Monsters, Animals, and Other Worlds is a collection of twenty-five
medieval Japanese tales of border crossings and the fantastic, featuring
demons, samurai, talking animals, amorous plants, and journeys to
supernatural realms. The most comprehensive compendium of short medieval
Japanese fiction in English, Monsters, Animals, and Other Worlds
illuminates a rich world of literary, Buddhist, and visual culture
largely unknown today outside of Japan.
These stories, called otogizōshi, or Muromachi tales (named after the
Muromachi period, 1337 to 1573), date from approximately the fourteenth
through seventeenth centuries. Often richly illustrated in a
painted-scroll format, these vernacular stories frequently express
Buddhist beliefs and provide the practical knowledge and moral education
required to navigate medieval Japanese society. The otogizōshi
represent a major turning point in the history of Japanese literature.
They bring together many earlier types of narrative--court tales,
military accounts, anecdotes, and stories about the divine origins of
shrines and temples--joining book genres with parlor arts and the
culture of itinerant storytellers and performers. The works presented
here are organized into three thematically overlapping sections titled,
"Monsters, Warriors, and Journeys to Other Worlds," "Buddhist Tales,"
and "Interspecies Affairs." Each translation is prefaced by a short
introduction, and the book features images from the original scroll
paintings, illustrated manuscripts, and printed books.
