Keigo Seki
Script error: No such module "Nihongo". was a Japanese folklorist. He joined a group under Yanagita Kunio, but often came to different conclusions regarding the same folktales. Along with collecting and compiling folktales, Seki also arranged them into a series of categories.[1]
This work culminated in his Nihon mukashibanashi shūsei (Collection of Japanese Folktales) (1928, revised 1961), in six volumes, which classified Japanese folktales after the model of the Aarne-Thompson system.[2]
A selection was published as Nihon No Mukashi-Banashi (1956–7), and was translated into English as Folktales of Japan (1963) by Robert J. Adams.[3]Template:Sfnp
Seki founded the Japanese Society for Folk Literature in 1977.[2]
University Life
Seki was a native of Nagasaki Prefecture and graduate of Toyo University.[4][5] He studied philosophy and worked as a librarian for the university.[5] He founded the Japanese Society for Folk Literature (Nihon Koshobungei Gakkai) in 1977 and was its first president.[5] Seki understood German and translated two works of folktales from German to Japanese, Kaarle Krohn's Die folkloristische Arbeitsmethode (Folklore Methodology, 1926) and Aarne's Vergleichende Märchenforschung (Comparative Studies of Folklore, 1908).[5]
Research and Hypotheses
Keigo Seki's research was on how folklore came to Japan and if some folktales had been imported to Japan from countries such as India and China.[5] Seki's second hypothesis was that folktales should be examined to understand their impact on ordinary events and are to help people in their daily lives.[6] Seki also thought that there was a universal element to folktales and that they are not based on particular ethnic groups.[6]
Major works
- Script error: No such module "Nihongo".
- Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Categorization
In “Types of Japanese Folktales.” Asian Folklore Studies, vol. 25, 1966, Keigo Seki details his own categorization system for folktales, but it did not catch on and the Aarne-Thompson system prevailed. Seki's new categorization method was named “Nihon mukashibanashi no kata”.[2] Seki's system had Japanese folktales divided into in the following 18 categories:[7]
- Origin of Animals
- Folktales 1-30
- Animal Tales
- Man and Animal
- Escape from Ogre
- Folktales 31-74
- Stupid Animals
- Folktales 87-118
- Grateful Animals
- Folktales 119-132
- Escape from Ogre
- Supernatural Wives and Husbands
- Supernatural Husbands
- Folktales 133-140
- Supernatural Wives
- Folktales 141-150
- Supernatural Husbands
- Supernatural Birth
- Folktales 151-165
- Man and Waterspirit
- Folktales 166-170
- Magic Objects
- Folktales 171-182
- Tales of Fate
- Folktales 183-188
- Human Marriage
- Folktales 189-200
- Acquisition of Riches
- Folktales 201-209
- Conflicts
- Parent and Child
- Folktales 210-223
- Brothers (or Sisters)
- Folktales 224-233
- Neighbors
- Folktales 234-262
- Parent and Child
- The Clever Man
- Folktales 254-262
- Jokes
- Folktales 263-308
- Contests
- Folktales 309-326
- Osho and Kozo
- Folktales 327-344
- Lucky Accidents
- Folktales 345-356
- Fools and Numskulls
- Fools
- Folktales 357-385
- Blunderers
- Folktales 386-399
- Village of Numskulls
- Folktales 400-417
- Foolish Son-in-Law
- Folktales 418-441
- Foolish Daughter-in-Law
- Folktales 442-452
- Fools
- Formula Tales
- Folktales 453-457
References
- Citations
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Enzyclopädie des Märchens" (2007), de Gruyter, p. 541
- ↑ a b c d e Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Bibliography
<templatestyles src="Refbegin/styles.css" />
- Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".