The Medieval Japanese Prose

The main characteristic feature of Heian aristocratic society was its obsession with formality and ranks. As its described the main definition of an aristocrat was his rank in the court. As the whole social system of Japan was highly hierarchic, the rank of the aristocrat was primary hereditary and it caused the isolation of different social groups in one country from each other. The social system in Japan was organized in such a way that a position and rank for man and woman was the major determinant of his or her social privileges and opportunities. Religion on the hand with political and social power was an attribute of aristocracy and royalty in medieval Japan. Well-organized Buddhist sects often led by the members of the royal family and high court officials had a significant power and symbolized the unity of religion and politics. Very often higher aristocracy retired from politics and became Buddhist monks, but in many cases they continued influencing on clergy and life in the country.

The life of aristocracy was full of formalities, ceremonies, ritual observations and other official customs. Even so that aristocracy had a lot of privileges and opportunities still there was quite a difference in the manner of dress, behavior and other miscellaneous issues that differentiated holders of different rank as well as it was the rank that had a direct influence of human interaction in that society.

For the most case daily details, that are of no concern in modern cultures, considered to be of a high importance in Heian society and were often criteria of people judgments. There are lots of examples of such practices in the novel Tale of Genjii. Prince Genjii, the main hero of the novel Tale of Genjii, once was lying together with Lady Murasaki in her room. Lady Murasaki was worried because thirteen-year-old Nyosan had become Genjiis wife. She is anxious because there had arrived a letter from Nyosan addressed to the price and its time to see Nyosans handwriting to determine the future fate of their relations. Reading the letter, Prince Genjii allows Murasaki to have a look on the paper:

Murasakis first glance told her that it was indeed a childish production. She wondered how anyone could have reached such an age without developing a more polished style. But she pretended not to have noticed and made no comment. Genji also kept silent. If the letter had come from anyone else, he would certainly have whispered something about the writing, but he felt sorry for the girl and simply said [to Murasaki, Well now, you see that you have nothing to worry about.

This short episode shows the high value of good handwriting in Japanese aristocratic society, where handwriting was considered to be a mirror of persons inner world and his soul. Because of historical and geographical circumstances that formed isolation of Japan from continental invaders and other threats, the world of the Heian aristocrats was obviously separated from the harsh realities of life and it basically caused the construction of some kind of illusion world full of traditions and laws that were mandatory for observation.

The relations of women and men had a more liberal and free character from that one existed in medieval Europe. Heian aristocrats spent a lot of time in pursing romantic and sexual pleasures. Virginity was not subject to prize among either men or women, instead remaining a virgin for a long time was considered to be a sign of possessing demons. Relations between man and woman in Heian period looked like a mixture of restrain and promiscuity, but the restrain was caused not by moral sanctions of ethic codes, but basically by the requirements and demands of a good taste.

Men were allowed polygamy, which of course included restrictions that had a social character and were about the heritage of the wife and her rank in the social hierarchy. In theory, the wife had to be faithf ul all her life to the husband, but in practice multiple sex partners were allowed and took place and were about the standards of a good taste.

In fact men had a wider freedom in their relations and in their personal life than woman, but on the other hand Japanese aristocratic women had more freedom than those in China for example or in other societies.

Heian aristocrats spent a lot of time writing scholarly essays and were very often involved in writing Poetry that sometimes even substituted memorandum in government offices and was part of official life. Nearly every official event or private had a special time for Poetry, tha ts why those who were not skilled in poetic practices were in disadvantage in Heian society. The composed poems were often a combination of plays of words and abstract references. The Poetry was seen by Heian aristocracy as an ideal means of communication and expressing thoughts to each other in a very specific and delicate manner.

Even though that such a deep interest to Poetry may look like an interest to scholarship practices in aristocratic society, in reality everything was not so. Japanese culture had inherited a long from Chinese culture, and especially interest in Poetry, but Japanese aristocracy was not interest in moral philosophy and other sciences and knowledge. In the educational system Chinese classical literature formed the main curriculum but the elite of the Japanese society regarded university professors with irony showing lack of interest to education. At the end of the tenth century very little number of aristocrats studied at the central university, and most of the parents preferred home education for their children. Private tutors taught aristocratic children elements of Poetry, painting, music or calligraphy and other art knowledge that was considered of a high importance for a person with a good taste. Men for example also learned classical Chi nese composition and often studied major works of Chinese classics including Confucian philosophy and ethics. Woman also had an opportunity to get nearly the same education that man did, but often were not forced to study especially specific subjects.

Along with aristocracy the social class of samurai formed the top of the society with special privileges, opportunities and norms. Japanese samurai warriors appeared in the twelfth century, during the war of two powerful family clans Taira and Minamoto. At the same time there was formed a system of shogunate or a system of military rule. Under the shogun, who was a ruler, were the daimyo, or the local rules like dukes. The samurai class formed the military retainers of a daimyo.

Samurai warriors were allowed to carry two swords long one and a short one. Common people were not allowed to carry any weapon with them and samurai remained nearly the only privileged who had this right. There were times when samurai were a llowed to make justice by themselves if the common man had offended them, in particular case this often ended by beheading offender. The cast of samurai was also divided into classes with different privileges. There existed three major samurai ranks:

Kenin who were administrators or vassals;

Mounted samurai who were allowed to fight on horseback;

And foot samurai.

Samurai had a special ethic code of behavior that was called bushido (that means way of the warrior). The essential point of these rules was total loyalty to the lord and total respect of the lord. The belonging to the samurai class was based on heredity. The image of samurai was connected with the sense of honor, duty and loyalty. Being fully loyal and devoted to their lord samurai could freely sacrifice his own life for the sake of the master. The highest form of the loyalty was the act of seppuku or a ritual suicide. The reason could be the death of the lord or personal disgrace. The sam urai ethics was based on the principles of pride and self-dignity, which were of the key importance to samurai. The elements of such behavior and moral are observed and nowadays in Japanese culture, which is known to have the highest rate of suicide for failures in business or on exam.

Samurai ethics had curtain laws that restricted the options for social participation. Samurai could not be involved in trade business, farming, crafts, and other activities. They were only allowed to study classic Chinese Poetry and humanities, which were important for those who planned to make a career. Samurai warriors also devoted a lot of time to religious practices especially to Zen and Amidist Buddhism. Zen Buddhism was never popular among common people, but its meditation practices were widely used by warriors to heighten the concentration and develop senses. It was also used to remove the fear of death, which was very important for warrior and developed his courage and bravery traits. It often happened that warriors had their own Zen tutors in order to be superior in battle. Along with Zen practices Japanese warriors observed Amidist Buddhism practices that taught to be moderate in life and forsake life pleasures in order to achieve full enlightenment.

Tale of Genjii and Tale of Heike were written in different historical period that caused the main difference in their plot and life problems touched. The Tale of Genjii describes the social, philosophical and moral aspects of personal life. It describes the nature of relations between man and woman, the place of love relations and other moral values in Japanese aristocratic society. It describes the life and fate of prince Genjii and at the same time draws the picture of aristocratic life, which is full of mysteries, ceremonies and contradictions for the Western culture.

The Tale of Heike tells more about samurai and war period in the medieval Japan, so it touches social problems more than personal ethics. The war prose glorified the courage and honor of samurai and described him as a hero, who was not afraid of death. It also opened some moral problems that have relation to religion and loyalty as well as real life. From this aspect The Tale of Heike looks more realistic and has more practical and obvious plot than Tale of Genjii, which is more about love and personal inner world, separated from real life. The civil war described in the tale of Heike and the moral and ethics of samurai show us another aspect of multiple and complicated Japanese society and culture.

Many authors oppose these two works, stating that Tale of Heike that was written in 1240 opens the world of swords and wars, opposing and ruining the love- poisoned and graceful world of Tale of Genjii. But its obvious that both of them have a precious information about Japanese culture, as well as they touch and solve moral problems of love, loyalty, freedom that are actual nowadays and that are probably immortal. Eastern approach to the solving of these issues is very interesting and have a lot of rationalism as well.

Aaron is a professional freelance writer at custom essays writing service: custom-essay.net He is also a technical writer, advertising copywriter, & website copywriter for Custom Essay Writing Service.

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Author:: Aaron Schwartz
Keywords:: The medieval Japanese prose
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