Bibliograph

The monkey as mirror, symbolic transformations in Japanese history and ritual, Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney

Type

Label

The monkey as mirror, symbolic transformations in Japanese history and ritual, Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney

Language

eng

Index

no index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

The monkey as mirror

Medium

electronic resource

Nature of contents

dictionaries

Responsibility statement

Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney

Sub title

symbolic transformations in Japanese history and ritual

Summary

This tripartite study of the monkey metaphor, the monkey performance, and the 'special status' people traces changes in Japanese culture from the eighth century to the present. During early periods of Japanese history the monkey's nearness to the human-animal boundary made it a revered mediator or an animal deity closest to humans. Later it became a scapegoat mocked for its vain efforts to behave in a human fashion. Modern Japanese have begun to see a new meaning in the monkey--a clown who turns itself into an object of laughter while challenging the basic assumptions of Japanese culture and society

Target audience

adult

Classification