| Research Abstract |
Although the word rekishimonogatari(*, Historical Narratives) is used to generalize several works including Eigamonogatari(*) and Shikyo(*) consisting of Ohkagami(*), Imakagami(*), Mizukagami(*) and Masukagami(*), there is nothing in common among them except that they are diachronic historical descriptions written in kana(*). They are isolated from one another in nature as literary works ; moreover, they are different from one another in styles, forms, keynotes, outlooks as literary works ; and historical views. This study is the first step toward identifying this group of miscellaneous works in the history of literature.
We find a peculiar group of works that exists on the basis of the history of the Heir to the Imperial Throne (Yotsugi, *) in the center of Rekishimonogatari. We can think, because of the continuous succession to the Imlperial Throne, that some sequels were written to Eigamonogatari and Ohkagami, and that Godaiteiomonogatari(*) was written after Rokudaishojiki(*). We ca
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n assume that similar works such as Karakagami(*) and Akitsushimamonogatari(*) and related works such as Hohbutsushu(*) and Mumyozoushi(*) were produced because, at that stage, there were plural systems of books on Japanese history written in kana at the same time.
It is Masukagami that was produced to reorganize the history of Rekishimonogatari putting great importance on the history of the Heir to the Imperial Throne as Rekishimonogatari became popular and diverse. After Masukagami, established was the system of books on Japanese history that treated historical events diachronically with the sequence of Akitsushimamonogatari, Mizukagami, Ohkagami, Imakagami, Tsukinoyukue(*), Masukagami, and Ikenomokuzu(*). In the process of the reserch on these works, the writer transcribed into modern Japanese the whole text of Akitsuhimanomonogatari of which the accurate oroginal text was difficult to obtain. The writer would also like to point out the fact that the works stated above were produced concentratedly during the turbulent period from about 1200 to the middle of the 14th century. Less
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