「光る君へ」に学ぶ日本史 なぜ紫式部は源氏物語を書けたのか?吉高由里子主演・紫式部の生涯を描いた2024NHK大河ドラマがスタート!おいたちと平安貴族を検証!Genji Japan
Murasaki Shikibu’s boys Learning about Japanese history from “To Shine” Why was she able to write “The Tale of Genji”? Murasaki Shikibu is the author of “The Tale of Genji,” which is still published and read in over 100 countries. The drama “Hikaru Kimi e” depicting Murasaki Shikibu’s life is finally starting.
Let’s follow Murasaki Shikibu’s nephews and find out how she wrote The Tale of Genji. Her Murasaki Shikibu’s father was named Fujiwara Tametoki, and her mother was the daughter of Fujiwara Tamenobu. Tametoki’s grandfather, Kanesuke, had excellent personal ability and displayed his talents to the fullest, and was highly valued by the Emperor.
Kanesuke was also an excellent singer, leaving behind a collection of poems called “Kensuke Collection,” and was selected as one of the 36 poets. Kanesuke’s residence was located near the banks of the Kamogawa River, and water from the river was drawn into the residence, and flowers bloomed throughout the year.
For this reason, people praised Kanesuke and called him “Tsutsumi Chunagon.” Famous poets such as Ki Tsurayuki, known as the author of “Tosa Nikki”, frequented Kanesuke’s residence. It is said that Murasaki Shikibu spent his childhood in this mansion, honing his rich sensibilities, and later wrote “The Tale of Genji” in this mansion.
Today, the ruins of this residence are now Rozanji Temple in Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto City, and are a famous spot with purple bellflowers in full bloom. Murasaki Shikibu’s grandfather, Masamasa, and her father, Tametoki, were academics. Although the two men showed more talent than usual, they were overlooked for promotion.
As a result, around the time Murasaki Shikibu was born, her father, Tametoki, had not held a government position for a long time and was living through many financially difficult years. Murasaki Shikibu’s mother was the daughter of Fujiwara Tamenobu, but she married Tametoki and gave birth to her first daughter the following year.
Furthermore, a second daughter was born the following year in 970, the first year of Tenroku, and although there are various theories about the year of her birth, it is said that this was Murasaki Shikibu. By the way, Murasaki Shikibu’s mother gave birth to her younger brother, Korinori, two
Years later, but she died soon after. In the drama, she is supposed to have been murdered, but the cause of her death is unknown. This may be due to the fact that her naturally weak mother gave birth to her three children in quick succession.
Murasaki Shikibu lost his mother when he was two or three years old, when he was still unconscious. This is why the Murasaki Shikibu Diary mentions his father but does not mention his mother at all. His father, Tametoki, remarried after his mother’s death and had two children, Murasaki Shikibu’s half-brothers and sister.
However, there is no sign that Tametoki has welcomed a new wife into his home. Therefore, Murasaki Shikibu and his friends were raised by nannies in a mansion without a mother. Although his father, Tametoki, was an excellent Chinese scholar, he was a person who had little to do with his career advancement.
As a result, when Murasaki Shikibu was young, he was not only economically disadvantaged, but also grew up in a lonely environment without his mother. After losing his wife, Tametoki must have had a hard time with three young children, all of whom were four years old at the time.
Tametoki must have gone to his new wife’s house at night, so his children must have felt lonely too. Murasaki Shikibu, who is highly sensitive, writes about his memorable childhood memories in his “Murasaki Shikibu Diary”. When Murasaki Shikibu was six years old, a pale, white tail appeared in the summer evening
Sky for many days. It is said that the wives told Murasaki Shikibu that he should not look at it because it was a broom star. Murasaki Shikibu remembers that in that year, the dairi was burnt and the night sky turned bright red.
Shortly thereafter, a huge earthquake occurred, but Murasaki Shikibu escaped to the garden in the arms of his nurse, fearing for her life. When Murasaki Shikibu turned eight years old, his father Tametoki came home happily. His nanny told Murasaki Shikibu that his father had risen through the ranks in government.
The diary also records a time when his father, Tametoki, made his younger brother, Yoshinori, read a book. While 8-year-old Yoshinori had trouble remembering things, Murasaki Shikibu, now 10 years old, was able to memorize them surprisingly well. Therefore, Tametoki is said to have lamented that he wished Murasaki Shikibu had been a man.
His father, Tametoki, was a Chinese scholar, but also had musical talent. This is why Murasaki Shikibu was so good at playing the koto and koto. Additionally, Tametoki’s older brother was Tameyori, who was an excellent waka poet, and Murasaki Shikibu was greatly influenced by this uncle.
From an early age, Murasaki Shikibu grew up surrounded by people with a literary background. It was against this kind of favorable environment that Murasaki Shikibu was able to write “The Tale of Genji.”
世界的な文学作品である「源氏物語」を千年も前の平安時代に、紫式部はなぜかくことができたのであろうか。彼女のおいたちからその秘密を探っていく。紫式部は幼いころに母親を亡くしたが「紫式部日記」には感受性の鋭い彼女が幼い頃の記憶を綴っている。
お詫びと訂正
本文中で紫式部の弟・藤原惟規を これのり と読んでいますが正しくは のぶのり です。お詫びして訂正いたします。
作曲 秋山裕和
http://www.hmix.net/
#nhk大河ドラマ #光る君へ #日本史