11 h 25 minAudiobook4 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
Gods shape islands, priests ask for harvests, and poets give words to loss: early Japan speaks through many voices.
Primitive & Mediaeval Japanese Texts, edited by F. Victor Dickins, gathers myths, ritual prayers, poems and medieval tales. Its parts move from accounts of divine origins to court life and the rise of warrior families. This is not one continuous story, but a meeting with different ways of telling, praying and remembering.
The collection explores the world of the Kojiki and Nihongi, whose myths trace the imperial line to the sun goddess Amaterasu. Norito prayers ask for protection and purification, while poetry associated with the Manyoshu brings emperors, soldiers, courtiers and ordinary people into view. Across these writings, nature, ancestry and impermanence return.
What you’ll discover
- Myths of the islands Explore narratives in which gods shape the land and ancestry gives the imperial line its origins.
- Prayers before the gods Discover how norito express hopes for good harvests, protection from disaster and purification.
- Voices beyond the court Meet poetry that brings emperors and courtiers alongside soldiers and ordinary people.
- Loyalty, conflict and loss Follow the shift toward medieval tales, where warrior families bring different concerns into view.
Is it for you?
This book suits readers curious about early Japan, its myths, poems and rituals, and students of Japanese literature. It may be less suited to anyone who wants a single flowing story, since it is a gathering of separate texts.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- An editor who built a bridge
- Myths of gods and the land
- Ritual prayers called norito
- Poetry of the court
- Tales and the medieval age
- What the anthology shows today
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- 15-minute summary
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
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Japanische Texte der Frühzeit und des Mittelalters
by F. Victor Dickins (Herausgeber)
Japanese myths, prayers, tales, and poems record an early culture.
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From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 6
An editor who built a bridge
F. Victor Dickins was a British scholar who worked in Japan and wrote about its language and literature in the later nineteenth century. He was also a lawyer and a surgeon by training, and he became a known name among Western students of Japan. His aim in this anthology was practical and scholarly.
He wanted English readers to meet Japanese writing directly, not only through summaries. The anthology therefore presents texts with translation and commentary, so a reader can see how the original works and what it says.
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What is Primitive and Mediaeval Japanese Texts about?
It is an anthology of early Japanese writings in translation, with commentary. It covers myths, ritual prayers, poetry and medieval prose, giving English readers a sample of how Japanese literature began and developed.
Who was F. Victor Dickins?
Dickins was a British scholar who spent years in Japan and wrote on its language and literature. He edited and translated texts so Western readers could study them, and he is a figure in early Japanese studies abroad.
When was Primitive and Mediaeval Japanese Texts published?
It was published at Oxford in 1906, in two volumes, one with the texts and one with translations and notes. The works inside are far older, ranging from ancient myths to medieval writings.
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