Review of Heian Era of Japan Histories Review on Marriage During Heian Era

C. Review of Heian Era of Japan Histories

There is certain circumstance that gives specification to this research. It is mentioned in one of the related studies above. The circumstance that gives specific topic for the writer is the setting of the novel which refers to certain period of time of Japan Nation. For that reason, a reference about its history is needed to be presented in this research. To help the explanations on the era of Japan that bounding the novel, the writer uses a book titled as A History of Japan to 1334 which is written by George Sansom. In the book, he gives explanation about his historical study about the growth of Japanese civilization chiefly in its political and social terms. He provides the reader much information about the history of Japanese civilization, from its early years to year 1334. The chapter in this book is organized, based on the period of each era occurs in Japan. Much information like the topographical of the Capital, the political interest, the people who rule the land and the society of each era with its interest of beauty and belief are well organized in each chapter. Not all of chapter consist in the book are used to conduct the writer‟s research. The writer used only some topic related to the research which explains about the history of Japan in Heian era described in its sixth chapter. One of the major even brought out is about a clan called The Fujiwara who built their clan bigger and wider by penetrating the court with those people of Fujiwara clan. “The Fujiwara family continued to pursue its policy of gaining political power by providing Fujiwara ladies as imperial consort or concu bines…” Sansom, 1979: 102. They are gaining political power support through political marriage which automatically conducting their clan to control the flow of the court‟s politics.

D. Review on Marriage During Heian Era

During Heian era, there are some aspects that make this era looks like a period that has unique culture. Part of the culture that is also influential in this period, to be a unique one is its marriage. According to Ivan Morris, “courting and marriage costumes differed according to the particular degree of relationship principal wife, concubine, etc. it is nevertheless possible to formulate a general pattern that had been adopted by the upper classes in Murasaki‟s time” Morris, 1964: 214. The man in the court especially the descendant of the imperial family can have more than one wife. When the court‟s aristocrat fall in love with a woman from a low rank and her rank is not worthy enough to be an official wife, then she will be placed as a concubine. Out of those statuses, man‟s relationship with woman is counted as an affair that later in the analysis some of the relationship will be seen as a part of a ceremonial even that shall be done far before the marriage ceremonial even. Related to flourishing literature in this era, a concept of marriage that exists in this time gives some contribution in the literature development where women‟s writing is dominant in some moment during Heian era. Like what Morris stated: According to some writers, the exclusion of women from all public affairs, combine with the prevailing system of polygamy, gave them an immense amount of free time that they could devote to literary pursuits, whereas men were too busy with their official duties and with satisfying the demand of their numerous Wives and mistresses. Morris, 1964: 200 The one that actually shall do the diary writing is the man. However due to the situation that mentioned in the quotation above, women can fill their leisure time to make a writing which in Japanese it is called as nikki, means diary.

E. Theoretical Framework