Week 7 Reading Diary B: Japanese Fairy Tales (Ozaki)

Image Information: Snow White reimagined as a character from The Story of Princess Hase: Source: DeviantArt

The Goblin of Adachigahara:

Haunted place. Cannibalistic monster. Warning travelers. An old woman takes the priest in.

The Goblin of Adachigahara continued:

Old woman takes in this priest and he grows on her. She leaves to get food and promises he’ll be safe as long as he literally does not move. Looking into a place which they were specifically old not to. Is the old woman the cannibal goblin? Wait was she actually? 

The Ogre of Rashomon:

Another story of a cannibal. Delightful. City wide everyone stayed inside after dark. Chief of the village was said to have killed a whole bunch of ogres that were eating people (in the past). Not everyone believed the story.

The Ogre of Rashomon continued:

On the way home he is attacked by surprise! An ogre. The man was not afraid and the ogre became scared of him. The man wouldn’t let him run away, however. Gave chase. Took the arm as a trophy (a sign of his being a hero and bravery). Became fearful because he knew the ogre would try to come back for his arm at one point.

The Ogre of Rashomon end:

Believed that if he kept the arm hidden and in a box the ogre wouldn’t come back for it. Why does he think that that makes sense? He is tricked and the ogre does come back for her arm (and succeeds)

The Story of Princess Hase:

Sorrow because a couple couldn’t conceive. Prayed to the goddess of mercy and were gifted with a baby. Strength, beauty, and tenderness. Be submissive to your superiors and kind to your subordinates. Gifted in koto. New stepmother hates/despises her.

The Story of Princess Hase continued:

Stepmother grew extremely jealous of her daughter’s talent. Resentment between two female characters. Also hated her because she wished her husband to love her son the way he loved his daughter. Like he didn’t have enough love to give. Decided the next logical step is TO KILL HER STEPDAUGHTER. Accidently killed her own son. Had to lay in wait for another opportunity to try and kill her. 

The Story of Princess Hase continued 2:

Had become a most gifted poetess and well-renowned in Chinese circles. Tasked to safe the emperor by lifting up one of her poems to the heavens. Heavens answered her prayer and the emperor grew better in his health. Became a lieutenant-general princess as a reward. Finally the stepmother paid one of their servants to take her into the woods and kill her on one day that the father was absent. SNOW WHITE

The Story of Princess Hase end:

Father was told his daughter ran away in shame of some wrongdoing. Fear of scandal so everything was kept quiet. Stepmother got what she deserved and princess was rescued from her solitude in the woods.