The Story of the Wet Nurse - Menoto no Soushi

Japanese: 乳母の草子 - めのとのそうし

A book of instruction for women from the Muromachi period. Author unknown. Possibly written in the first half of the 14th century. It is written in the style of a letter to women to be educated, and written in the style of shobun. After the preface, "A woman should make the cultivation of the heart her main focus," the book goes on to cite sources such as The Tale of Genji and other sources to teach about all aspects of life, including appearance, clothing, utensils, housing, historical traditions, etiquette, arts, hobbies, upbringing, and Buddhist practices. In particular, the book states that "if one knows shame in all things, one can improve oneself," and encourages women to value the principles of "duty, patience, and mercy" and to have a modest heart toward their masters, husbands, and servants, which suggests the era's emphasis on chaste feminine virtue.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

室町時代の女訓書。作者未詳。14世紀前半の成立か。傅育する子女にあてた体裁で，文体は候文。〈女は心のたしなみを本（ほん）とせよ〉の序のあと，顔つき，衣装，道具，住居，故実，作法，技芸，趣味，養育，仏事などの生活全般にわたる教えを，《源氏物語》などを引いて説いている。とくに〈万のことは恥を知り候へば身修まるものなり〉として，主（しゆう）や夫，召使いに対しては，〈義理，堪忍，慈悲〉の道理を重んじ，慎みの心を持てとする点に，貞淑な婦徳を勧める時代相がうかがえる。

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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