Legends of Japan [antikvár]

IntroductionMost of the stories contained in this book take their material from Konjaku Monogatari (Tales, Ancient and Modern) written in the Heian period (794-1185), one of the classical literary masterpieces of Japan, as valued as the works of Shakespeare and Goethe. Unfortunately, however, Konjaku Monogatari is less known to foreign readers than the famous Genji Monogatari (The Tale of Genji) and Makura no Soshi (The Pillow Book), though they were written in the same period. Even among Japanese readers, this work has been hitherto less popular than the latter two, because it was not written in their accomplished style, and in addition it did not deal with such enthralling subjects as gorgeous court life or high society of the day. Konjaku Monogatari is composed of thirty-one volumes presenting Japanese, Chinese, and Indian legendary tales, each tale beginning with the familiar phrase "Long, long ago."The stories range from Buddhist moral tales to humorous anecdotes and fairy tales. A great variety of characters appear in this legendary