TALES FROM OLD-WORLD JAPAN - 20 Japanese folk and fairy tales stretching back to the beginning of time E-Book

Anon E. Mouse

• Herausgeber: Abela Publishing
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

The 20 tales contained in this volume were chosen which because they are not familiar to the English-reading public, so be prepared for the richness of original, ancient Japanese knowledge and lore. Another factor in their selection was because of their beauty and charm of incident and colour, than with the aim to represent the many-sided subject of Japanese lore. Herein you will find tales like: The Birth-Time Of The Gods, The Sun-Goddess, The Heavenly Messengers,  The Palace Of The Ocean-Bed, The Star-Lovers, The Island Of Eternal Youth, The Moon-Maiden plus many more.

They account for the tales from the God-period contained in the “Kojiki and the Nihongi”—“The Records of Ancient Matters”compiled in the 8th C. AD and profess to outline the events of the cycles of years from the time of Ame-no-mi-naka-nushi-no-kami’s birth, at the beginning of time, to the death of the Empress Suiko in A.D. 628.

The first six tales in this little volume are founded on some of the most significant and picturesque incidents of this God-period. The opening legend gives a brief relation of the birth of several of the great Shinto deities, of the creation of Japan and of the world, of the Orpheus-like descent of Izanagi to Hades, and of his subsequent fight with the demons.
So, we invite you to download and curl up with this unique sliver of Eastern culture not seen in print for over a century; and immerse yourself in the tales and fables of yesteryear.
----------------------------
TAGS: fairy tales, folklore, myths, legends, children’s stories, children’s stories, bygone era, fairydom, fairy land, classic stories, children’s bedtime stories, fables, Old world, japan, oriental, east, Japanese deities, Birth-Time, Sun-Goddess, Heavenly Messengers, Prince, princess, king, queen, Ruddy-Plenty, Palace, Ocean Bed, Autumn, Spring, Star Lovers, star-crossed,  Island, Eternal Youth, Rai-Taro, Son, daughter, Thunder God, Souls, Moon Maiden, Great Fir Tree, Takasago, Willow, Mukochima, Forest, Vision, Tsunu Princess, Fire Fly, Sparrow, Wedding, Love, Snow White, Fox, Nedzumi, Koma, Gon

Leseprobe

Tales from Old-World Japan

Legends of the Land of the Gods

Re-told by

Frank Rinder

With Illustrations by T. H. Robinson

Originally Published By

George Allen, London

[1895]

Resurrected By

Abela Publishing, London

[2018]

Tales from Old-World Japan

Typographical arrangement of this edition

© Abela Publishing 2018

This book may not be reproduced in its current format in any manner in any media, or transmitted by any means whatsoever, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, or mechanical ( including photocopy, file or video recording, internet web sites, blogs, wikis, or any other information storage and retrieval system) except as permitted by law without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Abela Publishing,

London

United Kingdom

2018

ISBN-13: 978-8-826466-87-3

email

[email protected]

Website

https://goo.gl/Mn2YZa

“The spirit of Japan is as thefragrance of the wild cherry-blossomin the dawn of the rising sun”

Preface

HISTORY and mythology, fact and fable, are closely interwoven in the texture of Japanese life and thought; indeed, it is within relatively recent years only that exact comparative criticism has been able, with some degree of accuracy, to divide the one from the other. The accounts of the God-period contained in the Kojiki and the Nihongi—“Records of Ancient Matters”compiled in the eighth century of the Christian era—profess to outline the events of the vast cycles of years from the time of Ame-no-mi-naka-nushi-no-kami’s birth in the Plain of High Heaven, “when the earth, young and like unto floating oil, drifted about medusa-like,” to the death of the Empress Suiko, A.D. 628.

The first six tales in this little volume are founded on some of the most significant and picturesque incidents of this God-period. The opening legend gives a brief relation of the birth of several of the great Shinto deities, of the creation of Japan and of the world, of the Orpheus-like descent of Izanagi to Hades, and of his subsequent fight with the demons.

That Chinese civilisation has exercised a profound influence on that of Japan, cannot be doubted. A scholar of repute has indicated that evidence of this is to be found even in writings so early as the Kojiki and the Nihongi. To give a single instance only: the curved jewels, of which the remarkable necklace of Ama-terasu was made, have never been found in Japan, whereas the stones are not uncommon in China.

This is not the place critically to consider the wealth of myth, legend, fable, and folk-tale to be found scattered throughout Japanese literature, and represented in Japanese art: suffice it to say, that to the student and the lover of primitiveromance, there are here vast fields practically unexplored.

The tales contained in this volume have been selected with a view rather to their beauty and charm of incident and colour, than with the aim to represent adequately the many-sided subject of Japanese lore. Moreover, those only have been chosen which are not familiar to the English-reading public. Several of the classic names of Japan have been interpolated in the text. It remains to say that, in order not to weary the reader, it has been found necessary to abbreviate the many-syllabled Japanese names.

The sources from which I have drawn are too numerous to particularise. To Professor Basil Hall Chamberlain, whose intimate and scholarly knowledge of all matters Japanese is well known, my thanks are especially due, as also the expression of my indebtedness to other writers in English, from Mr. A. B. Mitford to Mr. Lafcadio Hearn, whose volumes on “Unfamiliar Japan”appeared last year. The careful text ofDr. David Brauns, and the studies of F. A. Junker von Langegg, have also been of great service. The works of numerous French writers on Japanese art have likewise been consulted with advantage.

FRANK RINDER.

Contents

The Birth-Time Of The GodsThe Sun-GoddessThe Heavenly MessengersPrince Ruddy-PlentyThe Palace Of The Ocean-BedAutumn And SpringThe Star-LoversThe Island Of Eternal YouthRai-Taro, The Son Of The Thunder-GodThe Souls Of The ChildrenThe Moon-MaidenThe Great Fir Tree Of TakasagoThe Willow Of MukochimaThe Child Of The ForestThe Vision Of TsunuPrincess Fire-FlyThe Sparrow’s WeddingThe Love Of The Snow-White FoxNedzumiKoma And Gon

List of Illustrations

Heading to “The Birth-Time of the Gods”

When he had so said, he plunged his jewelled spear into the seething mass below

Heading to “The Sun-Goddess”

Ama-terasu gazed into the mirror, and wondered greatly when she saw therein a goddess of exceeding beauty

Heading to “The Heavenly Messengers”

As the Young Prince alighted on the sea-shore, a beautiful earth-spirit, Princess Under-Shining, stood before him

Heading to “Prince Ruddy-Plenty”

But the fair Uzume went fearlessly up to the giant, and said: “Who is it that thus impedes our descent from heaven?”

Heading to “The Palace of the Ocean-Bed”

Suddenly she saw the reflection of Prince Fire-Fade in the water

Heading to “Autumn and Spring”

One after the other returned sorrowfully home, for none found favour in her eyes

Heading to “The Star Lovers”

The lovers were wont, standing on the banks of the celestial stream, to waft across it sweet and tender messages

Heading to “The Island of Eternal Youth”

Soon he came to its shores, and landed as one in a dream

Heading to “Rai-Taro, the Son of the Thunder-God”

The birth of Rai-taro

Heading to “The Souls of the Children”

Heading to “The Moon-Maiden”

At one moment she skimmed the surface of the sea, the next her tiny feet touched the topmost branches of the tall pine trees

Heading to “The Great Fir Tree of Takasago”

Heading to “The Willow of Mukochima”

Heading to “The Child of the Forest”

Kintaro reigned as prince of the forest, beloved of every living creature

Heading to “The Vision of Tsunu”

On a plot of mossy grass beyond the thicket, sat two maidens of surpassing beauty

Heading to “Princess Fire-Fly”

But the Princess whispered to herself, “Only he who loves me more than life shall call me bride”

Heading to “The Sparrow’s Wedding”

Heading to “The Love of the Snow-White Fox”

With two mighty strokes, he felled his adversaries to the ground

Heading to “Nedzumi”

Heading to “Koma and Gon”