However interesting it might be in bringing to the public eye royal figures that not rarely are barely remembered in History in general, those were specially Western. In an attempt to balance these discussions on this blog, and remembering that there'd been only one post this far in regard of the royals that too made history in Eastern (that being of Chinese Empress Wu), we will be now bringing figures of the monarchy from different times that made their names (or not) in different countries.
Today, we begin with the story of a legendary ruler of Japan, an almost mythical figure that has been often credited to be the first Emperor of Japan. His name is Jinmu-Tenno, and here's what we know about him.
Jimmu's original name appears to have been Kow-yamato-iware-hiko No Mikoto, although other bibliographies here consulted differ in Kamuyamato Iwaberiko and Wakamikenu no Mikotoor Sano no Mikoto. Japanese chronicles as Kojiki, he was born on 13 February 711 BC and died, apparently on 9 April 585 BC. Where this name issue we have pointed is concerned, we might have an explanation for this in the following quote:
One of these interpretations we were able to raise is the place the figure of Jimmu is found between religion and war figures. This might reflect that Japan's society was very close to pre-Christianity's belief and this would remain even to our current days. Though Jimmu was not praised as his divine ancestors were, after all he was not only related to the god of the sea but also to the goddess of sun, he was very important to all of his sucessors nonetheless. Not only the Imperial House of Japan would base their claim to the Japanese throne on Jimmu's figure, but would continue to assist with respect the figure of emperor, thus making Jimmu the key for Japan's monarchy. In addition, we might think that perhaps it was more his bonds to the divine rather than his skills as a warrior that shaped Japan's monarchy, a reflection, if we dare to wonder, of a religiosity that was very immersed within the social thought of Japan's society in contast to Western's ideal of a warrior-like king that was perpetuated to most Middle Ages.
Jimmu's original name appears to have been Kow-yamato-iware-hiko No Mikoto, although other bibliographies here consulted differ in Kamuyamato Iwaberiko and Wakamikenu no Mikotoor Sano no Mikoto. Japanese chronicles as Kojiki, he was born on 13 February 711 BC and died, apparently on 9 April 585 BC. Where this name issue we have pointed is concerned, we might have an explanation for this in the following quote:
"According to the Kojiki, Jimmu died when he was 126 years old. This emperor's posthumous name literally means 'divine might' or 'god-warrior'. It is undisputed that his identification is Chinese in form and Buddhist in implication, which suggests that the name must have been regularized centuries after the lifetime ascribed to Jimmu. It is generally thought that Jimmu's name and character evolved into their present shape just before the time in which legends about the origins of the Yamato dynasty were chronicled in the Kojik."There is no further indication about his life as a whole, except a mythical story as told in the next paragraph:
"Jimmu figures as a direct descendant of the sun goddess, Amaterasu via the side of his father, Ugayafukiaezu. Amaterasu had a son called Ame no Oshihomimi no Mikoto and through him a grandson named Ninigi-no-Mikoto. She sent her grandson to the Japanese islands where he eventually married Konohana-Sakuya-hime. Among their three sons was Hikohohodemi no Mikoto (...) who married Toyotama-hime. She was the daughter of Ryüjin, the Japanese sea god. They had a single son called Hikonagisa Takeugaya Fukiaezu no Mikoto. The boy was abandoned by his parents at birth and consequently raised by (...) his mother's younger sister. They eventually married and had four sons. The last of these, Kamu-yamato, Iware-biko no mikoto became Emperor Jimmu."Furthermore,
"At this point, Jimmu is said to have ascended to the throne of Japan. Upon scalling a Nara mountain to survey the Seto Inland Sea he now controlled, Jimmu remarked that it was shaped like the 'heart' rings made by mating dragonflies, archaically akitsu. A mosquito then tried to steal Jimmu's royal blood but since Jimmu was a god incarnate emperor, akitsumikami, a dragonfly killed the mosquito. Japan thus received its classical name the Dragonfly Islands, akitsushima."Taking a look from a more practical view, as the likely warrior he was rather than his divine connections, we comprehend that:
"Japanese chronicles record Jimmu's expedition eastward from Hyuga in 607 BC along Japan's Inland Sea, subduing tribes as he went and ending in Yamato, where he established his centre of power. Although modern historians do not accept such details as a 7th century BC date, preferring a date in the Early Christian era, they affirm the tradition of an aggressive movement of peoples from the west."Unfortunately, informations as those we were able to share concerning the Emperor's life are difficult to find, specially if one is not able to read in Japanese language to have access to the sources that have been mentioned here. However, this does not prevent us in writing about this formidable character and raise possibilities of interpretations that lead us to interesting discussions.
One of these interpretations we were able to raise is the place the figure of Jimmu is found between religion and war figures. This might reflect that Japan's society was very close to pre-Christianity's belief and this would remain even to our current days. Though Jimmu was not praised as his divine ancestors were, after all he was not only related to the god of the sea but also to the goddess of sun, he was very important to all of his sucessors nonetheless. Not only the Imperial House of Japan would base their claim to the Japanese throne on Jimmu's figure, but would continue to assist with respect the figure of emperor, thus making Jimmu the key for Japan's monarchy. In addition, we might think that perhaps it was more his bonds to the divine rather than his skills as a warrior that shaped Japan's monarchy, a reflection, if we dare to wonder, of a religiosity that was very immersed within the social thought of Japan's society in contast to Western's ideal of a warrior-like king that was perpetuated to most Middle Ages.
"Despite Jimmu's importance as a link between the ruling family of Japan and the divine ancestors, he has never had much of a cult following in Japan. A Shinto shrine was erected by the Japanese government in 1890 at the site of what is believed to be his burial place at Unebi."And finally, it is interesting to take notice that:
"[...] the myt of origin has also had a stabilizing effect, ensuring that ancient traditions such as respect for ancestors, for the land itself, and loyalty to the people of the nation, have survived through into modern times." And "Jimmu has an honored place in Japanese tradition. The idea of a special bond between ruler, land and people helped to make governance more stable."
Whether he was, indeed, a powerful warrior whose deeds made him a legend throughout the centuries, holding an importance for Japan even in the present days, or he was but an mythical character, we might only speculate; yet, we would be missing the point of this discussion by limiting it to the question of his nature. Instead, Jimmu-Tenno not only contributed to Japan's empire but was also the reflect of a very religious society proving the point that sociologist Durkheim would say in his studies of religion: that a society's morality is shaped by religion, an institution without which no society survives. This much is appliable to Jimmu and the inheritance he left for the posteriority.
Bibliography:
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Jimmu
-https://www.britannica.com/topic/Jimmu
-http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Jimmu,_Emperor_of_Japan
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário