The Tale of Princess Kaguya

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The Tale of Princess Kaguya (or The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter)

Author: Brittany Blagburn.

Introduction

Princess Kaguya is discovered as an infant within a stalk of bamboo by an elderly bamboo cutter and taken home to be raised by the man and his wife. She grows up at an extremely fast fate and becomes very beautiful. Her ethereal beauty attracts the attention of many who wish to marry her. A group of suitors convince Princess Kaguya's father to let them vie for her hand in marriage. Princess Kaguya has no desire to marry any of the men so she assigns each suitor a task that must be completed before she will marry any of them. Additionally, the tale has two different endings.

The origins of Princess Kaguya's tale (also known as The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter) are unknown, however, there are several seventh century courtiers who have been identified as potential inspiration for Princess Kaguya's five suitors. Her story has been around since at least the publication of The Tale of Genji in due to the fact that there is a mention of Taketori monogatari (The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter) in chapter seventeen. The most accepted date range for the tale is anywhere between the eight and tenth centuries.

Questions

In what ways could the Tale of Princess Kaguya be classified as science fiction?

What aspects of the tale place it during the Heian period?

How are folktales, such as the Tale of Princess Kaguya, different from published works?

What is the significance of each suitor's assigned task?

Which ending seems to fit the story and Heian themes the best? Why?

The Text

An illustrated version of the Tale of Princess Kaguya in English translation (audio and text) can be found at: https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/72/japanese-fairy-tales/4834/the-bamboo-cutter-and-the-moon-child/