A Study on the Narrative Arts of Zhejiang, China: Mainly Considering the Functions of Exhortation to Good Deeds and Disaster Relief

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K02652
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Chinese literature
• Research Institution: Otemon Gakuin University
• Principal Investigator: MATSUKA Yuko 追手門学院大学, 基盤教育機構, 教授 (20215396)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 小南 一郎 公益財団法人泉屋博古館, 学芸課(本館), 名誉館長 (50027554) ; 磯部 祐子 富山大学, 大学本部, 理事・副学長 (00161696)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 宝巻 / 宣卷 / 語りもの芸能 / 紹興宣卷 / 温州鼓詞 / 目連 / 勧善 / 免災

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study analyzes and discusses the Narrative arts in the Jiangnan area of China, especially in Zhejiang, from the early modern period to the present, focusing on the functions of "exhortation to good deeds" and "disaster relief". The subjects of the research were texts such as Baojuan or precious scrolls (literature survey) and the performing folk arts or religious rituals that recite these texts (fieldwork). Specifically, we present the results of our research on "Shaoxing xuanjuan" (by Matsuka), "Wenzhou guci" (by Isobe), and the story of Mulian (by Kominami). While all of these texts have been underpinned by people's strong desire to be exempt from disaster, they have been nurtured in different places. We explain the complexity and diversity of the world behind the same alternating rhymed and prose texts, as well as the specific circumstances in which they were created.

Free Research Field

中国文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

現代の講唱文藝を調査して上演状況とテキストとの関係を知ることは、過去の講唱文藝のテキストの研究に示唆や判断の根拠を与える。テキストだけに拠ると、議論は往々、「あれかこれか」の単純なものになる。儒家的あるいは中国共産党的な価値観によって宗教面の実態が把握しにくくなっていることも、混乱や誤解の誘因となる。じっさいには、講唱文藝は世俗的であると同時に聖性を有し、厳肅な宗教儀礼でありつつ娯楽でもありうる。本研究は、とりわけ本国の中国で学術研究が不足または欠如している講唱文藝を調査したこと、そしてそれらを生んだ世界の多様さ複雑さにことばを与えたことに意義があると考えている。