Mukashi, Mukashi...
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Date
2024-05
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Publisher
The Ohio State University
Abstract
"Mukashi, Mukashi…" is a fictional novel set in the late Kamakura period of Japan (13th century) that explores mythology, folklore, and history. A young noblewoman of the imperial court undergoes the traditional Hero’s Journey in the wake of an abrupt coup d'état, becoming an onna-musha (female warrior) and leaving behind her home and urban life to fulfill her late brother’s karmic destiny. The story enters the realm of the fantastic when the heroine answers the call for adventure from a divine messenger. The captive imperial princess – and heir apparent to the throne – in turn begins to orchestrate her escape, creating agency within the narrative as an intelligent and resourceful figure and not merely an object or pawn of the Shōgun’s ambition. A court diviner, or onmyōji, who foresaw the coup begins to reaffirm his own faith in the Heavens. An ambitious warlord overthrows the reigning Shōgun (military dictator) and attacks the Imperial city, setting into motion the events of the story. The novel explores benevolent and malevolent Japanese spirits – yōkai such as tengu, kitsune, and oni. Central themes of the work include grief, familial duty, personal honor, gender roles in medieval society, and feudal warrior culture.
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Keywords
Novel, Fiction, Japan, Historical, Folklore, Mythology