Rebulto ni lady murasaki shikibu biography meaning

Potrait of Murasaki Shikibu by Kano Takanobu According to the rules of Japanese court manners one thousand years ago, it was not considered polite to address people by their personal names.  Thus, the real name of the woman who wrote what is judged to be the very first novel was not recorded, (as was common for a daughter) and is unknown.

The writer who has come to be known as Murasaki Shikibu was born into an influential and cultured family, her father was a provincial governor and her male relatives held positions in the imperial government.  Murasaki was educated at home and reputedly learned Chinese by listening outside the door while her father taught her brother.

She married at about the age of twenty but her husband died soon after, leaving her with a daughter. She then lived quietly for some years.

In 1004 Murasaki entered the service of the Empress Akik