Everything about Murasaki Shikibu totally explained
Murasaki Shikibu (; c.
973–c.
1014 or
1025), or
Lady Murasaki as she's sometimes known in English, was a
Japanese
novelist,
poet, and a maid of honor of the
imperial court during the
Heian period. She is best known as the author of
The Tale of Genji, written in
Japanese between about 1000 and 1008, one of the earliest and most famous
novels in human history. "Murasaki Shikibu" wasn't her real name; her actual name is unknown, though some scholars have postulated that her given name might have been
Takako (for
Fujiwara Takako). Her diary states that she was nicknamed "Murasaki" ("purple wisteria blossom") at court, after a character in
The Tale of Genji. "Shikibu" refers to her father's position in the Bureau of Ceremony (
shikibu-shō).
Biography
Lady Murasaki Shikibu was born about 973 in Kyoto, Japan. She was born in a family of minor nobility and a member of the northern branch of the
Fujiwara clan.
Murasaki's mother died while she was a child, so Murasaki was raised, contrary to customs of the time, by her father
Fujiwara no Tametoki, a scholar and officer of the imperial court. During
Heian-era Japan, couples lived separately and children were raised by the mother and her family. Also contrary to customs of the time, her father gave her a male education. Men were educated in and taught
Chinese, the official language of the court, while women were taught
kana and
poetry. Her father praised her intelligence and ability but lamented that she was "born a woman." She was married in her early 20s and had one child,
Daini no Sanmi, who was a poet in her own right.
At the royal court, she was the lady-in-waiting for Empress Shoshi/Akiko and may have been hired by
Fujiwara Michinaga to serve the Empress.
Murasaki died either in 1014, when records show that her father suddenly returned to
Kyoto from his governor's mansion, or between 1025 and 1031, when she'd have been in her mid-50s, fairly old by Heian standards.
Three works are attributed to Murasaki, the most important being
The Tale of Genji.
The Murasaki Shikibu Diary and
The Murasaki Shikibu Collection were arranged and published posthumously. The Murasaki Shikibu Collection is a compilation of 128 poems written by Murasaki.
She is considered one of the greatest writers of Japanese literature. Statues in her honour have been erected throughout Japan, her works are a staple part of the education curriculum in Japan. The
2000 yen note was issued in commemoration to her and her greatest epic work,
The Tale of Genji.
Trivia
A fictionalized biography of Murasaki called
The Tale of Murasaki: A Novel was written by
Liza Dalby. A fictitious descendant of Lady Murasaki is a major character in the Thomas Harris novel and subsequent horror film
Hannibal Rising.
Another fictionalized biography of Murasaki Shikibu is an Italian novel by
Gabriella Magrini:
Mille Autunni, vita di Murasaki Dama di Corte, Edizione Frassinelli 1985; translated into French under the title
La dame de Kyoto, Editions Belfond, 1987, ISBN 2 7144 1973 9.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Murasaki Shikibu'.
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