Information AboutKojiki |
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''Kojiki'' or ''Furukotofumi'' (古事記), also known in English as the ''Records of Ancient Matters'', is the oldest surviving historical book dealing with the ancient History Of Japan . It also mentions an older compilation said to have been destroyed by fire. According to the preface, the book was presented by O No Yasumaro based on a story memorized by Hieda No Are in 712 under the order of the Imperial Court . The Kojiki was followed by the '' Nihonshoki ''. The ''Kojiki'' does not recount official history like the later '' Nihonshoki ''. Other than the ''Kojiki'', no other history has claimed that it was compiled on an official order. This has led some to claim that the ''Kojiki'' was a forgery that actually appeared much later than the '' Nihonshoki '' but this claim has little support. ''Kojiki'' begins with the very beginning of the world as it was created by the '' Kami '' ( Deities ) Izanagi and Izanami and ends with the era of Empress Suiko . It contains various Myth s and Legend s of Japan . It also contains various songs/poems. While the historical records and myths are written in a form of Chinese with a heavy admixture of Japanese elements, the songs are written with Chinese Character s used to convey sounds only. This special use of Chinese characters is called '' Manyogana '', a knowledge of which is critical to understanding these songs. These songs are in the dialect of the Yamato area from about 7th Century to 8th Century CE, a language called ''Jōdai Nihongo'' (lit. "upper age Japanese "). In English , this is most commonly called Old Japanese . The ''Kojiki'' is divided into three parts: ''Kamitsumaki'' (lit. upper roll), ''Nakatsumaki'' (lit. middle roll), and ''Shimotsumaki'' (lit. lower roll). The Kamitsumaki includes the Preface and is focused on the deities that made Japan and the births of various deities. The Nakatsumaki begins with the story of Emperor Jimmu , the first Emperor , and his conquest of Japan, and ends with the 15th Emperor, Emperor Ojin . Many of the stories it contains are mythological, and the allegedly historical information in them is highly suspect. For unknown reasons, the 2nd to 9th Emperors are listed but their achievements are largely missing. The Shimotsumaki covers the 16th to 33rd Emperors, and, unlike previous volumes, has very limited references to interactions with deities so prominent in the first and second volumes. Information on the 24th to 33rd Emperors are largely missing as well. In the Edo Period , Motoori Norinaga studied the ''Kojiki'' intensively, the results of which were published in his ''Kojiki-den'' (Kojiki Commentary). It was first claimed in the Edo period that the ''Kojiki'' may have been forged later than it was supposed to have been written. The first and best-known English Translation of the ''Kojiki'' was made by the renowned Japanologist Basil Hall Chamberlain . More recently, a well-regarded translation was made by Donald L. Philippi . It was published by Columbia University Press in October 1982 (ISBN 0-86008-320-9). SEE ALSO
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