Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904) was a man between cultures -- quite a few of them, in fact. His father was Irish, but his mother was a Greek noblewoman. The one thing they had in common, apparently, was a fanatical devotion to Roman Catholicism; the one thing their son felt most strongly was an aversion to it. After an acrimonious separation, Lafcadio was packed off to Ireland to live with a series of relatives, each of whom abandoned his care to another; eventually he was sent off to a Catholic boarding school and later to a seminary, both of which only hardened his feelings. Hearn, as soon as he could, left for America, where he supported himself as a journalist, first in Cincinnati, then in New Orleans. From there, he went as a foreign correspondent, initially in the French West Indies and then in Japan. He was 40 years old when he arrived, and would only live to be 54, and yet it was in Japan that he made an international name for himself; he obtained a teaching job,
married the daughter of a local samurai, and learned Japanese, which he came to speak fluently. His collections of Japanese stories, among which
Kwaidan is the best known, have remained in print ever since; in 1965, three stories from this book were adapted by
Masaki Kobayashi in his film
Kwaidan. His life was also the basis for a play, "The Dream of a Summer Day," which toured Ireland in 2005.
Western audiences have always enjoyed tales of ghosts and, as Hearn calls them, "strange things." The Japanese settings of Hearn's tales have led some to accuse him of exoticizing Japanese culture, but these same stories have gained and retained popularity in Hearn's adopted homeland. The best of them have elements which appeal across cultures, and among them, the tales in
Kwaidan rank among the finest tales of terror this side of Edgar Alan Poe.
I honestly found this reading of Hoichi the ear less to be quite interesting. I've heard about the Japanese culture having unique stories many that date way back, but I've never personally read a scripture. I liked the fact that through out the reading you got a great vivid description of the surroundings of Hoichi . It helped me envision what the exact atmosphere was like.I also have never heard of a biwa so that was something interesting to learn about. I found the part when the priest and his acolyte stripped Hoichi down and wrote the ancient scriptures upon his body very interesting. I honestly enjoyed the plot turn where it seems as if his whole body is safe from the bewitching and then all that are visible were his ears. Overall I enjoyed reading this short story. It was a nice eye opener to the the different concept of literature other than what we are use to.
ReplyDeleteEdward Cummins
ReplyDeleteIn freshman year of college a few years ago, I explicitly remember the Freshman Writing 100 course I took in the summer and part of the requirements were to read multiple versions of the very famous Cinderella story. These renditions of the story included that from Native American descent, the Brothers Grimm, the Disney version etc. It is just very interesting to read the works of an author from European descent interpreting Japanese folklore so seamlessly. The melting pot of cultures that he has been exposed to makes reading these stories a very different experience. I understand the criticisms towards Hearn’s exoticizing of the stories. He has been a part of so many different and unique societies and traditions. Joining and immersing himself in the Japanese culture became a muse to develop his writing success. This is the only version that I read of these stories so I have nothing to base them off of.
I find it interesting the theme of spirits very apparent in both provided scare tactics but to no avail. The protagonists of both stories defied the demands of both spirits despite their warnings. Both versions were very well written and captivated me from start to finish with the very detailed descriptions yet they were both short and to the point.
Emily West
ReplyDelete“Hoichi the Earless” was an overall great story! I do not recall ever reading a story based off of Japanese culture, so this was very interesting. I enjoyed how Hearn described the atmosphere throughout the story as it enabled me to create a vivid image of what was occurring. In the story, there were things I was unfamiliar with and had to look up, such as a biwa. I found that a biwa is a Japanese short-necked fretted lute. “Hooch the Earless” was very interesting and taught me several new things.
Hoichi-The-Earless is an interesting story that shows a different side to spiritual beings than that of malevolence. The spirit, or servant, who comes to Hoichi and asks him to recite the story of a battle, is simply following orders from his master. Once hoichi is blessed, the only piece of him that isn't blessed (his ears) seem to be what the servant takes back in order to "obey orders" and not dishonor himself.
ReplyDeleteIt's an interesting take on stereotypical Japanese culture, where we see honor above all else, such as with the act of Seppuku, The 47 Ronin, or any "Masterless Samurai", where a warrior would value honor over their life.
In a way, this humanizes the spirit, and shows how his values in life have reflected in his death. Overall, I truly liked this story and enjoyed reading it.
I enjoyed reading the story of Mimi-Nashi-Hoichi. I though it to be sensitive and respectful of the Japan’s history and culture. The style of writing is beautiful yet very simple and straightforward, fully engaging the imagination with the least number of words. I think this artful simplicity allows the reader to infer a deeper meaning without slanting toward eastern exoticism as was custom among English and American writers of Victorian Era literature. I am not an expert in this area by any means, but I would have no reason to suspect this was not a translation of a native Japanese story teller, because I didn’t perceive any attempt by the writer to be fashionable. I think the lives of the majority of immigrants are a dialectic between the challenges of fitting into a new culture and staying attached to that which they left behind. But it seems like Hearn was more inspired by the possibility for innovative expression of Japan’s existing culture and mythology than the need to portray them through a western lens, probably due to his resentment of Catholic and colonialist conventions.
ReplyDeleteAnthony Maselli
DeleteCaitlynne McSweeney
ReplyDeleteHoichi the earless was a very interesting story. This Japanese story taught me a few things about the culture and I enjoyed the part where the priest suspects something off with Hoichi and sends servants to watch where his goes, when they discover that he is in great danger. What had surprised me was when they wrote the Hannya-Shin-Kyo over his body except his ears that later they got ripped off from the side of his head. I was able to imagine how they story had happened.
Wow, what a powerful and emotional story! I was instantly connected to the story, as a Newport native who grew up hearing stories of slain and hung sailors and revolutionaries, whose spirits still haunt the waters (people even often see glowing orbs hovering on the shoreline at dusk). So many stories of spirit-realm connection happen around water. I was struck by the common thread seen in stories of many cultures of people who are able to move between the worlds of the living and the dead. I’ve heard of strong connections and powerful demands and commands from the other side, but never if spirits seeking to kill I was also struck by the storyline of leaving bed at night to go on these adventures, happening in another realm. Peter Pan and A Christmas Story come to mind. The scene when the servants found Hiochi in the cemetery evoked a strong emotional response in me. I felt deep empathy and heartache for him.
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ReplyDeleteHoichi was a little tough to read. whoever the movie helped to reiterate some of the story. (put it all together). what I don't know is why they would mark all of Hoichi's body with scripture but not his ears. I wonder if this was done as some form of punishment for him leaving his quarters in the middle of the night. I also wonder if maybe these earth bound spirits had no idea that they were deceased.
ReplyDeleteone more thing sometimes you read a book and then watch the movie and the two don't really match or they take things out. this movie HOichi and the book matched perfectly. everything was done to the T
ReplyDeleteThese are truly ghost stories. The Asian culture has deep and unwavering reverence for their ancestors. Both Hoichi and Yuki-Onna are stories that test the main character with this faith. Hoichi and Minokichi were warned not to divulge their experiences or face dire consequences. Hiochi paid a physical price, not for his own betrayal, but for the betrayal on behalf of his priest. Minokichi lived with the constant threat of the death of his children. SMSteere 6/28/18 11:19
ReplyDeleteYoki_Onna (the woman of snow) was a very interesting read. easier than Hoichi. it was interesting in the sense that two people can meet in the middle of a storm and then find each other again a few years later. He knew she resembled someone he had met but could not put two and two together. oh well guess he learned the lesson the hard way
ReplyDeleteI find when things are translated over it sometimes loses its value in a way. The language translation can cause the story to be a bit confusing. Overall, I enjoyed the shorter tales than the lengthy ones. When I first heard of these Japanese ghost stories it made me think of the horror film shutter. Where a photographer is haunted by a woman in photos. These stories are an interesting glimps into another culture and their tales. I find similarities such as death, ghosts and hauntings to be universal in horror stories across any culture.
ReplyDelete-- Erika M
I preferred the "woman of snow" story over the story about Hoichi, as it was an easier read. I thought that the story was fairly predictable, as I correctly assumed that Minokichi's wife was the ghost woman that killed his mentor during the snowstorm. However, I was surprised by the ending because I assumed that she was going to kill Minokichi as she had promised him during their first meeting.
ReplyDeleteHoichi was an interesting read. For me it was a little tough to follow and to understand the story. But I can only imagine what it is like to be such a beautiful musician that ghostly samurai's request your presence and then you an no longer hear your own music.
ReplyDeleteYuki-Onna was a pretty chilling and mysterious story. The fact that it is never explained exactly what she is why she did what she did kind of bothered me, but I suppose it also adds to the mysteriousness of it. I would have loved if he had added in a ghost story within the ghost story of what kind of creature she was though to give more context.
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