Wild Geese Story - Kari no Soushi

Japanese: 雁の草子 - かりのそうし

A medieval novel. The author is unknown. Only one untitled white scroll, copied in 1602 (Keicho 7), has been preserved at Kyoto University, and the date of its creation is also unknown. The title is a modern addition. It is a beautiful love story between an orphan princess and a wild goose that has transformed into a man, and is one of the tales of strange creatures, along with "Tsuru no Soshi" and "Nezumi no Soshi." Around the time of the harvest moon, a woman goes into seclusion at Ishiyama Kannon temple, lamenting her helpless life, when a man dressed in hunting attire appears before her. The two make a promise, but when spring comes, the man must return home (kigan), and the love ends in tragedy. Eventually, a wild goose informs the woman of the man's death (ganshin), and the woman, sensing the impermanence of life, becomes a nun and passes away, and the story concludes with the following poem.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

中世の小説。著者不明。京都大学に1602年(慶長7)書写の無題の白描絵巻1巻が伝わるのみで，成立年代も不詳。題は近代の命名。身よりのない姫と男に姿を変えた雁との恋物語の佳編で，《鶴の草紙》《鼠の草紙》などと同様の異類物語の一つ。名月のころ，たよりないわが身を嘆き石山観音に参籠した女の前に狩装束の男が現れる。2人は契りを結ぶようになるが，春になると男は帰郷(帰雁)せねばならず，恋は悲恋に終わる。やがて1羽の雁が女のもとに男の死を伝え(雁信)，女は無常を感じて出家，往生を遂げ，物語は次の歌で結ばれる。

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

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