Murasaki Shikibu, Japanese Novelist
by Science Source
Title
Murasaki Shikibu, Japanese Novelist
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Science Source
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Photograph - Photograph
Description
Murasaki with five elderly wise men and/or poets. Murasaki with five elderly men, all wise men and/or poets. Murasaki Shikibu (973 or 978 – 1014 or 1031) was a Japanese novelist, poet and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial court during the Heian period. Heian women were traditionally excluded from learning Chinese (the written language of government), but her father encouraged his daughter and Murasaki acquired fluency. She married in her mid-to late 20s and gave birth to a daughter before her husband died, two years after they were married. It is uncertain when she began to write The Tale of Genji, but it was probably while she was married or shortly after she was widowed. In about 1005, Murasaki was invited to serve as a lady-in-waiting to Empress Shoshi at the Imperial court, probably because of her reputation as a writer. She continued to write during her service, adding scenes from court life to her work. Murasaki wrote The Diary of Lady Murasaki, a volume of poetry, and The Tale of Genji. Within a decade of its completion, Genji was distributed throughout the provinces; within a century it was recognized as a classic of Japanese literature and had become a subject of scholarly criticism. Scholars continue to recognize the importance of her work, which reflects Heian court society at its peak. Since the 13th century her works have been illustrated by Japanese artists and well-known ukiyo-e woodblock masters. Woodcut by Utamaro Kitagawa, between 1795 and 1806.
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April 10th, 2019
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