Simbolika sablje u Yoshikawinom romanu Musashi

In his masterpiece Musashi (1935), the author Eiji Yoshikawa depicts the birth of an ingenious swordsman and his spiritual evolution towards the final awakening (satori). While constructing the character of Miyamoto Musashi, Yoshikawa uses the elements of Zen Buddhist philosophy and describes Musash...

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Main Authors: Jasna Poljak Rehlicki, Hrvoje Lepeduš
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Zadar 2018-06-01
Series:[sic]
Online Access:http://www.sic-journal.org/ArticleView.aspx?aid=496
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author Jasna Poljak Rehlicki
Hrvoje Lepeduš
author_facet Jasna Poljak Rehlicki
Hrvoje Lepeduš
author_sort Jasna Poljak Rehlicki
collection DOAJ
description In his masterpiece Musashi (1935), the author Eiji Yoshikawa depicts the birth of an ingenious swordsman and his spiritual evolution towards the final awakening (satori). While constructing the character of Miyamoto Musashi, Yoshikawa uses the elements of Zen Buddhist philosophy and describes Musashi's progress on his way of enlightenment through a series of direct personal insights (kensho) that precede satori. The paper aims to discuss and analyze Musashi's use of different types of swords that metaphorically suggest his personal and spiritual transformation from an untamed and uncultivated person to his ultimate enlightenment. Initially, Musashi fights with a wooden sword (bokken), which symbolizes his animalistic, rampant nature. As he progresses on the way of enlightenment, Musashi embraces the steel sword (katana), though he still uses bokken at times. The struggle between his wild and civilized nature culminates at the moment of kensho, when he starts fighting with two steel swords, which represents a true evolution that elevates him to the level of the Nietzschean Übermensch. The final birth of Musashi as a Rinzaian “man of no rank” is the moment of his ultimate awakening, symbolically depicted when he again reaches for the wooden sword. This act unmasks his true Buddhist nature, thus suggesting Musashi's return to “oneself.”
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spelling doaj.art-f70f52ab00d94364a52a8a5c15b383202023-12-23T21:42:24ZengUniversity of Zadar[sic]1847-77552018-06-018210.15291/sic/2.8.lc.3496Simbolika sablje u Yoshikawinom romanu MusashiJasna Poljak RehlickiHrvoje LepedušIn his masterpiece Musashi (1935), the author Eiji Yoshikawa depicts the birth of an ingenious swordsman and his spiritual evolution towards the final awakening (satori). While constructing the character of Miyamoto Musashi, Yoshikawa uses the elements of Zen Buddhist philosophy and describes Musashi's progress on his way of enlightenment through a series of direct personal insights (kensho) that precede satori. The paper aims to discuss and analyze Musashi's use of different types of swords that metaphorically suggest his personal and spiritual transformation from an untamed and uncultivated person to his ultimate enlightenment. Initially, Musashi fights with a wooden sword (bokken), which symbolizes his animalistic, rampant nature. As he progresses on the way of enlightenment, Musashi embraces the steel sword (katana), though he still uses bokken at times. The struggle between his wild and civilized nature culminates at the moment of kensho, when he starts fighting with two steel swords, which represents a true evolution that elevates him to the level of the Nietzschean Übermensch. The final birth of Musashi as a Rinzaian “man of no rank” is the moment of his ultimate awakening, symbolically depicted when he again reaches for the wooden sword. This act unmasks his true Buddhist nature, thus suggesting Musashi's return to “oneself.”http://www.sic-journal.org/ArticleView.aspx?aid=496
spellingShingle Jasna Poljak Rehlicki
Hrvoje Lepeduš
Simbolika sablje u Yoshikawinom romanu Musashi
[sic]
title Simbolika sablje u Yoshikawinom romanu Musashi
title_full Simbolika sablje u Yoshikawinom romanu Musashi
title_fullStr Simbolika sablje u Yoshikawinom romanu Musashi
title_full_unstemmed Simbolika sablje u Yoshikawinom romanu Musashi
title_short Simbolika sablje u Yoshikawinom romanu Musashi
title_sort simbolika sablje u yoshikawinom romanu musashi
url http://www.sic-journal.org/ArticleView.aspx?aid=496
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AT hrvojelepedus simbolikasabljeuyoshikawinomromanumusashi