History Creator / MurasakiShikibu

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.

* ImperiledInPregnancy: The beginning of the diary chronicles the preparations for the Empress's imminent delivery of her first child. Everyone is very on edge due to the dangers of child birth in that era. There are hordes of priests constantly praying, various rituals being enacted night and day, as well as other women pretending to be in labor as decoys for any evil spirits that might try to make the birth go awry. When the Empress births a son with no issues there are several days of celebrations.

* AllWomenArePrudes: Certainly ''not'' a characteristic of court ladies, but Murasaki had this reputation. However, judging by her surviving poetry, she had at least three lovers, including her husband - and possibly Michinaga]].

** Murasaki is a Caster-class Servant who gives an air of elegance, but tends to turn into a blubbering mess if she makes a mistake, usually accompanied with "Awawawa..."/[[RapidFireNo "Nononoo..."]]. Her writing skills are enhanced with onmyodo taught by UsefulNotes/AbeNoSeimei, and also has a tendency to spill out 'Author's Notes' commenting on a character's real actions, much to her distress. She's a bit old fashioned and prefers the older ways of reading, as opposed to her rival Creator/SeiShonagon, whom she doesn't get along with.

* ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' - Murasaki is a Caster-class Servant who gives an air of elegance, but tends to turn into a blubbering mess if she makes a mistake, usually accompanied with "Awawawa..."/[[RapidFireNo "Nononoo..."]]. Her writing skills are enhanced with onmyodo taught by UsefulNotes/AbeNoSeimei, and also has a tendency to spill out 'Author's Notes' commenting on a character's real actions, much to her distress. She's a bit old fashioned and prefers the older ways of reading, as opposed to her rival Creator/SeiShonagon, whom she doesn't get along with.

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 no 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. Even the pronunciation of her possible name is not known and is sometimes given as Kaoriko or other readings.[[/note]]

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 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.

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 no 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]]

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 ''Literature/TheTaleOfGenji'', and is also credited with the aforesaid ''Diary'' and a collection of poems.

!!Examples

* AllWomenArePrudes: Certainly NOT a characteristic of Court Ladies but Murasaki has this reputation. However, judging by her surviving poetry [[AllWomenAreLustful she had at least three lovers including her husband - and possibly Michinaga]].

* BelligerentSexualTension: Did Murasaki have this with Michinaga? She constantly complains about his attentions in her ''Diary'', on the other hand she also records a rather bitchy exchange with Michinaga's wife suggesting jealousy. And 'complaining' about Michinaga also allows Murasaki to boast about having caught the eye of the most powerful man in Japan.

* 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'' depressed!

* TakingTheVeil: There is a longstanding tradition that Murasaki ended her days as a nun, possibly because the character she is named for in ''The Tale of Genji'' was plannign to do the same.
* TheRival: Murasaki and Creator/SeiShonagon (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.

* DeadlyDecadentCourt: Murasaki is painfully aware of this side of courtly life and doesn't like it one bit.

* TakingTheVeil: There is a longstanding tradition that Murasaki ended her days as a nun.