Murasaki Shikibu

Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Murasaki Shikibu

Role / Field:

Master novelist of the Heian period, author of the seminal work, The Tale of Genji.

Born:

970

Died:

1100

Century / Era:

970s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Murasaki Shikibu (紫式部; [mɯ.ɾa.sa.kʲi ɕi̥.kiꜜ.bɯ, -ɕi̥ꜜ.kʲi-], c. 973 – c. 1014 or 1025), or Shijo (紫女; [ɕiꜜ.(d)ʑo], lit. 'Lady Murasaki'), was a Japanese novelist, poet and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial court in the Heian period. She was best known as the author of The Tale of Genji, widely considered to be one of the world's first novels, written in Japanese between about 1000 and 1012. Murasaki Shikibu is a descriptive name; her personal name is unknown, but she may have been Fujiwara no Kaoruko (藤原香子), who was mentioned in a 1007 court diary as an imperial lady-in-waiting. Heian women were traditionally excluded from learning Chinese, the written language of government, but Murasaki, raised in her erudite father's household, showed a precocious aptitude for the Chinese classics and managed to acquire fluency.

Career & Major Achievements

She married in her mid-to-late twenties and gave birth to a daughter, Daini no Sanmi. Her husband died after two years of marriage. It is uncertain when she began to write The Tale of Genji, but it was probably while she was married or shortly after she was widowed. In about 1005, she was invited to serve as a lady-in-waiting to Empress Shōshi at the Imperial court by Fujiwara no Michinaga, probably because of her reputation as a writer. She continued to write during her service, adding scenes from court life to her work.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

After five or six years, she left court and retired with Shōshi to the Lake Biwa region. Scholars differ on the year of her death; although most agree on 1014, others have suggested she was alive in 1025. Murasaki wrote The Diary of Lady Murasaki; a volume of poetry; as well as The Tale of Genji. Within a decade of its completion, Genji was distributed throughout the provinces; within a century it was recognized as a classic of Japanese literature and had become a subject of scholarly criticism. Between 1925 and 1933, The Tale of Genji was published in English.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 970: Birth of Murasaki Shikibu — Master novelist of the Heian period, author of the seminal work, The Tale of Genji.
2. 1000: 1000 Milestone — She was best known as the author of The Tale of Genji, widely considered to be one of the world's first novels, written in Japanese between about 1000 and 1012.
3. 1005: 1005 Milestone — In about 1005, she was invited to serve as a lady-in-waiting to Empress Shōshi at the Imperial court by Fujiwara no Michinaga, probably because of her reputation as a writer.
4. 1007: 1007 Milestone — Murasaki Shikibu is a descriptive name; her personal name is unknown, but she may have been Fujiwara no Kaoruko (藤原香子), who was mentioned in a 1007 court diary as an imperial lady-in-waiting.
5. 1014: 1014 Milestone — Scholars differ on the year of her death; although most agree on 1014, others have suggested she was alive in 1025.
6. 1100: Passing & Historical Legacy — Murasaki Shikibu passed away on 1100, leaving an enduring historical legacy.
7. 1925: 1925 Milestone — Between 1925 and 1933, The Tale of Genji was published in English.

Notable Quotes by Murasaki Shikibu

“When my brother ... was a young boy learning the Chinese classics, I was in the habit of listening to him and I became unusually proficient at understanding those passages that he found too difficult to understand and memorize.”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Murasaki Shikibu

True or False: “Murasaki Shikibu's personal name is definitively known from surviving court records.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Her personal name is unknown; while Fujiwara no Kaoruko is mentioned in a 1007 diary entry as a possible identity.

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• 970 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 970
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Frequently Asked Questions about Murasaki Shikibu