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Yoshitsune: A 15th Century Japanese Chronicle
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382 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1966
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About the author
Helen Craig McCullough
17 books6 followersHelen Craig McCullough (February 17, 1918 – April 6, 1998) was an American academic, translator, and Japanologist. She is best known for her 1988 translation of The Tale of the Heike.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 23, 2015
I've read quite a bit on how this is the basically the Sequel to the 'tale of heike'. It is not, it's a fictional work (mostly, I guess like half to a quarter) and it's a work on Yoshitsune himself. To say it's part of the Hogen, Heiji, and Heike series is just setting you up for the wrong impression of what you're getting yourself into. Additionally, the events of the book start before the Tale of Heike, the half of it is Yoshitsune and Benkei's early life - then at a very definite point the book basically says, "Insert Tale of Heike HERE!" then you are where the Heike left off and follow Yoshitsune's wandering.
Okay, that done, is it me, or am I missing Yoshistune's post-Heike Exploits? The early life is him doing a great number of deeds, but in the second half what I read showed off a lot of what his men could do, their skills, and how they brave adversity. From what I had read in other literature, I thought it was going to be Yoshitsune and Yoritomo battling all the way to Dewa - it was not, nor even close to what I was expecting.
Which is why I read this stuff. This guy basically ended up with cult-hero worship in Japan, who knows how many plays, poems, and prose works were written about him. His story has come down in various modern wroks (anime, movies, and video games) - but you go back and 1) read ths source material and 2) read the earliest fiction and you can see just how much has been added to and worked over.
I find it interesting to see how dead heroes evolve.
Anyway, per the translation, it was a bit dated. I'd love to see Royall Tyler do translation, as I felt he handled the material of the Heike perfectly, and would turn this from an antique story into something any modern reader could get through.
The content was pretty amazing (me not getting why post Heike Yoshitsune is awesome aside....) Benkei as the Yoshitsune sidekick proves the Batman and Robin hero/sidekick thing transcends both time and place. The Suicides were properly horrific. And, uh, spoiler
Still can't recommend this for the casual reader, not this translation at least (and, is there another??!?!!?!?) I found it excellent, however, and however rough it was read, knowing the various chapter's of the 'Lotus Sutra' made it infinitely easier to understand the various references in this read.
Okay, that done, is it me, or am I missing Yoshistune's post-Heike Exploits? The early life is him doing a great number of deeds, but in the second half what I read showed off a lot of what his men could do, their skills, and how they brave adversity. From what I had read in other literature, I thought it was going to be Yoshitsune and Yoritomo battling all the way to Dewa - it was not, nor even close to what I was expecting.
Which is why I read this stuff. This guy basically ended up with cult-hero worship in Japan, who knows how many plays, poems, and prose works were written about him. His story has come down in various modern wroks (anime, movies, and video games) - but you go back and 1) read ths source material and 2) read the earliest fiction and you can see just how much has been added to and worked over.
I find it interesting to see how dead heroes evolve.
Anyway, per the translation, it was a bit dated. I'd love to see Royall Tyler do translation, as I felt he handled the material of the Heike perfectly, and would turn this from an antique story into something any modern reader could get through.
The content was pretty amazing (me not getting why post Heike Yoshitsune is awesome aside....) Benkei as the Yoshitsune sidekick proves the Batman and Robin hero/sidekick thing transcends both time and place. The Suicides were properly horrific. And, uh, spoiler
Still can't recommend this for the casual reader, not this translation at least (and, is there another??!?!!?!?) I found it excellent, however, and however rough it was read, knowing the various chapter's of the 'Lotus Sutra' made it infinitely easier to understand the various references in this read.
May 10, 2007
This is a rollocking chronicle of Yoshitsune, brother of Minamoto Yoritomo who was ruler of the first military government in Japan from 1192. In the decisive battles with the Taira clan in the Gempei War, Yoshitsune had shown himself to be a superb soldier, master swordsman, and none-too-shabby with the bow either. He was also a brilliant general and a master military tactician, and achieved near-legendary status due to his efforts.
Problem being, Yoritomo is a somewhat paranoid chap, and he starts to believe that his little brother will soon fancy being Shogun himself. His mind is also poisoned by scheming advisors who have their own reasons for wanting our hero out of the way, and eventually Yoritomo decides the only option is to have his innocent brother's head on a stick. Yoshitsune gets wind of this though, and scarpers with his loyal band of retainers. Pursued by Yoritomo's men, he undergoes all sorts of trials, tribulations, and general challenges to his life, sanity and the loyalty of his group, and frequently has to engage his enemy when vastly outnumbered.
Based on real events, this is my favourite example of Japanese Chronicle history. All the characters are real (such as Yoshitsune's right hand man, Benkei, a giant Buddhist monk whose strength and skill with bow and sword were second to none), and the general thread of the story is accurate, but there's absolutely no historical basis upon which to base the events. But historical accuracy wasn't the author's aim. Writing in the 17th century, the author was alarmed and rather disgusted with the general demeanour of the samurai.
Traditional values such as honour, loyalty, austerity and practice of the arts had been eroded and replaced by self interest, material desires and downright laziness. This chronicle highlighted the virtues of the true samurai warrior, represented by Yoshitsune, and the willingness of his retainers to lay down their lives for their lord. It was designed to be a wake-up call and shame the author's contemporaries into a return to 'the good old days.'
Did it work? Did it hell. These were different times with gold coins and guns and stuff, but the end result is a cracking read and one which really gives some perspective on what the real fundamentals of the warrior code meant to those who lived it. If you can get hold of a copy, give it a go.
Problem being, Yoritomo is a somewhat paranoid chap, and he starts to believe that his little brother will soon fancy being Shogun himself. His mind is also poisoned by scheming advisors who have their own reasons for wanting our hero out of the way, and eventually Yoritomo decides the only option is to have his innocent brother's head on a stick. Yoshitsune gets wind of this though, and scarpers with his loyal band of retainers. Pursued by Yoritomo's men, he undergoes all sorts of trials, tribulations, and general challenges to his life, sanity and the loyalty of his group, and frequently has to engage his enemy when vastly outnumbered.
Based on real events, this is my favourite example of Japanese Chronicle history. All the characters are real (such as Yoshitsune's right hand man, Benkei, a giant Buddhist monk whose strength and skill with bow and sword were second to none), and the general thread of the story is accurate, but there's absolutely no historical basis upon which to base the events. But historical accuracy wasn't the author's aim. Writing in the 17th century, the author was alarmed and rather disgusted with the general demeanour of the samurai.
Traditional values such as honour, loyalty, austerity and practice of the arts had been eroded and replaced by self interest, material desires and downright laziness. This chronicle highlighted the virtues of the true samurai warrior, represented by Yoshitsune, and the willingness of his retainers to lay down their lives for their lord. It was designed to be a wake-up call and shame the author's contemporaries into a return to 'the good old days.'
Did it work? Did it hell. These were different times with gold coins and guns and stuff, but the end result is a cracking read and one which really gives some perspective on what the real fundamentals of the warrior code meant to those who lived it. If you can get hold of a copy, give it a go.
December 1, 2020
No need to judge this on story - this is McCullough's translation of the 義経記 Gikeiki. Shortly, that deals with Minamoto no Yoshitsune and his adventures with Benkei. The Gikeiki is the foundation of most modern interpretations of the pair. It's a 軍記物語 of which the most famous is the 平家物語 Heike Monogatari.
What you should judge this on is the (1) quality of the translation and (2) ability of the translator to capture the essence of the original. And this delivers on both fronts.
Helen Craig McCullough is, in my opinion, a must-read when it comes to Japanese literature. Of course there isn't much choice when it comes to the Gikeiki in English, but ah, you'll have more choice with Heike Monogatari. With works in translation, you'll never capture the entirety of the work in its original language, but I think McCullough manages, somehow, to capture the essence of Japanese and present it in a way that parses similarly in English. It comes as little surprise, considering she's also translated Heian era poetry which is both similar and at odds with 軍記物語.
At times, this might read a bit clunky. You might feel that Yoshitsune is not quite as tragic as he is (and he is, eminently, a tragic hero in Japanese tradition), but that I think is due to cultural differences between English-speaking cultures and the Japanese-speaking one. Barring a read of the original Japanese version, this is just about the closest you can come to this facet of Japanese literature. For anyone who prefers that understanding to be delivered not in literary work, but in academic-ish paper, I recommend Ivan Morris' "The Nobility of Failure".
[1] There's a note here that didn't make it into the review about how I really do love English translations of Japanese from this time period. Something about it strikes me more - though that also might be the byproduct of spending an entire summer in the Keio library basements (where the English stacks are,) so, perhaps just personal preference here.
What you should judge this on is the (1) quality of the translation and (2) ability of the translator to capture the essence of the original. And this delivers on both fronts.
Helen Craig McCullough is, in my opinion, a must-read when it comes to Japanese literature. Of course there isn't much choice when it comes to the Gikeiki in English, but ah, you'll have more choice with Heike Monogatari. With works in translation, you'll never capture the entirety of the work in its original language, but I think McCullough manages, somehow, to capture the essence of Japanese and present it in a way that parses similarly in English. It comes as little surprise, considering she's also translated Heian era poetry which is both similar and at odds with 軍記物語.
At times, this might read a bit clunky. You might feel that Yoshitsune is not quite as tragic as he is (and he is, eminently, a tragic hero in Japanese tradition), but that I think is due to cultural differences between English-speaking cultures and the Japanese-speaking one. Barring a read of the original Japanese version, this is just about the closest you can come to this facet of Japanese literature. For anyone who prefers that understanding to be delivered not in literary work, but in academic-ish paper, I recommend Ivan Morris' "The Nobility of Failure".
[1] There's a note here that didn't make it into the review about how I really do love English translations of Japanese from this time period. Something about it strikes me more - though that also might be the byproduct of spending an entire summer in the Keio library basements (where the English stacks are,) so, perhaps just personal preference here.
May 26, 2024
Come for the history, stay for the Benkei!
February 21, 2013
Ich brauche keine Feinde, ich habe einen Bruder
Nicht oft liest man einen Roman, der den Namen eines Protagonisten als Titel trägt, und der dann darin nur eine untergeordnete Rolle spielt. Natürlich dreht sich alles um die Person Minamoto Yoshitsunes, von seiner Kindheit über seine Schlachtenerfolge bis zu seinem wenig rühmlichen Ende als Flüchtender vor dem Zorn seines Bruders. Letztlich ist Yoshitsune in diesem Roman aber nur die Klammer für die eigentlichen Helden: für mich waren das in diesem Roman der Ex-Mönch Benkei, Yoshitsunes Liebling Shizuka und vor allem Sato Tadanobu. Ihr Anführer bleibt dagegen den ganzen Roman hindurch blass und wirkt schwächlich.
Während Benkeis Eskapaden meist humoristisch sind und zu einem gewissen Maß als "comic relief" für das bittere Schicksal Yoshitsunes dienen, und die Charakterisierung Benkeis mich sehr an den jähzornigen Lu Zhishen aus dem chinesischen Meisterwerk Shuihuzhuan erinnert, so ist Shizuka das tragische Gegenpart dazu, die treu und aufrecht zu ihrem Geliebten hält und sich trotz aller Widerstände nie beugt. Doch am meisten von allen überzeugt Sato Tadanobu - seine Aristie, anders kann man seinen epischen Kampf gegen die Verfolger Yoshitsunes nicht bezeichnen, ist das Highlight des Buchs, der mit weitem Abstand beste Teil. Hier findet man nicht nur kleine Anklänge an Homers griechische Epen, stellenweise liest sich das wie die Ilias, sprachlich wie inhaltlich. Auch die häufig beschriebenen Bekleidungsszenen erinnern an Homer - auch wenn nicht seitenlang darüber geschrieben wird wie beim Schild des Achill, so sind die Beschreibungen der Kleidungsstücke der Helden doch immer ein Teil der Heldentaten und auffällig platziert.
Ein sehr langes und ausführliches Vorwort, das sich leider furchtbar trocken und langweilig liest, klärt über die historischen Umstände der Heian-Periode auf und darüber, warum die Heike und die Genji dieses Romans sich so verfeindet gegenüberstehen. Der Roman ist durchaus auch ohne Vorkenntnis der anderen großen japanischen Werke über diese Ära, Genji Monogatari The Tale of Genji und Heike Monogatari The Tale of the Heike, lesbar und verständlich. Die Übersetzung gefällt durch ihre moderne Sprache, und obwohl stellenweise gekürzt wurde, sind die Kürzungen im Anhang ausgearbeitet; mir stellt sich trotzdem die Sinnfrage bei solchen Kürzungen. Da sich durch Textgestalt und Veröffentlichungspreis eh nur Spezialisten oder sehr interessierte Leser an ein solches Buch heranwagen werden, hätte sich McCullough diesen Eingriff in die Textintegrität gern sparen können.
Wer sich für die Geschichte Japans interessiert, muss "Yoshitsune" selbstverständlich lesen. Auch wenn dies kein moderner Roman ist, sondern man sein Alter in Sprache und Struktur deutlich spürt, ist er aber trotzdem, schon allein wegen Tadanobus Episode, auch für Freunde epischer Literatur empfehlenswert.
Nicht oft liest man einen Roman, der den Namen eines Protagonisten als Titel trägt, und der dann darin nur eine untergeordnete Rolle spielt. Natürlich dreht sich alles um die Person Minamoto Yoshitsunes, von seiner Kindheit über seine Schlachtenerfolge bis zu seinem wenig rühmlichen Ende als Flüchtender vor dem Zorn seines Bruders. Letztlich ist Yoshitsune in diesem Roman aber nur die Klammer für die eigentlichen Helden: für mich waren das in diesem Roman der Ex-Mönch Benkei, Yoshitsunes Liebling Shizuka und vor allem Sato Tadanobu. Ihr Anführer bleibt dagegen den ganzen Roman hindurch blass und wirkt schwächlich.
Während Benkeis Eskapaden meist humoristisch sind und zu einem gewissen Maß als "comic relief" für das bittere Schicksal Yoshitsunes dienen, und die Charakterisierung Benkeis mich sehr an den jähzornigen Lu Zhishen aus dem chinesischen Meisterwerk Shuihuzhuan erinnert, so ist Shizuka das tragische Gegenpart dazu, die treu und aufrecht zu ihrem Geliebten hält und sich trotz aller Widerstände nie beugt. Doch am meisten von allen überzeugt Sato Tadanobu - seine Aristie, anders kann man seinen epischen Kampf gegen die Verfolger Yoshitsunes nicht bezeichnen, ist das Highlight des Buchs, der mit weitem Abstand beste Teil. Hier findet man nicht nur kleine Anklänge an Homers griechische Epen, stellenweise liest sich das wie die Ilias, sprachlich wie inhaltlich. Auch die häufig beschriebenen Bekleidungsszenen erinnern an Homer - auch wenn nicht seitenlang darüber geschrieben wird wie beim Schild des Achill, so sind die Beschreibungen der Kleidungsstücke der Helden doch immer ein Teil der Heldentaten und auffällig platziert.
Ein sehr langes und ausführliches Vorwort, das sich leider furchtbar trocken und langweilig liest, klärt über die historischen Umstände der Heian-Periode auf und darüber, warum die Heike und die Genji dieses Romans sich so verfeindet gegenüberstehen. Der Roman ist durchaus auch ohne Vorkenntnis der anderen großen japanischen Werke über diese Ära, Genji Monogatari The Tale of Genji und Heike Monogatari The Tale of the Heike, lesbar und verständlich. Die Übersetzung gefällt durch ihre moderne Sprache, und obwohl stellenweise gekürzt wurde, sind die Kürzungen im Anhang ausgearbeitet; mir stellt sich trotzdem die Sinnfrage bei solchen Kürzungen. Da sich durch Textgestalt und Veröffentlichungspreis eh nur Spezialisten oder sehr interessierte Leser an ein solches Buch heranwagen werden, hätte sich McCullough diesen Eingriff in die Textintegrität gern sparen können.
Wer sich für die Geschichte Japans interessiert, muss "Yoshitsune" selbstverständlich lesen. Auch wenn dies kein moderner Roman ist, sondern man sein Alter in Sprache und Struktur deutlich spürt, ist er aber trotzdem, schon allein wegen Tadanobus Episode, auch für Freunde epischer Literatur empfehlenswert.
July 3, 2019
Can't say enough good things about this book! But then, I love the legends of Yoshitsune.
I actually purchased this old rare book (even without ever having seen it in a library) based on its reputation alone as a definitive work, and I am not sorry. It is truly remarkable.
The best thing about the work is the lengthy scholarly introduction concerning the sources of both real and legendary information about Yoshitsune. It's easy to see why no one since McCullough has done an English translation of the work because this one (hers) is simply so superb.
I actually purchased this old rare book (even without ever having seen it in a library) based on its reputation alone as a definitive work, and I am not sorry. It is truly remarkable.
The best thing about the work is the lengthy scholarly introduction concerning the sources of both real and legendary information about Yoshitsune. It's easy to see why no one since McCullough has done an English translation of the work because this one (hers) is simply so superb.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews