Read Online Hara-Kiri: Japanese Ritual Suicide by Jack Seward - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jack Seward
bound. If his relatives requested the corpse, it would be handed over to them.
Kiri-ume or "Cut Off and Bury." This punishment was limited in its place of execution to a forlorn field. If bound, the criminal was released at the time of execution. A pit was dug, and, as soon as he was beheaded, the body was kicked into it for burial.
Kiri-sute or "Cut Off and Throw Away." The criminal was executed on an out-of-the-way plot of wasteland and his body left exposed on the ground. This punishment was sometimes called uchi-sute, also meaning "cut off and throw away."
Shibari-kubi or"BeheadingWhile Bound." This was actually the same as kiri-ume except that the criminal was bound at the moment of beheading. Moreover, he was buried still bound.
The story of the 47 ronin, who are buried in Tokyo, is the source of many theater dramatizations, notably on the kabuki stage. On these pages are woodblock prints of famous kabuki actors in seppuku scenes: above, the dramatized seppuku of one of the ronin.
"Chushingura" (Treasury of Loyal Retainers) is the most famous kabuki play based on the story of the 47 ronin. The print shows the scene where Lord Asano attacks his tormentor (upper half) which led to Asano's sentence of seppuku (lower half). Kabuki prints courtesy of Waseda Uni-
A highly dramatic scene from a play about a famous Tokugawa magistrate in which he has offered to commit suicide. While the kaishaku-nin (right) stands ready to draw his sword, a messenger (left) bursts into the room and stops the seppuku. These being mere dramatizations, the seppuku rites are not as described in the text.
Footnotes
* The reason why this portentous notice was forwarded at night is that it was believed that such news of doom should not defile the morning (or auspicious) hours of the day.
* It was customary for samurai to carry two swords, one long and one short.
IV
SEPPUKU & SHINJU
Definition of Double Suicide
S HINJU in Japanese literally means "inside the heart." More fully, it implies that if the heart were cut open, there would be found only devotion to one's lover; thus, "revealing-the-heart death."
To understand this particular method of self-destruction, it must first be noted that it was an age when contact between men and women was almost completely banned, except in the case of married couples. This was an unwritten law, and both samurai and commoners were under irresistible social pressure to obey it. The function of the woman was not to make love or have romance, but to give birth to heirs of the family. Hence, the vulgar saying: "The womb of a woman is a borrowable vessel." It is curious that such a vulgarity originated under these conditions of stern separation of male from female. Confucianism was responsible for bringing forth such a social ethic. Confucianism teaches, "The male and female shalt not sit together even at the seventh year." The whole relation between men and women was colored with this concept. Under the iron rule of feudalism, it was unalterable. Romance or elopement could mean death by fire or crucifixion. Such a social system sooner or later had to produce violent reactions.
In Tale of the Genji written by Lady Murasaki a thousand years ago, there were numerous stories of romance enjoyed by the Japanese of those days before the influence of Confucianism began to be felt. But, in the Edo Period, the only place where one could have free contact with women were the officially licensed gay quarters called yukaku, wherein the women were owned by the establishment or "house" and could be visited after payment of a fee. Even in such quarters, only sexânot loveâwas allowed. However, it sometimes did happen that men and women fell in love, even in houses of ill-fame. When such girls fell in love, they secretly sent letters protesting their devotions to their sweethearts or tried to demonstrate their feelings by avoiding carnal intercourse with other guests or even sometimes cutting off their little
Kiri-ume or "Cut Off and Bury." This punishment was limited in its place of execution to a forlorn field. If bound, the criminal was released at the time of execution. A pit was dug, and, as soon as he was beheaded, the body was kicked into it for burial.
Kiri-sute or "Cut Off and Throw Away." The criminal was executed on an out-of-the-way plot of wasteland and his body left exposed on the ground. This punishment was sometimes called uchi-sute, also meaning "cut off and throw away."
Shibari-kubi or"BeheadingWhile Bound." This was actually the same as kiri-ume except that the criminal was bound at the moment of beheading. Moreover, he was buried still bound.
The story of the 47 ronin, who are buried in Tokyo, is the source of many theater dramatizations, notably on the kabuki stage. On these pages are woodblock prints of famous kabuki actors in seppuku scenes: above, the dramatized seppuku of one of the ronin.
"Chushingura" (Treasury of Loyal Retainers) is the most famous kabuki play based on the story of the 47 ronin. The print shows the scene where Lord Asano attacks his tormentor (upper half) which led to Asano's sentence of seppuku (lower half). Kabuki prints courtesy of Waseda Uni-
A highly dramatic scene from a play about a famous Tokugawa magistrate in which he has offered to commit suicide. While the kaishaku-nin (right) stands ready to draw his sword, a messenger (left) bursts into the room and stops the seppuku. These being mere dramatizations, the seppuku rites are not as described in the text.
Footnotes
* The reason why this portentous notice was forwarded at night is that it was believed that such news of doom should not defile the morning (or auspicious) hours of the day.
* It was customary for samurai to carry two swords, one long and one short.
IV
SEPPUKU & SHINJU
Definition of Double Suicide
S HINJU in Japanese literally means "inside the heart." More fully, it implies that if the heart were cut open, there would be found only devotion to one's lover; thus, "revealing-the-heart death."
To understand this particular method of self-destruction, it must first be noted that it was an age when contact between men and women was almost completely banned, except in the case of married couples. This was an unwritten law, and both samurai and commoners were under irresistible social pressure to obey it. The function of the woman was not to make love or have romance, but to give birth to heirs of the family. Hence, the vulgar saying: "The womb of a woman is a borrowable vessel." It is curious that such a vulgarity originated under these conditions of stern separation of male from female. Confucianism was responsible for bringing forth such a social ethic. Confucianism teaches, "The male and female shalt not sit together even at the seventh year." The whole relation between men and women was colored with this concept. Under the iron rule of feudalism, it was unalterable. Romance or elopement could mean death by fire or crucifixion. Such a social system sooner or later had to produce violent reactions.
In Tale of the Genji written by Lady Murasaki a thousand years ago, there were numerous stories of romance enjoyed by the Japanese of those days before the influence of Confucianism began to be felt. But, in the Edo Period, the only place where one could have free contact with women were the officially licensed gay quarters called yukaku, wherein the women were owned by the establishment or "house" and could be visited after payment of a fee. Even in such quarters, only sexânot loveâwas allowed. However, it sometimes did happen that men and women fell in love, even in houses of ill-fame. When such girls fell in love, they secretly sent letters protesting their devotions to their sweethearts or tried to demonstrate their feelings by avoiding carnal intercourse with other guests or even sometimes cutting off their little
Similar Books
WIFE WANTED (A Billionaire Bad Boy Romance)
Bella Grant
Detroit Combat
Randy Wayne White
Gifts of Desire
Kella McKinnon
Valkyrie: Rat in the Dumpster
Tony Bowman
Silently and Very Fast
Catherynne M. Valente
The Forever Drug
Lisa Smedman
Ordinary Beauty
Laura Wiess
Duplicity
N. K. Traver
Party Games
R. L. Stine
