Musashi (novel)

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The historical novel Musashi comes from the Japanese writer Yoshikawa Eiji (1892–1962) and was published before the Second World War, initially in the years 1935 to 1939 as a serial in the Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun . The main character is the historical samurai Miyamoto Musashi .

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people

  • Musashi : (initially Takezo) - historically documented person
  • Matahachi : Osugi's son, Musashi's friend
  • Osugi : Matahachi's mother from the Hon'iden family
  • Otsu : Musashi's platonic love, initially Matahachi's fiancé
  • Oko : Widow, Beloved Matahachis
  • Akemi : Oko's daughter, in love with Musashi, later Matahachi's lover
  • Takuan Sōhō : priest and mentor of Musashis - historically documented person
  • Jotaro : Musashi's first student, Otsu's companion for many years
  • Sasaki Kojirō : Also called Ganryu, Musashi's rival - historically documented person
  • Yoshioka Kempo : Founder of the Yoshioka sword fighting school - historically documented person
  • Iori Sannosuke : Musashi's second student - historically documented person, Musashi's successor

action

The novel is based on the deeds of a real samurai warrior and begins in 1600 with the end of the battle in the plain of Sekigahara , in which Takezo (later he calls himself Musashi) and his best friend Matahachi participate. There has been civil war in Japan for decades and the two boys decide to take part in the battle between the East and West armies and to become samurai. Musashi is captured by a monk, initially freed by Otsu and captured again. He is imprisoned for three years and devotes himself to the classics of Japan and China. Back at large, he pursues his goal of becoming a relentless warrior over the next few years. Little by little he notices that the path of a samurai is not limited to the strength and brutality of the fighter. Therefore, he begins to perfect his technique in handling the swords, so that he is able to fight with two swords at the same time. Again and again he tests himself in battles with numerous opponents. He also trains those who follow him in these techniques. He develops into a reluctant hero for the people around him. The climax is Musashi's successful fight against his greatest competitor Kojiro at the end of the book.

In addition to the relationship with Otsu, the novel deals with the warlike, philosophical and artistic development of Musashi ( development novel ), which is expressed, among other things, in the change of name Takezo to Musashi (different reading of the characters of his name) and his way of fighting with both swords ( katana and wakizashi ) , which in turn is related to the circle (in Musashi's philosophy symbol for unity with the universe).

Furthermore, the Japan of that time is presented: All social classes, from farmers or mendicants to samurai and high nobility; as well as all ways of life of that time, from philosophers to red light districts as well as various religions of Japan, Shinto and Zen . The focus here is on Zen, Shinto only plays a role in the form of rituals. The mixing of the elements mentioned (for example the story of a samurai who has descended from a farmer who later becomes a mendicant, or the life of his son who becomes a samurai again, but also the role of a philosopher in nightlife) is discussed.

The art of the novel consists in the constant re-encounters of the main and secondary characters, which becomes particularly clear when Musashi's farewell to all his acquaintances before the fight against Sasaki Kojirō at the end of the book.

Among the few almost comical parts of the novel is Akemi's one-sided love for Musashi and Matahachi's relationship with Oko and later also Akemi, whereby they mostly steal from him.

Historical background

Miyamoto Musashi lived from 1584 to 1645 and is probably the most famous samurai. He developed the technique of fighting with 2 swords, the katana (long sword) and the wakizashi (short sword). In middle age he laid down his arms and devoted himself to calligraphy , ink painting and philosophy. His attributed Book of the Five Rings , a treatise on the nature of struggle, is still relevant today.

Many of the events mentioned in the novel actually took place. However, much of it remains fiction and differs greatly from the historical figure Musashi.

The novel as a template

Musashi served as a template for the Japanese films Samurai 1: Miyamoto Musashi , Samurai 2: Miyamoto Musashi: Ichijōji no Kettō and Samurai 3: Miyamoto Musashi: Kettō Ganryū-jima (also known as the Samurai Trilogy ). Directed by Hiroshi Inagaki , Toshirō Mifune played the leading role.

The manga series Vagabond by Takehiko Inoue , which was awarded the Osamu Tezuka Culture Prize in 2002, is also based on the novel.

German editions

In Germany the novel appeared in two different versions, translated from English by Werner Peterich

  • Yoshikawa Eiji: Musashi. Droemer Knaur, Munich 1984, ISBN 3-426-19109-1 , (unabridged edition).
  • Yoshikawa Eiji: Musashi. Droemer Knaur, Munich 1987, ISBN 3-426-01517-X , (abridged paperback edition).

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Yoshikawa Eiji: Musashi . Kodansha International, 1995, ISBN 978-4-7700-1957-8 ( books.google.com ).
  2. ↑ Yoshikawa Eiji: Musashi . Kodansha International, 1995, ISBN 978-4-7700-1957-8 ( books.google.com ).
  3. ↑ Miyamoto Musashi, Musashi Miyamoto: Gorin-no-sho: The Book of Five Rings . RaBaKa-Publishing, 2007, ISBN 978-3-940185-02-0 ( books.google.com ).
  4. ↑ Rami Al-Lahham: Vagabond. pride-of-korea.de, accessed on February 18, 2016 .