Carmen Blacker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carmen Blacker
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Blacker in 1961
|
|
| Born | 13 July 1924 Kensington, London, England
|
| Died | 13 July 2009 (aged 85) Cambridge, England
|
| Nationality | British |
| Education | School of Oriental and African Studies Somerville College, Oxford |
| Spouse(s) |
Michael Loewe
(m. 2002) |
Carmen Blacker was a brilliant British scholar who loved learning about Japan. She was known as a Japonologist, which means someone who studies Japan. Carmen taught Japanese at the famous University of Cambridge. She received special honors like the OBE and was a FBA. She was born on July 13, 1924, and passed away on her 85th birthday, July 13, 2009.
Contents
Her Early Life and Studies
Carmen Blacker was born in Kensington, London, in 1924. Her parents were Carlos Paton Blacker and Helen Maud Pilkington. She was very smart and started learning Japanese grammar by the time she was 12 years old!
In 1942, Carmen began studying at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London. During World War II, she was recruited to a secret place called Bletchley Park. This was where clever people worked to break enemy codes. Carmen didn't stay long, but she met an important scholar named Arthur Waley there. He studied Asian cultures, and he inspired her to learn Chinese in her free time. She also got Japanese lessons from a military general.
Studying Japanese Culture
After finishing her studies at SOAS in 1947, Carmen went to Somerville College, Oxford. In 1952, she made her first trip to Japan. She loved it so much that she started visiting every summer.
In 1955, she became a lecturer at the University of Cambridge. By 1958, she was a University Lecturer in Japanese Studies. During her summer trips to Japan, she studied Buddhism, a major religion. She even practiced zazen, a type of meditation.
Carmen also became very interested in shugendō, which is a traditional Japanese spiritual practice. It involves challenging physical and mental training in mountains.
Her Famous Book
Her most famous book, The Catalpa Bow: A Study of Shamanistic Practices in Japan, came out in 1975. It was based on her many visits to Japan and her own experiences. She even took part in some of the difficult spiritual practices herself, like Kaihōgyō (a long walking pilgrimage) and other forms of ascetic life (a life of strict self-discipline).
Achievements and Later Life
Carmen Blacker was recognized for her amazing work. In 1989, she was chosen as a Fellow of the British Academy. This is a very high honor for scholars. In 1998, she won the Minakata Kumagusu Prize, another important award.
She was also the President of The Folklore Society from 1982 to 1984. This society studies traditional stories, customs, and beliefs.
Carmen married her long-time partner, Michael Loewe, in 2002. He was also a scholar who studied Chinese culture. They had met many years earlier at Bletchley Park.
Carmen Blacker passed away in Cambridge on July 13, 2009, on her 85th birthday.
Her Books
Carmen Blacker wrote several important books about Japan:
- The Japanese Enlightenment: A Study of the Writings of Fukuzawa Yukichi, 1964
- The Catalpa Bow: A Study of Shamanistic Practices in Japan, published in 1975, 1986, and 1999
- Ancient Cosmologies, 1975
- Divination and Oracles, 1981
- The Straw Sandal, a translation of a novel by Santō Kyōden, 2008
About Her Life and Work
A book called Carmen Blacker, Scholar of Japanese Religion, Myth and Folklore: Writings and Reflections was published in 2017. It contains essays and thoughts about Carmen Blacker's life and her important contributions to understanding Japanese religion, myths, and folklore. It was edited by Hugh Cortazzi.
