Species and gender transgression in the Tale of Tamamizu.

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K13083
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 02010:Japanese literature-related
• Research Institution: National Institute of Japanese Literature
• Principal Investigator: YASUOKA KAHOKO (井黒佳穂子) 国文学研究資料館, 古典籍共同研究事業センター, 特任助教 (90743104)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 御伽草子 / 異類婚姻譚 / 異性装 / 中世王朝物語

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed to clarify the characteristics of the otogi-zoshi, The Tale of Tamamizu, by examining the transgression of species and gender in the work. Traditionally classified as a tale of animal, The Tale of Tamamizu undergoes two transformations, from animal to human and from male to female.These two metamorphoses are analysed in terms of 'marriage with animals' and 'cross-dressing', and compared with similarly structured narrative literature , otogi-zoshi and medieval dynastic story.The Tales of Tamamizu were found to be influenced by medieval dynastic story and the 'a tale of Nobility' in the otogi-zoshi, and to be close to the 'shinobine tale' structure.

Free Research Field

日本中世文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

『玉水物語』は「しのびね型」の物語構造の中に、異性装と狐女房譚のモチーフを取り込むことで、身体的な性と社会的な性を描き分け、これまでにない多様性の物語として成立しており、しばしば類型的と批判的に評価されてきた御伽草子の豊かさ、現代の創作にも通じる姿が認められたことは大いに意義があると考える。