Zurich Open Repository and Archive University of Zurich Main Library Strickhofstrasse 39 CH-8057 Zurich www.zora.uzh.ch Year: 2004 Male characters in the Japanese fairy tale : classification and analysis Petrova, Gergana Abstract: Diese Forschung untersucht die maennliche dramatis personae, die in Keigo Sekis Sammlung ”Nihon Mukashi-banashi Shusei” erscheinen. Die Forschung konzentriert sich auf maennlichen Figuren und andere Figuren mit maennlichen Funktionen (Protagonisten, Antagonisten und Nebenfiguren inklu- siv), die sich mit sich selbst, mit anderen maennlcihen oder weiblichen Figuren, Tieren oder uebernatuer- lichen Wesen konfrontieren. Die Forschung untersucht auch deren Benehmen in und ihre Interaktion mit der Maerchenumgebung in drei Gruppen - der Mann in der Familie, der Mann in der Gesellschaft und der Mann in der Natur. Als Methoden werden Literatur-analyse, Textstruktur-analyse, vergleichende Volk- skunde, Anthropologie, Gender Studies und Psychologie verwendet; Interpretationen von japanischer Kultur, sozio-historische Realitaet, Philosophie, Religion, Aesthetik und Volksglauben sind auch inbe- griffen. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit ist eine einheitliche Klassifikation und eine vielseitige Interpretation der maennlichen Figuren und ist vorgesehen fuer eine grosse Leserschaft - von Spezialisten unterschiedlicher wissenschaflichen Richtungen, bus zum breiten Publikum. The present research offers a study ofmale dramatis personae appearing in the collection of Japanese ordinary tales ”Nihon Mukashi-banashi Shu- sei”, compiled by Keigo Seki in the years 1950 - 1958. Key interest is taken in male figures or other figures with male functions, be them protagonists, antagonists or bit players, in other words - on the character of ”man” defined by his masculine role and seen in conflict with himself, other male and female characters, animal figures and representatives of the supernatural; as well as his actions in and interaction withthe tale environment. The classification follows the various folktale realisations of male characters inthree main groups - the man in family, the man in society and the man in nature. The methods applied in the study include those of literary analysis, text structural study, comparative folkloristics, anthropology, gender studies, and psychology. References to Japanese culture, socio- historical realities, philosophy, religion, aesthetics and folk beliefs form the background of the study. The aim of the research is to supply a unified classification and a many-facet interpretation of male characters in their typical folktale realisations and is foreseen for a large spectrum of readers - from specialists in various fields to general public. Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich ZORA URL: https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-163150 Dissertation Published Version Originally published at: Petrova, Gergana. Male characters in the Japanese fairy tale : classification and analysis. 2004, University of Zurich, Faculty of Arts. MALE CHARACTERS IN THE JAPANESE FAIRY TALE: Classification and Analysis Thesis presented to the Faculty of Arts of the University of Zurich for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Gergana PETROVA of Sofia, Bulgaria Accepted on the recommendation of Professor Dr. Eduard Klopfenstein and PD Dr. Ingrid Tomkowiak Sofia 2004 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The present research has been conducted on the premises of Zurich University, Section of Japanese studies and Department of Folklore studies from 2000 to 2004, as well as the Institute of Folklore at Seijō University, Japan in 2002. The field research in Japan has been supported by the Fellowship Program of the Japan Foundation. It has been supervised and reviewed by Professor Dr Eduard Klopfenstein, Section of Japanese Studies and PD Dr Ingrid Tomkowiak, Section of European Folk Literature at Zurich University. It has benefited from the scientific advices and the assistance of Professor Sen’ichi Tanaka (Seijō University), Professor Masahiro Hamashita (Kobe College), Dr Svetlana Ivanova (Sofia University), the teaching staff at the Section of Japanese Studies, Sofia University, Bulgaria led by PD Dr Boika Tsigova, as well as the staff of the Institute of Folklore at Seijō University, Japan led by Professor Ken’ichirō Yoshihara and Professor Kenzō Matsuzaki. This research would have been impossible to accomplish without the help and the commitment of my parents Ivanka and Roumian, my sister Sibila and her husband Bernhard, and my friend Simeon. To all of them I would like to express hereby my sincere gratitude. 2 CONTENTS Part 1. Introduction 6 Part 2. General background 2.1. Theoretical background for the present research 11 2.2. The Japanese folktale study 21 2.3. Characteristics of the Japanese fairy tale 29 Part 3. Japanese male fairytale characters: classification and analysis 3.1. Man in Family 3.1.1. The Partner 41 - The bridegroom - The non-human partner - The husband 3.1.2. The Brother 60 - The two positive brothers - The two opposite brothers - The three equal brothers - The three brothers – two fail, one wins - Winning a contest - The brother to a sister 3.1.3. The Father 69 - Father’s promise - Father is looking for a partner to his child - Father sends his children away from home - The father-saviour - The absent father 3.1.4. The Son 80 - The desired son - The step-son - The son and his parents 3 3.2. Man in Society 3.2.1. Path to wealth 88 Male characters in tales about the rich and the poor - Being brave – getting rich thanks to physical activity - Being clever – the role of mind - Being kind is rewarded – the role of heart - The role of the woman 3.2.2. The Neighbour 97 - Unsuccessful imitation - Misused or stolen object 3.2.3. Figures with specific social role 103 - Tonosama, Chōja and Samurai - Religious figures 3.3. Man and Nature 3.3.1. Man and Animal 112 - Man helped by animal - Man and animal-trickster - Other relations between man and animal. Episodic roles 3.3.2. Male Supernatural Beings 122 - Oni - Tengu - Kappa 3.3.3. Male Advisors and Helpers 127 - Religious characters as helpers - The Stranger - Supernatural helpers 4 Part 4. Conclusions 131 Bibliography 136 Appendix 1 (Cross-reference table of tales) 148 Appendix 2 (Classification Tables) 155 Glossary 161 5 Part 1. INTRODUCTION Aims and motivation of the research, structure and methods applied The present research offers a study of male dramatis personae appearing in the collection of Japanese ordinary tales, compiled by Keigo Seki in the years 1950 – 1958. Key interest is taken in male figures or other figures with male functions, be them protagonists, antagonists or bit players, in other words - on the character of “man” defined by his masculine role and seen in conflict with himself, other male and female characters, animal figures and representatives of the supernatural; as well as his actions in and interaction with the tale environment. The classification follows the various folktale realisations of male characters in three main groups – the man in family, the man in society and the man in nature. Each type of character is drawn from the inner and the outer expression of the figures and presents a stable picture of typical trends of behaviour, shared by all characters of a certain type. The methods applied in the study include those of literary analysis, text structural study, comparative folkloristics, anthropology, gender studies, and psychology. References to Japanese culture, socio-historical realities, philosophy, religion, aesthetics and folk beliefs form the background of the study. The aim of the research is to supply a unified classification and interpretation of male characters in their typical folktale realisations and is foreseen for a large spectrum of readers – from specialists in various fields to general public. COMPOSITION OF THE WORK The introductory chapters present in detail the basic researches in the field, both non-Japanese and Japanese, as well as the most important features of the Japanese folktale and its historical study. After the completion of this brief introduction the study moves on to the character study - the classification of the male characters, their interpretation and analysis. The first part of the research reveals the realisations of the man in family. The characters are classified in four groups – the partner, the brother, the father and the son. The greatest part of the present research is occupied by the figure of the man as a partner to the woman, be it as bridegroom, in a relationship with a supernatural being, or as a husband. The bridegroom is studied in four sub-groups, reflecting the four paths to marriage – the physical, the intellectual, the emotional and the passive one. The man is seen also as a partner to a non-human wife, as well as a supernatural male character as a partner to a human wife. The male character in his role as a brother will be studied in three groups – the two brothers (subdivided to two positive brothers type and two opposite brothers type), the three brothers (subdivided to three equal brothers type, two fail – one wins type, and winning a contest type). Finally the relationship between a brother and a sister is studied. The figure of the father although predominantly secondary is paid much attention in the present research because of his influence over the life of his children. An important sub-division is the absent father type, who is believed to represent best the importance of the father in family. The figure of the son is revealed in three sub-groups: that of the desired child, of the step-son and the son and his parents type. 6 The second part traces the realisations of the man in public life, his interaction with other characters outside the family circle, which in the present research is called the man in society represented through the relationship between the rich and the poor, neighbours, as well as typical social roles as those of tonosama, chōja, samurai and various religious figures. The possible paths to wealth and riches are seen in four directions overlapping exactly the four paths for the bridegroom towards marriage: the physical, the intellectual and the emotional as well as the passive one in tales of women bringing wealth to their partners.