| The medieval Japanese prose Tale of | | | | society, in reality everything was not |
| Heike and tale of Genjii are the works | | | | so. Japanese culture had inherited a |
| that have a high historical value. They | | | | long from Chinese culture, and |
| give the true picture of life in | | | | especially interest in poetry, but |
| medieval Japan and cover the main | | | | Japanese aristocracy was not interest in |
| aspects of life of Japanese society of | | | | moral philosophy and other sciences and |
| that period. These works have been | | | | knowledge. In the educational system |
| translated by many historians and | | | | Chinese classical literature formed the |
| scientists. The most popular and most | | | | main curriculum but the elite of the |
| successful translation was made by | | | | Japanese society regarded university |
| McCullough and Helen Craig. It gives an | | | | professors with irony showing lack of |
| informative background that helps to | | | | interest to education. At the end of the |
| better understand the complicated nature | | | | tenth century very little number of |
| of Japanese society. These works have a | | | | aristocrats studied at the central |
| high value for studying because the | | | | university, and most of the parents |
| topic covered in them gives the key | | | | preferred home education for their |
| explanation to the modern Japanese | | | | children. Private tutors taught |
| culture, values, traditions and | | | | aristocratic children elements of |
| mentality. Even though that these works | | | | poetry, painting, music or calligraphy |
| were written centuries ago and refer to | | | | and other art knowledge that was |
| the events that may look to have no | | | | considered of a high importance for a |
| connection with modern life, still the | | | | person with a good taste. Men for |
| values and ethics of Heian society and | | | | example also learned classical Chinese |
| later of bushido code of samurai lied | | | | composition and often studied major |
| into modern Japanese culture and | | | | works of Chinese classics including |
| mentality. | | | | Confucian philosophy and ethics. Woman |
| The main characteristic feature of Heian | | | | also had an opportunity to get nearly |
| aristocratic society was its obsession | | | | the same education that man did, but |
| with formality and ranks. As it's | | | | often were not forced to study |
| described the main definition of an | | | | especially specific subjects. |
| aristocrat was his rank in the court. As | | | | Along with aristocracy the social class |
| the whole social system of Japan was | | | | of samurai formed the top of the society |
| highly hierarchic, the rank of the | | | | with special privileges, opportunities |
| aristocrat was primary hereditary and it | | | | and norms. Japanese samurai warriors |
| caused the isolation of different social | | | | appeared in the twelfth century, during |
| groups in one country from each other. | | | | the war of two powerful family clans |
| The social system in Japan was organized | | | | Taira and Minamoto. At the same time |
| in such a way that a position and rank | | | | there was formed a system of shogunate |
| for man and woman was the major | | | | or a system of military rule. Under the |
| determinant of his or her social | | | | shogun, who was a ruler, were the |
| privileges and opportunities. | | | | daimyo, or the local rules like dukes. |
| Religion on the hand with political and | | | | The samurai class formed the military |
| social power was an attribute of | | | | retainers of a daimyo. |
| aristocracy and royalty in medieval | | | | Samurai warriors were allowed to carry |
| Japan. Well-organized Buddhist sects | | | | two swords long one and a short one. |
| often led by the members of the royal | | | | Common people were not allowed to carry |
| family and high court officials had a | | | | any weapon with them and samurai |
| significant power and symbolized the | | | | remained nearly the only privileged who |
| unity of religion and politics. Very | | | | had this right. There were times when |
| often higher aristocracy retired from | | | | samurai were allowed to make justice by |
| politics and became Buddhist monks, but | | | | themselves if the common man had |
| in many cases they continued influencing | | | | offended them, in particular case this |
| on clergy and life in the country. | | | | often ended by beheading offender. The |
| The life of aristocracy was full of | | | | cast of samurai was also divided into |
| formalities, ceremonies, ritual | | | | classes with different privileges. There |
| observations and other official customs. | | | | existed three major samurai ranks: |
| Even so that aristocracy had a lot of | | | | Kenin who were administrators or |
| privileges and opportunities still there | | | | vassals; |
| was quite a difference in the manner of | | | | Mounted samurai who were allowed to |
| dress, behavior and other miscellaneous | | | | fight on horseback; |
| issues that differentiated holders of | | | | And foot samurai. |
| different rank as well as it was the | | | | Samurai had a special ethic code of |
| rank that had a direct influence of | | | | behavior that was called bushido (that |
| human interaction in that society. | | | | means "way of the warrior"). The |
| For the most case daily details, that | | | | essential point of these rules was total |
| are of no concern in modern cultures, | | | | loyalty to the lord and total respect of |
| considered to be of a high importance in | | | | the lord. The belonging to the samurai |
| Heian society and were often criteria of | | | | class was based on heredity. |
| people judgments. There are lots of | | | | The image of samurai was connected with |
| examples of such practices in the novel | | | | the sense of honor, duty and loyalty. |
| Tale of Genjii. Prince Genjii, the main | | | | Being fully loyal and devoted to their |
| hero of the novel Tale of Genjii, once | | | | lord samurai could freely sacrifice his |
| was lying together with Lady Murasaki in | | | | own life for the sake of the master. The |
| her room. Lady Murasaki was worried | | | | highest form of the loyalty was the act |
| because thirteen-year-old Nyosan had | | | | of seppuku or a ritual suicide. The |
| become Genjii's wife. She is anxious | | | | reason could be the death of the lord or |
| because there had arrived a letter from | | | | personal disgrace. The samurai ethics |
| Nyosan addressed to the price and it's | | | | was based on the principles of pride and |
| time to see Nyosan's handwriting to | | | | self-dignity, which were of the key |
| determine the future fate of their | | | | importance to samurai. The elements of |
| relations. Reading the letter, Prince | | | | such behavior and moral are observed and |
| Genjii allows Murasaki to have a look on | | | | nowadays in Japanese culture, which is |
| the paper: | | | | known to have the highest rate of |
| "Murasaki's first glance told her that | | | | suicide for failures in business or on |
| it was indeed a childish production. She | | | | exam. |
| wondered how anyone could have reached | | | | Samurai ethics had curtain laws that |
| such an age without developing a more | | | | restricted the options for social |
| polished style. But she pretended not to | | | | participation. Samurai could not be |
| have noticed and made no comment. Genji | | | | involved in trade business, farming, |
| also kept silent. If the letter had come | | | | crafts, and other activities. They were |
| from anyone else, he would certainly | | | | only allowed to study classic Chinese |
| have whispered something about the | | | | poetry and humanities, which were |
| writing, but he felt sorry for the girl | | | | important for those who planned to make |
| and simply said [to Murasaki], 'Well | | | | a career. |
| now, you see that you have nothing to | | | | Samurai warriors also devoted a lot of |
| worry about." | | | | time to religious practices especially |
| This short episode shows the high value | | | | to Zen and Amidist Buddhism. Zen |
| of good handwriting in Japanese | | | | Buddhism was never popular among common |
| aristocratic society, where handwriting | | | | people, but its meditation practices |
| was considered to be a mirror of | | | | were widely used by warriors to heighten |
| person's inner world and his soul. | | | | the concentration and develop senses. It |
| Because of historical and geographical | | | | was also used to remove the fear of |
| circumstances that formed isolation of | | | | death, which was very important for |
| Japan from continental invaders and | | | | warrior and developed his courage and |
| other threats, the world of the Heian | | | | bravery traits. It often happened that |
| aristocrats was obviously separated from | | | | warriors had their own Zen tutors in |
| the harsh realities of life and it | | | | order to be superior in battle. Along |
| basically caused the construction of | | | | with Zen practices Japanese warriors |
| some kind of illusion world full of | | | | observed Amidist Buddhism practices that |
| traditions and laws that were mandatory | | | | taught to be moderate in life and |
| for observation. | | | | forsake life pleasures in order to |
| The relations of women and men had a | | | | achieve full enlightenment. |
| more liberal and free character from | | | | Tale of Genjii and Tale of Heike were |
| that one existed in medieval Europe. | | | | written in different historical period |
| Heian aristocrats spent a lot of time in | | | | that caused the main difference in their |
| pursing romantic and sexual pleasures. | | | | plot and life problems touched. The Tale |
| Virginity was not subject to prize among | | | | of Genjii describes the social, |
| either men or women, instead remaining a | | | | philosophical and moral aspects of |
| virgin for a long time was considered to | | | | personal life. It describes the nature |
| be a sign of possessing demons. | | | | of relations between man and woman, the |
| Relations between man and woman in Heian | | | | place of love relations and other moral |
| period looked like a mixture of restrain | | | | values in Japanese aristocratic society. |
| and promiscuity, but the restrain was | | | | It describes the life and fate of prince |
| caused not by moral sanctions of ethic | | | | Genjii and at the same time draws the |
| codes, but basically by the requirements | | | | picture of aristocratic life, which is |
| and demands of a good taste. | | | | full of mysteries, ceremonies and |
| Men were allowed polygamy, which of | | | | contradictions for the Western culture. |
| course included restrictions that had a | | | | The Tale of Heike tells more about |
| social character and were about the | | | | samurai and war period in the medieval |
| heritage of the wife and her rank in the | | | | Japan, so it touches social problems |
| social hierarchy. In theory, the wife | | | | more than personal ethics. The war prose |
| had to be faithful all her life to the | | | | glorified the courage and honor of |
| husband, but in practice multiple sex | | | | samurai and described him as a hero, who |
| partners were allowed and took place and | | | | was not afraid of death. It also opened |
| were about the standards of a good | | | | some moral problems that have relation |
| taste. | | | | to religion and loyalty as well as real |
| In fact men had a wider freedom in their | | | | life. From this aspect The Tale of Heike |
| relations and in their personal life | | | | looks more realistic and has more |
| than woman, but on the other hand | | | | practical and obvious plot than Tale of |
| Japanese aristocratic women had more | | | | Genjii, which is more about love and |
| freedom than those in China for example | | | | personal inner world, separated from |
| or in other societies. | | | | real life. |
| Heian aristocrats spent a lot of time | | | | The civil war described in the tale of |
| writing scholarly essays and were very | | | | Heike and the moral and ethics of |
| often involved in writing poetry that | | | | samurai show us another aspect of |
| sometimes even substituted memorandum in | | | | multiple and complicated Japanese |
| government offices and was part of | | | | society and culture. |
| official life. Nearly every official | | | | Many authors oppose these two works, |
| event or private had a special time for | | | | stating that Tale of Heike that was |
| poetry, that's why those who were not | | | | written in 1240 opens the world of |
| skilled in poetic practices were in | | | | swords and wars, opposing and ruining |
| disadvantage in Heian society. The | | | | the love- poisoned and graceful world of |
| composed poems were often a combination | | | | Tale of Genjii. But it's obvious that |
| of plays of words and abstract | | | | both of them have a precious information |
| references. The poetry was seen by Heian | | | | about Japanese culture, as well as they |
| aristocracy as an ideal means of | | | | touch and solve moral problems of love, |
| communication and expressing thoughts to | | | | loyalty, freedom that are actual |
| each other in a very specific and | | | | nowadays and that are probably immortal. |
| delicate manner. | | | | Eastern approach to the solving of these |
| Even though that such a deep interest to | | | | issues is very interesting and have a |
| poetry may look like an interest to | | | | lot of rationalism as well. |
| scholarship practices in aristocratic | | | | |