Meng Jiangnu - Moukyou

A woman who appears in ancient Chinese tales. When Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Qin dynasty, was building the Great Wall, a man called Qi Liang was called in to do labor, but he could no longer bear the harsh labor and fled the construction site. On the way, he entered the garden of a wealthy family's house, where he met the daughter, Meng Jiangnu, who fell in love with him and the two eventually married. He then returned to the construction site, but the foreman, angry at his escape, killed him and built him inside the wall. When Meng Jiangnu heard this and rushed over to the site, she burst into tears in front of the Great Wall, and the wall in front collapsed, scattering countless bones. She found her husband's bones among them, brought them home and buried them. The story of Meng Jiangnu first appeared in documents during the Tang dynasty, but this tale of tragic love became popular among the general public in the form of folk tales, stories, and plays.

[Tota Kirimoto]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国古代の説話に登場する女性。秦(しん)の始皇帝が万里の長城を築いたとき、労役に駆り出された杞梁(きりょう)という男は、過酷な労働に耐えかねて工事現場から逃亡した。その途中、富家の庭園に入り込み、そこの娘孟姜女と知り合って相愛の仲となり、やがて2人は結婚した。その後彼は長城の建築現場に戻るが、逃亡を怒った監督は彼を殺して長城の中に築き込んだ。それを聞いて駆けつけた孟姜女が長城の前で号泣すると、正面の壁が崩れ落ちて無数の骨片が散乱したので、その中から夫の骨を捜し出した彼女は持ち帰って葬ったという。こうした孟姜女の物語は唐代に初めて文献に現れるが、この悲恋譚(たん)は民話、語り物、演劇などの形で広く民衆の間に流行した。

［桐本東太］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例