
refers to a group of approximately 350 Japanese prose narratives written primarily in the Muromachi period . 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...
genre.