In the history of the world, different civilizations have flourished over time. These civilizations were the root of various cultures, traditions, and beliefs. However, most of them are already gone due to changing times. This paper highlights three different civilizations: Medieval Japan, Medieval Mali, and Classical Maya. The resources used in this paper are The Tale of Genji written by Lady Murasaki, Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali written by D.T. Niane and Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of Maya written by Allen J. Christenson. These books are the best sources available for analyzing the three civilizations in terms of their religious theory and practice, gender relations, and family values.
The Tale of Genji is a classic novel from Japan written by Lady Murasaki in the 11th century. The novel discusses the life of Genji, a son of an Emperor from one of his Intimates” or other women. As described by the author, Genji was blessed with charm and beauty that captivated women due to his influence, power, and skills. The book thoroughly describes his many exciting adventures while facing daily life and trials. Furthermore, the literature presents Japan’s culture regarding women’s role in society and social hierarchy.
The book Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali,” written by D.T. Niane, is a compilation of works that reflect the ancient world and culture of West Africa. Niane’s literature narrates the epic story of the formation of the Malian Empire, with Sundiata as its main character around whom the story revolves. Each chapter presents Sundiata’s power and might in his adventures. The epic showcases various aspects of African culture, including women’s social strata, African society before European invasion, and West African sorcery.
The last book is Popol Vuh: Sacred Book of the Mayans,” written by Allen J. Christenson. It is a translated version of the Mayan community’s book, which was originally written in the classic dialect of the Mayans called Quiché. The book is a chronological text that the Mayans consider their most important literature because it contains their creation myth, which they accept as true. It also includes the story of the hero twins, Hunahpu and Xblanque.
The second half of the book discusses in detail the history and foundation of the Quiché Kingdom, which was ruled by a royal family believed to be selected by God. The book delves into life during that era and focuses on how religion played a significant role in people’s lives, especially in their government.
After discussing which books would be helpful in presenting the unique societies of different cultures, I will now categorize these societies based on the literature used. Lady Murasaki’s written work portrays Japan’s ancient world as filled with conservative cultures and traditions. In the epic Genji, a son of an Emperor and his beloved concubine Kiritsubo is seen as weak and fragile while growing up. Meanwhile, his mother was envied by the other wives of the Emperor because she was his favorite. Due to jealousy and rivalry in court, Genji’s mother suffered from illness and eventually died. As a result, Genji lacked power in court and was eventually demoted to commoner status by the emperor.
As Genji grew older, he became a handsome young man who could have any woman he desired. Throughout the novel, he encountered many women; however, scandalous rumors about his promiscuity spread throughout royal courts forcing him to leave capital life behind for Suma.
The Tale of Genji focuses on the values of family, tradition, power, and gender. Genji had royal blood, which automatically gave him responsibilities. Although the emperor converted him to a commoner, being within the royal family’s bloodline still tied Genji to royalty and brought scandals to the courts. It is evident that a person’s actions easily reflect on their family. In Japanese culture, it is essential to take care of one’s family’s pride and honor as ancestors did.
In Japanese culture, men hold the leadership roles, as evidenced by the positions and responsibilities held by male characters in the novel. Women are assigned husbands based on their perceived fit for the family and ability to maintain or increase social class and wealth. While women’s feelings are not considered important, they are expected to provide children, follow elders, and live quietly. Genji is involved with many women throughout the novel. In contrast to his attitude towards women, it is clear that men have complete freedom to have multiple sexual experiences without regard for emotional attachment. For men, sex does not necessarily imply emotional connection as it does for women.
The Emperor serves as another example of gender and social class inequality in Medieval Japan; he has multiple wives due to his position and gender while his wives cannot marry or have other husbands aside from him.
In the story written by D.T. Niane, Sundiata,” mythical characters are presented in Medieval Mali. Sundiata is known as the father of the Bright Country and has other names such as Maghan Sundiata, Mari-Djata, Sogolon Dhata, and more. He was the youngest of eleven brothers and is considered to be the first king of Mali. His mother was Sogolon Conde, his father’s second wife.
When Sundiata was born, he was crippled and often ridiculed by his father’s other wives. However, as he grew older, he became a leader among his peers. The jealousy of Nare’s co-wives led them to flee from their home to Mema—the only place they could find refuge.
The King of Mema recognized Sundiata’s bravery and assigned him great responsibilities.
As Sundiata grew older, he became stronger and eventually ruled the kingdom of Mali. During his reign, he gained power and military strength. In the following chapters, he engaged in battle with Sumanguru. Legend has it that both characters were sorcerers who used magic to determine the victor. Ultimately, Sundiata emerged victorious as Sumanguru fled upon seeing a black bird known as The bird of Kirina.” Later in the story, Sundiata utilized his magical powers to transform into Mansa – the emperor of Mali who controlled their agriculture and resources.
The Mayan Literature is a book that tells the story of the creation of the world through Mayan beliefs and culture. The writing focuses on mythological characters who represent their gods, as well as the first people in their society. Additionally, it explores the myth of the creation of everything on earth. Another significant part of this literature is dedicated to the Hero Twins, who fought and won battles. The following sections describe how people were created and how a sudden change in language caused confusion and division within society.
All three civilizations are geographically distant from each other. However, based on the literature of each civilization, it is apparent that the themes of their stories are very similar. In the Japanese Medieval epic Genji, when he was younger, he was weak and fragile. On the other hand, Sundiata was born with a deficiency because he was crippled. However, both of these main characters eventually changed. In some sense or in modern terminology they both had an overhaul” or “make-over” due to the drastic change they went through.
Although these two characters changed physically, the situation could be analyzed as something both cultures needed and hoped for at that moment – to be weak and then become strong afterwards. In connection to Classical Mali, the concept of weak and strong was also evident through continuous battles that The Hero Twins faced in order to defeat enemies and gain recognition and power.
All three civilizations see physical strength and power as essential factors for an individual to become a leader. However, if closely analyzed all these attributes are mostly characteristic of men.
The three stories used as literary basis for this paper clearly show that women are not seen as powerful because they do not have the attributes of men. Evidently, men are the lead characters in all these stories, and only small portions focus on the lives of women. In the Tale of Genji,” women are presented as sexual objects that a man could continually consume for his satisfaction or for the prosperity of their clan through the birth of children in their family. Obviously, during medieval times, women were not considered equal to men.
Family is one of the strongest values manifested in these stories. Although not all characters were close to their families, they were strongly influenced by the values their parents/guardians showed them. For example, Genji was intimate with many women just like his father. Sundiata had many characteristics, yet he still had a kind heart like his mother. Another value prevalent in the stories is companionship and unity, as seen in Popol Vuh and Sundiata. Sundiata was always with his people and surrounded by those who could help him in battle. In contrast, the twins had each other to fight their opponents.
Although there are similarities in literary works, differences between civilizations are also manifested. Most civilizations differ in their religious beliefs. The Classical Mayan culture presented a story of creation that illustrated their religious beliefs through idols and mythological characters. In contrast, Medieval Mali believes in the magical powers of their tribe due to the sorcery of Sundiata. The Classical Japanese did not focus too much on religion; instead, the story focuses on Japanese traditions and practices.
All of these civilizations may seem disconnected due to their differences in culture, language, and religious beliefs. However, the stories used for this analysis reveal that they have more similarities than differences. Mayan literature stands out because half of it is dedicated to the creation story of Classical Mayan. The Tale of Genji” and “Sundiata” share many similarities due to the historical background of their characters. While “The Tale of Genji” focuses on individuals rather than society, “Sundiata” emphasizes community over its lead character.
Works Cited
Christenson, A. J. (2007). Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Maya. Oaklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press.
Niane, D.T. (2006). Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali. Boston: Pearson Longman.
Murasaki L. S., The Tale of Genji. Singapore: Turtle Publishing, 2006.
