Kana Retsujoden - A biography of women

Japanese: 仮名列女伝 - かなれつじょでん

Kana-zoshi. Published in 1655 (Meireki 1). Eight volumes. A translation by Kitamura Kigin of Liu Xiang's "Retsujo-den" (The Tales of Women) from the Chinese Song dynasty, it contains 124 anecdotes about wise and chaste Chinese women. However, it also contains examples of wicked women such as Datsuki and Baozi. This book became the basis for a format of Edo period novels that collected anecdotes about famous women from China and Japan. It was the beginning of books that taught women lessons, such as "The Tale of the Lady's Mantle," "The Mirror of Women in Japan," "The Tale of Wise Women," and "Comparison of Famous Women's Affections." [Noda Hisao]

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

仮名草子。1655年(明暦1)刊。8巻。中国宋代の劉向の《列女伝》を北村季吟が翻訳したもので，124話の中国の賢女貞女の逸話を載せる。ただし妲己（だつき）や褒似（ほうじ）のごとき悪女の例も載せている。この書は，江戸時代小説の中で，中国や日本の名女の逸話を集めるという形式の基になった。たとえば《女郎花（おみなえし）物語》《本朝女鑑》《賢女物語》《名女情くらべ》のごとき女性教訓書のはしりである。【野田寿雄】

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

<<: Canaletto - Kanaletto (English spelling)

>>: Wilhelm Canaris