The Pillow Book

The Pillow Book (also: "pillow books " ) ( Jap枕 草 子, Makura no Soshi ) Lady Sei Shonagon is one of the earliest and at the same time the most important literary prose works of Japanese literature. It was built around 1000 AD and is one of the Heian period.

It is a kind of diary, written by Sei Shonagon, who served as maid of honor to the Empress and developed a friendly relationship with her. The work is written in standard Japanese (with a few Sinismen ) and predominantly in Kana script. Since Empress Fujiwara no Sadako (藤原 定子), the maid of honor Sei Shonagon was, died in the year 1001, it is often assumed that the text has been extensively reworked after the year 1001 by the author and edited. Because of the complex manuscript tradition, the work presents great text-critical problems.

The name of the work is on the retention of records in a hollow pillow (枕) returned from china. The pillow book consists of 320 mostly short entries on various topics of everyday life at the imperial court, thus forming a collection of astute observations, various anecdotes, lists of things and very direct, open opinions and impressions and feelings. It is such an important source for the cultural history of the Heian period. The entries are seemingly artless written down. This writing style is with the term " zui - hitsu " - called " flowed from the brush ." Sei Shonagon is considered the first master of this style.

The plant will rezipiert in Europe since the last quarter of the 19th century. English and French translations published since 1889, the first German transmission appeared in 1944. Peter Greenaway's film The Pillow Book is a film adaptation of the book. Add Hanns -Josef Ortheils Roman love close (2011) makes the book a special role.