Heian literature (平安文学, Heian-bungaku) or Chūko literature (中古文学, chūko-bungaku, "mid-ancient literature") refers to Japanese literature of the Heian period, running from 794 to 1185.[1] This article summarizes its history and development.

Overview edit

Kanshi (poetry written in Chinese) and kanbun (prose in Chinese)[2] had remained popular since the Nara period, and the influence of the Tang poet Bai Juyi (Haku Kyoi in Japanese) on Japanese kanshi in this period was great. Even in the Tale of Genji, a pure Japanese work composed entirely in kana, particularly in the chapter "Kiritsubo", the influence of his Song of Everlasting Regret has been widely recognized. Sugawara no Michizane, who taught at the Daigaku-ryō before becoming Minister of the Right, was known not only as a politician but as a leading kanshi poet.[3]

In 905, with the imperial order to compile the Kokinshū,[4] the first imperial anthology, waka poetry acquired a status comparable to kanshi. Waka were composed at uta-awase and other official events, and the private collections of well-known poets such as Ki no Tsurayuki (the Tsurayuki-shū) and Lady Ise (the Ise-shū) became well-known.

During this period, since the language of most official documents was Chinese, most men of the nobility used Chinese characters to write poetry and prose in Chinese,[5] but among women the kana syllabary continued to grow in popularity, and more and more men adopted this simpler style of writing as well. Most of the works of literature from the Heian period that are still well-regarded today were written predominantly in kana. Diaries had been written by men in Chinese for some time, but in the early tenth century Ki no Tsurayuki chose to write his Tosa Nikki [6] from the standpoint of a woman, in kana. Partly due to the Tosa Nikki's influence, diaries written in Japanese became increasingly common.

Timeline of notable works edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ "Heian period". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2007-04-24.
  2. ^ Rabinovitch, Judith N.; Rabinovitch, Judith R.; Bradstock, Timothy Roland (2005). Dance of the Butterflies: Chinese Poetry from the Japanese Court Tradition. East Asia Program, Cornell University. ISBN 978-1-885445-35-3.
  3. ^ Borgen, Robert (1994-01-01). Sugawara No Michizane and the Early Heian Court. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-1590-5.
  4. ^ McCullough, Helen Craig (1985). Kokin WakashÅ«: The First Imperial Anthology of Japanese Poetry : with Tosa Nikki and Shinsen Waka. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-1258-3.
  5. ^ Shonagon, Sei (2006-11-30). The Pillow Book. Penguin Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-14-044806-1.
  6. ^ Tsurayuki, Ki No (2011-12-20). Tosa Diary. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4629-0336-8.
  7. ^ Rabinovitch, Judith N.; Rabinovitch, Judith R.; Bradstock, Timothy Roland (2005). Dance of the Butterflies: Chinese Poetry from the Japanese Court Tradition. East Asia Program, Cornell University. ISBN 978-1-885445-35-3.
  8. ^ Rabinovitch, Judith N.; Rabinovitch, Judith R.; Bradstock, Timothy Roland (2005). Dance of the Butterflies: Chinese Poetry from the Japanese Court Tradition. East Asia Program, Cornell University. ISBN 978-1-885445-35-3.
  9. ^ Record of Miraculous Events in Japan: The Nihon ryoiki. Columbia University Press. 2013-07-23. ISBN 978-0-231-53516-8.
  10. ^ Rabinovitch, Judith N.; Rabinovitch, Judith R.; Bradstock, Timothy Roland (2005). Dance of the Butterflies: Chinese Poetry from the Japanese Court Tradition. East Asia Program, Cornell University. ISBN 978-1-885445-35-3.
  11. ^ Rabinovitch, Judith N.; Rabinovitch, Judith R.; Bradstock, Timothy Roland (2005). Dance of the Butterflies: Chinese Poetry from the Japanese Court Tradition. East Asia Program, Cornell University. ISBN 978-1-885445-35-3.
  12. ^ Ennin (2020-10-25). Ennin's Diary: The Record of a Pilgrimage to China in Search of the Law. Angelico Press. ISBN 978-1-62138-651-3.
  13. ^ Rabinovitch, Judith N.; Rabinovitch, Judith R.; Bradstock, Timothy Roland (2005). Dance of the Butterflies: Chinese Poetry from the Japanese Court Tradition. East Asia Program, Cornell University. ISBN 978-1-885445-35-3.
  14. ^ McCullough, Helen Craig (1985). Kokin WakashÅ«: The First Imperial Anthology of Japanese Poetry : with Tosa Nikki and Shinsen Waka. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-1258-3.
  15. ^ Dickins, Frederick Victor (2016-09-30). The Old Bamboo-Hewer's Story (Taketori Monogatari): The Earliest of the Japanese Romances, Written in the Tenth Century (Classic Reprint). 1kg Limited. ISBN 978-1-333-79969-4.
  16. ^ The Holy Kojiki -- Including, the Yengishiki. Cosimo, Inc. 2007-07-01. ISBN 978-1-59605-997-9.
  17. ^ Tsurayuki, Ki No (2011-12-20). Tosa Diary. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4629-0336-8.
  18. ^ Fujiwara, Tadahira (2008). 貞信御記: The Year 939 in the Journal of Regent Fujiwara No Tadahira. East Asia Program, Cornell University. ISBN 978-1-933947-10-5.
  19. ^ The Tales of Ise. Penguin UK. 2016-09-01. ISBN 978-0-14-139258-5.
  20. ^ Tahara, Mildred M. (1980). Tales of Yamato: A Tenth Century Poem-tale. University Press of Hawaii. ISBN 978-0-8248-0617-0.
  21. ^ Videen, Susan Downing (1989). Tales of Heichū. Harvard Univ Asia Center. ISBN 978-0-674-38715-7.
  22. ^ Mostow, Joshua S. (2004-07-31). At the House of Gathered Leaves: Shorter Biographical and Autobiographical Narratives from Japanese Court Literature. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-2778-6.
  23. ^ Mostow, Joshua S. (2004-07-31). At the House of Gathered Leaves: Shorter Biographical and Autobiographical Narratives from Japanese Court Literature. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-2778-6.
  24. ^ The Gossamer Years: The Diary of a Noblewoman of Heian Japan. Tuttle Publishing. 1989-12-15. ISBN 978-0-8048-1123-1.
  25. ^ Whitehouse (2013-10-28). Tale Of Lady Ochikubo. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-22035-7.
  26. ^ Mostow, Joshua S. (2004-07-31). At the House of Gathered Leaves: Shorter Biographical and Autobiographical Narratives from Japanese Court Literature. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-2778-6.
  27. ^ Japan, Asiatic Society of (2015-09-26). Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan, Volumes 28-30. Creative Media Partners, LLC. ISBN 978-1-343-54692-9.
  28. ^ Stavros, Matthew Gerald (2022-01-22). In Praise of Solitude: Two Japanese Classics on Reclusion. Chiteiki by Yoshishige No Yasutane, and Hojoki by Kamo No Chomei. Vicus Lusorum. ISBN 978-0-6453932-2-4.
  29. ^ Kamens, Edward; Minamoto, Tamenori (1988). The Three Jewels: A Study and Translation of Minamoto Tamenori's Sanbōe. Center for Japanese Studies, University of Michigan. ISBN 978-0-939512-34-8.
  30. ^ McAuley, T. E. (2021-06-07). Sanekata-shū: The Personal Poetry Collection of Fujiwara No Sanekata. Amazon Digital Services LLC - KDP Print US. ISBN 978-0-9956948-4-2.
  31. ^ Shonagon, Sei (2006-11-30). The Pillow Book. Penguin Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-14-044806-1.
  32. ^ Various (2021-01-19). Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan. Prabhat Prakashan.
  33. ^ Shikibu, Murasaki (2015-07-27). The Tale of Genji. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-24807-4.
  34. ^ Shikibu, Murasaki (1996-03-07). The Diary of Lady Murasaki. Penguin UK. ISBN 978-0-14-190765-9.
  35. ^ Teele, Nicholas J. (1976). "Rules for Poetic Elegance. Fujiwara no Kintō's "Shinsen Zuinō" & "Waka Kuhon"". Monumenta Nipponica. 31 (2): 145–164. doi:10.2307/2384458. ISSN 0027-0741. JSTOR 2384458.
  36. ^ Teele, Nicholas J. (1976). "Rules for Poetic Elegance. Fujiwara no Kintō's "Shinsen Zuinō" & "Waka Kuhon"". Monumenta Nipponica. 31 (2): 145–164. doi:10.2307/2384458. ISSN 0027-0741. JSTOR 2384458.
  37. ^ Rimer, J. Thomas; Chaves, Jonathan; Konishi, Jin'ichi (1997). Japanese and Chinese Poems to Sing: The Wakan Rōei Shū. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-10702-0.
  38. ^ 藤原行成; 倉本一宏 (December 2011). 藤原行成「権記」: 全現代語訳 (in Japanese). 講談社. ISBN 978-4-06-292084-1.
  39. ^ 倉本一宏 (2012). 藤原行成「権記」中: 全現代語訳 (in Japanese). 講談社. ISBN 978-4-06-292085-8.
  40. ^ 倉本一宏 (February 2012). 藤原行成「権記」下: 全現代語訳 (in Japanese). 講談社. ISBN 978-4-06-292086-5.
  41. ^ Various (2021-01-19). Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan. Prabhat Prakashan.
  42. ^ Kamens, Edward (2020-08-01). The Buddhist Poetry of the Great Kamo Priestess: Daisaiin Senshi and Hosshin Wakashu. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0-472-03831-2.
  43. ^ Chingen (1987). Miraculous Tales of the Lotus Sutra from Ancient Japan: The Dainihonkoku Hokekyōkenki of Priest Chingen. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-0967-6.
  44. ^ "Bemsha10". sites.google.com. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
  45. ^ Takei, Jiro; Keane, Marc P. (2011-04-11). Sakuteiki: Visions of the Japanese Garden. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4629-0012-1.
  46. ^ The Tsutsumi Chūnagon Monogatari: A Collection of 11th-century Short Stories of Japan. Hokuseido Press. 1963.
  47. ^ A Tale of Eleventh-Century Japan: Hamamatsu Chunagon Monogatari. Princeton University Press. 2014-07-14. ISBN 978-1-4008-5668-8.
  48. ^ Celebrating Sorrow: Medieval Tributes to "The Tale of Sagoromo". Cornell University Press. 2022-08-15. ISBN 978-1-5017-6479-0.
  49. ^ McCullough, William H.; McCullough, Helen Craig (1980). A Tale of Flowering Fortunes: Annals of Japanese Aristocratic Life in the Heian Period. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-1039-8.
  50. ^ Daoism in Japan: the Honchō Shinsen-den. 1999.
  51. ^ Suke, Sanuki no; Nagako, Fujiwara no (1977). The Emperor Horikawa Diary: Sanuki No Suke Nikki. University Press of Hawaii. ISBN 978-0-608-00533-1.
  52. ^ Mostow, Joshua S. (2004-07-31). At the House of Gathered Leaves: Shorter Biographical and Autobiographical Narratives from Japanese Court Literature. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-2778-6.
  53. ^ McCullough, Helen Craig (2014-07-14). OKAGAMI, The Great Mirror: Fujiwara Michinaga (966-1027) and His Times. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-1-4008-5593-3.
  54. ^ Ury, Marian (1979). Tales of Times Now Past: Sixty-two Stories from a Medieval Japanese Collection. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-03864-6.
  55. ^ "Minister Kibi's Adventures in China (Kibi daijin nittô emaki), scroll 1". collections.mfa.org. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
  56. ^ "Minister Kibi's Adventures in China (Kibi daijin nittô emaki), scroll 2". collections.mfa.org. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
  57. ^ "Minister Kibi's Adventures in China (Kibi daijin nittô emaki), scroll 3". collections.mfa.org. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
  58. ^ "Minister Kibi's Adventures in China (Kibi daijin nittô emaki), scroll 4". collections.mfa.org. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
  59. ^ Before Heike and After: Hōgen, Heiji, Jōkyūki. Blue-Tongue Books. 2016. ISBN 978-0-9945715-2-6.
  60. ^ Before Heike and After: Hōgen, Heiji, Jōkyūki. Blue-Tongue Books. 2016. ISBN 978-0-9945715-2-6.
  61. ^ Geddes, Ward (1984). Kara Monogatari: Tales of China. Center for Asian Studies, Arizona State University. ISBN 978-0-939252-12-1.
  62. ^ The Changelings: A Classical Japanese Court Tale. Stanford University Press. 1983. ISBN 978-0-8047-1124-1.
  63. ^ Saigyō (1991). Poems of a Mountain Home. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-07493-3.
  64. ^ Kim, Yung-Hee (2018-08-14). Songs to Make the Dust Dance: The Ryojin Hisho of Twelfth-Century Japan. Univ of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-30306-5.
  65. ^ The Tale of the Heike. Penguin. 2014-03-25. ISBN 978-0-14-310726-2.
  66. ^ "Bibliography", At the House of Gathered Leaves, University of Hawaii Press, pp. 195–200, 2017-12-31, doi:10.1515/9780824846213-009, ISBN 9780824846213, retrieved 2022-02-23