History Creator / MurasakiShikibu

Murasaki portrays herself as [[TheQuietOne melancholic and reserved]] and [[FishOutOfWater feeling out of place and unhappy at court]] - though she admits she is no happier at home. Her 'Diary' is an autobiographical fragment covering perhaps two of the years she spent at court. In it she recounts exchanges poetic and otherwise with the Empress's father, the chief minister Michinaga - which has suggested an affair between them to some readers, and sexual harassment on Michinaga's part to others. Incidentally, Michinaga's court diary gives the names of several ladies-in-waiting at the time and some scholars have suggested that Murasaki and one lady named "Fujiwara Takako" are one and the same. [[note]]We know Murasaki was a Fujiwara and a lady in waiting to Empress Shoshi and the only Fujiwara lady in waiting Machinaga mentions that fits the time period is ''Fujiwara no Takako''. That is literally all scholars have to go on...[[/note]]

* TheEeyore: Murasaki portrays herself as a real Gloomy Gus in her ''Diary'' attributing 'a life full of grief' even to the ducks playing on the lake outside the palace. Now ''that's'' depresssed!

Murasaki portrays herself as [[TheQuietOne melancholy and reserved]] and [[FishOutOfWater feeling out of place and unhappy at court]] - though she admits she is no happier at home. Her 'Diary' is an autobiographical fragment covering perhaps two of the years she spent at court. In it she recounts exchanges poetic and otherwise with the Empress's father, the chief minister Michinaga - which has suggested an affair between them to some readers, and sexual harassment on Michinaga's part to others. Incidentally, Michinaga's court diary gives the names of several ladies-in-waiting at the time and some scholars have suggested that Murasaki and one lady named "Fujiwara Takako" are one and the same. [[note]]We know Murasaki was a Fujiwara and a lady in waiting to Empress Shoshi and the only Fujiwara lady in waiting Machinaga mentions that fits the time period is ''Fujiwara no Takako''. That is literally all scholars have to go on...[[/note]]

Late in the 990s Murasaki became one of the several wives of her second cousin Fujiwara no Nobutaka, an official of the Ministry of Ceremonials and man about the Court. She had at least one child, a daughter named Katako who became a noted writer like her mother (under the name [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daini_no_Sanmi Daini no Sanmi]]), but was widowed after only two or three years of marriage. It's known, because Murasaki herself tells us so in her 'Diary', [[WidowWoman that she was depressed and unhappy after her husband's death]] but whether [[ThemourningAfter she was drowned in grief]] or only depressed over the loss of his economic and social support she doesn't say. She [[LadyInWaiting began her service at court]] in the entourage of the Empress Akiko in the early years of the 11th c.

Late in the 990s Murasaki became one of the several wives of her second cousin Fujiwara no Nobutaka, an official of the Ministry of Ceremonials and man about the Court. She had at least one child, a daughter named Katako who became a noted writer like her mother (under the name [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daini_no_Sanmi Daini no Sanmi]]), but was widowed after only two or three years of marriage. It's known because Murasaki herself tells so in her 'Diary', [[WidowWoman that she was depressed and unhappy after her husband's death]] but whether [[ThemourningAfter she was drowned in grief]] or only depressed over the loss of his economic and social support she doesn't say. She [[LadyInWaiting began her service at court]] in the entourage of the Empress Akiko in the early years of the 11th c.

Murasaki portrays herself as [[TheQuietOne melancholy and reserved]] and [[FishOutOfWater feeling out of place and unhappy at court]] - though she admits she is no happier at home. Her 'Diary' is an autobiographical fragment covering perhaps two of the years she spent at court. In it she recounts exchanges poetic and otherwise with the Empress's father, the chief minister Michinaga - which has suggested an affair between them to some readers, and sexual harassment on Michinaga's part to others. Incidentally, Michinaga's court diary gives the names of several ladies-in-waiting at the time and some scholars have suggested that Murasaki and one lady named "Fujiwara Takako" are one and the same.

The date of Murasaki's death is as uncertain as all the others, some experts placing it as late as 1025 and others as early as 1014. She is remembered chiefly as the author of ''TheTaleOfGenji'', and is also credited with the aforesaid ''Diary'' and a collection of poems.

Late in the 990s Murasaki became one of the several wives of her second cousin Fujiwara no Nobutaka, an official of the Ministry of Ceremonials and man about the Court. She had at least one child, a daughter who became a noted writer like her mother, but was widowed after only two or three years of marriage. It's known because Murasaki herself tells so in her 'Diary', [[WidowWoman that she was depressed and unhappy after her husband's death]] but whether [[ThemourningAfter she was drowned in grief]] or only depressed over the loss of his economic and social support she doesn't say. She [[LadyInWaiting began her service at court]] in the entourage of the Empress Akiko in the early years of the 11th c.

The woman known to us as Murasaki Shikibu was probably born in the early to mid 970s AD. She was the daughter of a lower level official Fujiwara no Tametoki who had literary pretensions instead of rank or connections. As a child she was permitted to study Chinese literature along with her brother with such success that her father openly mourned she had not been born a boy. This 'masculine' learning was of course perfectly useless to Murasaki and a source of embarrassment as it labelled her an unfeminine bluestocking.

Late in the 990s Murasaki became one of the several wives of her second cousin Fujiwara no Nobutaka an official of the Ministry of Ceremonials and man about the Court. She had at least one child, a daughter who became a noted writer like her mother, but was widowed after only two or three years of marriage. We know, because Murasaki herself tells us so in her 'Diary', that she was depressed and unhappy after her husband's death but whether she was drowned in grief or only depressed over the loss of his economic and social support she doesn't say. She began her service at court in the entourage of the Empress Akiko in the early years of the 11th c.

Murasaki portrays herself as melancholy and reserved and feeling out of place and unhappy at court - though she admits she is no happier at home. Her 'Diary' is an autobiographical fragment covering perhaps two of the years she spent at court. In it she recounts exchanges poetic and otherwise with the Empress's father the chief minister Michinaga which has suggested an affair between them to some readers and sexual harassment on Michinaga's part to others. Incidentally, Michinaga's court diary gives the names of several ladies-in-waiting at the time and some scholars have suggested that Murasaki and Fujiwara Takako are one and the same.

* AllWomenArePrudes: Certainly NOT a characteristic of Court Ladies but Murasaki has this reputation. However judging by her surviving poetry she had at least three lovers including her husband - and possibly Michinaga.
* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Murasaki's kid brother Nobunori was a bitter disappointment to both her and their father, performing his court duties lackadaisically and being conspicuously absent the one time she really needed him.

* LadyInWaiting: Murasaki was a member of the Empress Akiko's private retinue rather than holding an official court post as 'Handmaiden'.

* TheRival: Murasaki and Sei Shonagon (author of ''Literature/ThePillowBook'') were in the service of rival empresses and don't seem to have liked each other one bit. Sei made unkind remarks about Murasaki's late husband and her brother in ''The Pillow Book'' but Murasaki went right for the jugular in her ''Diary'' heaping scorn on Sei's so-called learning, on her literary talent and on her scandalous morals - not that there was anything unusual about the last.

It is difficult to write a biography of woman whose birth and death are unrecorded and whose very name is unknown - not that people have let this stop them!

* TheRival: Murasaki and Sei Shonagon (author of ''ThePillowBook'') were in the service of rival empresses and don't seem to have liked each other one bit. Sei made unkind remarks about Murasaki's late husband and her brother in ''The Pillow Book'' but Murasaki went right for the jugular in her ''Diary'' heaping scorn on Sei's so-called learning, on her literary talent and on her scandalous morals - not that there was anything unusual about the last.

* AllWomenArePrudes: Murasaki has this reputation but judging by her surviving poetry she had at least three lovers including her husband - and possibly Michinaga.

* TheRival: Murasaki and Sei Shonagon (author of ''Literature:ThePillowBook'' were in the service of rival empresses and don't seem to have liked each other one bit. Sei made unkind remarks about Murasaki's late husband and her brother in ''The Pillow Book'' but Murasaki went right for the jugular in her ''Diary'' heaping scorn on Sei's so-called learning, on her literary talent and on her scandalous morals - not that there was anything unusual about the last.

* TheEyore: Murasaki portrays herself as a real Gloomy Gus in her ''Diary'' attributing 'a life full of grief' even to the ducks playing on the lake outside the palace. Now ''that's'' depresssed!

The woman known to us as Murasaki Shikibu was probably born in the early to mid 970s AD. She was the daughter of a lower level official Fujiwara no Tametoki who had literary pretensions instead of rank or connections. An 11th century court diary suggests that her real name might have been Fuijawara Takako. As a child she was permitted to study Chinese literature along with her brother with such success that her father openly mourned she had not been born a boy. This 'masculine' learning was of course perfectly useless to Murasaki and a source of embarrassment as it labelled her an unfeminine bluestocking.

Murasaki portrays herself as melancholy and reserved and feeling out of place and unhappy at court - though she admits she is no happier at home. Her 'Diary' is an autobiographical fragment covering perhaps two of the years she spent at court. In it she recounts exchanges poetic and otherwise with the Empress's father the chief minister Michinaga which has suggested an affair between them to some readers and sexual harassment on Michinaga's part to others.

The woman known to us as Murasaki Shikibu was probably born in the early to mid 970s AD. She was the daughter of a lower level official Fujiwara no Tametoki who had literary pretensions instead of rank or connections. As a child she was permitted to study Chinese literature along with her brother with such success that her father openly mourned she had not been born a boy. This 'masculine' learning was of course perfectly useless to Murasaki and a source of embarrassment as it labelled her an unfeminine bluestocking.

Late in the 990s Murasaki became one of the several wives of her second cousin Fujiwara no Nobutaka an official of the Ministry of Ceremonials and man about the Court. She had at least one child, a daughter who became a noted writer like her mother, but was widowed after only two or three years of marriage.

We know, because Murasaki herself tells us so in her 'Diary', that she was depressed and unhappy after her husband's death but whether she was drowned in grief or only depressed over the loss of his economic and social support she doesn't say. She began her service at court in the entourage of the Empress Akiko in the early years of the 11th c.

The date of Murasaki's death is as uncertain as all the others, some experts placing it as late as 1025 and others as early as 1014. She is remembered chiefly as the author of ''TheTaleOfGenji'' is also credited with the aforesaid ''Diary'' and a collection of poems.

The date of Murasaki's death is as uncertain as all the others, some experts placing it as late as 1025 and others as early as 1014.

We know, because Murasaki herself tells us so in her 'Diary', that she was depressed and unhappy after her husband's death but whether from romantic grief or mere distress over the loss of his economic and social support she doesn't say. Murasaki portrays herself as melancholy and reserved and seems to regard her service at court as 'good for her' if not entirely congenial.

The woman known to us as Murasaki Shikibu was probably born in the early to mid 970s AD. She was the daughter of a lower level official Fujiwara no Tametoki who had literary pretensions instead of rank or connections. As a child she was permitted to study Chinese literature along with her brother with such success that her father openly mourned she had not been born a boy. This 'masculine' learning was of course perfectly useless to Murasaki and a source of embarrassment to her as it labelled her an unfeminine bluestocking.

The woman known to us as Murasaki Shikibu was probably born in the early to mid 970s AD. She was the daughter of a lower level official Fujiwara no Tametoki with literary pretensions.