Uji Dainagon Monogatari facts for kids
The Uji Dainagon Monogatari (pronounced "Oo-jee Dye-nah-gon Moh-noh-gah-tah-ree") was a collection of stories from ancient Japan. People believe it was written by a person named Minamoto no Takakuni during the late Heian period. This was a time in Japanese history from 794 to 1185.
Even though the book itself is now lost, its stories were very important. They greatly influenced other Japanese writings, like the Konjaku Monogatarishū and the Uji Shūi Monogatari. These later collections included many tales that likely came from the Uji Dainagon Monogatari.
We don't know the exact year the book was written. However, clues in the preface of the Uji Shūi Monogatari suggest it was created sometime after the year 1052 and before 1077. Sadly, the original book no longer exists today.
What Was the Uji Dainagon Monogatari?
Even though the book is gone, we know about it because other old stories mention it. The full name of the book sometimes changed. Here are some of the ways it was called:
- Uji Dainagon Monogatari (宇治大納言物語)
- Uji Dainagon Takakuni Kyou Monogatari (宇治大納言隆国卿物語)
- Uji Dainagon Takakuni no Monogatari (宇治大納言隆国ノ物語)
- Uji Monogatari (宇治物語)
- Uji Dainagon Takakuni (宇治大納言隆国)
- Dainagon Monogatari (大納言物語)
What Kinds of Stories Were Inside?
Since the book is lost, we can only guess at its exact contents. But, according to the preface of the Uji Shūi Monogatari, the Uji Dainagon Monogatari contained many different tales. These stories came from places like India, China, and Japan.
Other old writings tell us that the stories were a mix of religious and everyday topics. Some tales were about Buddhism and ideas like karma (the idea that your actions in this life affect your future). There were also stories about amazing miracles, beautiful poetry, and even funny, humorous tales.
