AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |
Back to Blog
The tale of jiraiya the gallant3/11/2023 ![]() ![]() A+B prove to be greater than C.Īt this level we have such a simplified frame that it could cover any number of stories. He joins with a beautiful maiden who has B power. ![]() Our hero is a virtuous rascal who has A power. With this in mind, the story can be simplified further! Snakes swallow Toads in one gulp, Toads snag Slugs easily with their tongues, and Slugs dissolve Snakes with their mucus (although this proves to be untrue in actuality). The magic of the three main characters is based on a 3-way stand-off idea from that era: snake > toad > slug > snake … and is functionally the same as: rock > scissor > paper > rock, etc. Jiraiya is given a title in honor of his deeds and they live out their days peacefully. The two oppose each other in a war between clans and eventually Orochimaru and the opposing clan are defeated. His arch-enemy is Orochimaru, a former comrade, who has mastered Snake magic. He marries the beautiful maiden Tsunade who knows Slug magic. The tale in it’s barest form features an heir to a powerful clan that learns Toad magic and becomes a chivalrous robber (much like Robin Hood). This version covers the whole of Jiraiya’s life. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, you can read a simple version here on Google books. This helped establish the image of ninja as sorcerers. The other is that Jiraiya is a ninja (more so than a robber). The first apparent change is in the spelling of Jiraiya’s name (児雷也) which changes the meaning to “young thunder” a nickname acquired in his youth. These were based on the original novels, but deviated from and added to the tales in many ways. The picture novels 『児雷也豪傑譚』 (“The Tales of Jiraiya the Gallant”) published 1839 – 1868 were also highly influential. The name Jiraiya (自来也) came from that phrase: 自 I, myself 来る to come, to arrive, to be due 也 to be (somewhere, a sum). The author was supposedly inspired by a tale of a robber in the Northern Song region of China who scribed “I, have come” on the wall in a home he had entered. The tale itself has been told in a number of formats since it’s origin in 1806 with the novel, 『自来也説話』 (“The tale of Jiraiya”) appearing as kabuki theater plays, picture novels, shamisen plays, movies, video games and so on. Some of you may already be familiar with the name Jiraiya, but today we are going to focus on the Japanese folktale, “The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant”. ![]()
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |