In the history of the literature of past centuries we hardly find any women and if there are, we will find their true hidden names under masculine pseudonyms. At present there are many women who succeed in the world of literature , that's why we were delighted to know that the first novel in history came from the mind of a woman. Join us to meet Murasaki Shikibu and discover 10 curiosities of the author of the 1st novel of the world.
Murasaki Shikibu, author of the 1st novel of the world
Murasaki Shikibu was born in the year 973 in Heian-kyō, Japan , in the Fujiwara clan. She is considered to be the author of the first novel written in the world (between 1000 and 1012): "Genji Monogatari" or "Genji's novel". Besides being a novelist, Lady Murasaky was a poet and also a maid of honor in the Japanese court in the Heian period.
Murasaki Shikibu - 10 curiosities
1. Murasaki Shikibu is the honorary title that this extraordinary woman received since her real name is believed to be Fujiwara no Takako. "Shikibu" refers to the work of his father who was an official of the Ministry of Ceremonial Affairs, the "Shikibu-sho" (one of the 7 that had the Court of Japan at that time). "Musaraki" is a word that derives from the violet color that has the plant of glycine or wisteria.
3. Although in the 10th century, in Japan, women did not usually learn Chinese , which was the official language of culture, government and empire, Murasaki Shikibu was so intelligent and gifted that his father, a very cultured man, allowed him to learn it. She listened to the lessons they gave her brother and proved to be very skilled at memorizing and understanding difficult passages. She herself explains in her diaries that her father complained that he had not been born male. It is believed that she was also instructed in Japanese calligraphy, music and poetry. Murasaki's great-grandfather and paternal grandfather were renowned poets.
4. The women of the Japanese aristocracy did not learn Chinese, but they did write in "kana" which was a simplified written language of Chinese and developed during that period. From him he derived the Japanese writing.
5. Contrary to the customs of the time, he did not marry when he reached puberty and remained in his father's house until he was almost 30 years old, when he married a distant cousin of the court. They had a daughter , Kenshi, who was born in 999 and two years later, the husband died during a cholera epidemic.
6 In addition to the first novel, Murasaki Shikibu wrote a diary s that reflect your life and your feelings. In them she explains her disorientation and sense of emptiness when her husband dies. Scholars believe that although she started writing the novel before her husband died, it was during the first stage of widowhood that she dedicated more time to alleviate her loneliness.
7. Murasaki Shikibu retired to the Ishiyama-dera monastery on Lake Biwa to write. The legend says that in that place he met someone who inspired him several passages of "Genji Monogatari" . As he wrote, he made known the chapters of his novel and by the time he finished it he was already a very popular writer among the aristocracy.
8. Had a literary rival writer: Sei Shōnagon . His relationship and all life in the court is embodied in the diaries of Lady Murasaki. The newspapers are known as "Murasaki Shikibu Nikki", in English " The diary of lady Murasaki " He also wrote a collection of poems that placed it among the " Thirty-six immortals of poetry "Of that period
9. Become a well-known author was called to court by Michinaga , regent of the empire, to educate along with other writers of the time, his daughter Shōshi who would later become Empress.
10. Lady Murasaki was not too happy at court and some scholars believe that during that time she was Michinaga's mistress. The exact date of death is not known of Murasaki Shikibu, possibly it was in the year 1014, although some authors believe that it lived until 1031. Its tomb is conserved in the old capital of the empire: Kyoto.
Genji Monogatari
The name of his novel is Genji Monogatari which means "Genji's novel" . Is a extensive narration which explains the adventures of Prince Hikaru Genji, which means "Bright Prince" and his descendants. The novel has 4,200 pages divided into 54 chapters.
Did you know Murasaki Shikibu? Did you know that she was the author of the first novel in the world? If you like to read, we propose you these 6 wonderful novels that marked a milestone in the romantic genre.