How a real woman should behave: advice and observations from the pages of the diary of the mysterious Japanese woman Murasaki

Yes, yes, Murasaki not only created prose works, but also wrote sensual poems, some of which can be found in Russian translation. And her works such as “The Tale of Genji” and her diary entries allow modern readers and historians to delve into the world of Japanese traditions and discover what life was like for women at court. In addition, diaries (notes of this kind were called nikki) give a much more realistic idea of ​​the lives of the ladies of the court.

Murasaki led his Nikkis for about two years. From this we can draw several tips on how a girl can maintain her dignity while occupying a high position in society, and what traits should not be

Even though women already had a certain independence at this time, many things still remained inaccessible to them. For example, girls did not study certain disciplines. Thus, Chinese was generally taught only to boys. Young Murasaki took foreign language classes with her brother and surpassed him in many ways. For example, she easily quoted particularly difficult passages by heart and translated complex texts. This is evidenced by the writer’s memoirs contained in his diary. The girl’s father exclaimed that it was extremely unlucky that his daughter “was not born a man” with her talents and perseverance at work.

So, Murasaki, with her feminine cunning, mastered “male” science and later even taught Chinese to the empress herself … albeit secretly. A woman who wanted to maintain a high position and gain the most complete knowledge of the world needed hard work and ambition. Without them, it was difficult to achieve significant success in a patriarchal world. Even in our time, we have much to learn from Murasaki. Who wouldn’t be amazed by curiosity and the desire to learn despite obstacles?

Japanese culture has always paid particular attention to the art of contemplating the world. Only the person who was able to fully admire the beauty of the surrounding reality was considered truly happy and spiritually developed. Murasaki, with his characteristic powers of observation, was always able to notice something graceful “in the moment.” This is evidenced by ornate poems (in Japan this type of poetry was called tanka), in-depth observations of the imperial court garden and descriptions of the appearance of ladies-in-waiting, dressed in beautiful multi-layered outfits for the upcoming celebration . An attentive reader will be able to find all this in the writer’s diary. Take a look at one of Mursaki’s poems, how much tenderness and sadness are hidden in these lines.

Give back

Young years, affected

A sleeve of flowers in the dew.

But I give in to eternity

Lady of Flowers.

Particularly revealing is the episode in which Murasaki finds the sleeping princess and finds her more beautiful than usual, literally “out of a fairy tale.” It is not so much the tender feelings for the mistress, but rather the refined perception of the surrounding reality itself that pushes the author to devote an entire entry in the chronicle to this intimate moment. Murasaki’s impressionability allows her to be called a continuator of the best Japanese traditions.

A woman, according to the ideas of the past, should not only create beauty, but also notice its manifestations in the smallest details. The representative of the fair sex will then be able to maintain harmony in her heart, delighting not only those around her, but also her descendants, as happened with Murasaki. It seems that such an opinion can be considered relevant today, at a time when people are rediscovering Eastern cultures with their teachings about maintaining inner balance and finding an indissoluble connection with the world.

But even in a heavenly place, the girls could not feel you absolutely calm. In the Japanese imperial palace, women were in a rather cramped position. They were rarely allowed to leave the confines of the house, but men freely entered the women’s quarters, sometimes violating the dignity of the ladies of the court.

Many could not withstand such pressure and left the post of bridesmaid. Murasaki managed to maintain an astonishing balance. She believed that leaving the palace meant showing weakness of mind, revealing an inability to get along with the opposite sex. However, judging by his diary entries, the writer did not allow himself to be humiliated. In his mind, a real woman had to clearly demarcate the boundaries of what was permitted.

Therefore, Murasaki was cautious about courtship and flirtations on the part of Governor Michinaga, and did not succumb to the provocations of the steward, who asked to open the window at night. In response to such attentive gestures, the bridesmaid said that her age does not allow her to be reckless. The liberties taken by men offended the writer, who was distinguished by her restlessness and reverie, and she often regretted her deceased husband; All this prevented Murasaki from getting involved in the usual palace intrigues and scandals. Oriental Beauty followed these principles throughout her tenure, believing that a woman should maintain her pride.

Many court ladies considered Murasaki (through her own fears) too boring. The insight of the lady-in-waiting, the thoughtfulness characteristic of any creative personality, as well as her principles seemed foreign and incomprehensible to many. However, Murasaki followed her beliefs, even feeling alone in the golden cage of the palace, admired by modern readers. The writer tried to enjoy the sophistication of local nature, the beauty of the girls around him, to learn and teach something useful to others and to write a lot, which he acts of poetry or the Tale of Genji in several volumes.

Almost nothing is known about his life beyond what is written in the pages of his diary. The mysterious, proud and wise Japanese writer, who lived a thousand years before us, left only a few literary works. But thanks to the works of Murasaki Shikibu, notably Nikki, we can form an approximate portrait of the writer and be surprised by his originality. And also learn something new from a resident of ancient Japan, a country where a unique philosophy of understanding the world and one’s own personality has long been formed.

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