【Abstract】 A study of Empress Jingū in Japanese literatures of acient times The legend of Empress Jingū was presented for the first time in 「The annals of Emperor Chūai」 of 『Kojiki(古事記)』 which was published in 71... 【Abstract】 A study of Empress Jingū in Japanese literatures of acient times The legend of Empress Jingū was presented for the first time in 「The annals of Emperor Chūai」 of 『Kojiki(古事記)』 which was published in 712. Afterwards, the legend was presented in 「The annals of Emperor Chūai」and 「The annals of Empress Jingū」 of 『Nihonshoki(日本書紀)』 in 720 and 「Harima Province(幡磨國)」․「Hizen Province(肥前國)」․「Hitachi Province(常陸國)」 of 『Fudoki(風土記)』 and surviving fragments of 『Fudoki(風土記)』 in 713. The formation of three literatures was backgrounded by Japanese people's long-cherished desire of completing a nation with a political system based on the State a mandate system. The most important purpose of those literatures was to notify to foreign countries like China in particular that Japan was an independent country from China and it was a country with the Emperor system. The legend of Empress Jingū expressed those political intentions well. All achievements of Empress Jingū could be understood as achievements of Emperor Ōjin who was conceived by her if the legend was a myth to verify the sovereign right of Emperor Ōjin. He achieved his goals of justifying his enthronement as an Emperor through an oracle, conquering Silla, subjugating Samhan(Silla, Paekche, Koguryo of acient times) and eliminating his domestic political opponents as a prince who was conceived by Empress Jingū. The legend of Empress Jingū in 『Kojiki(古事記)』, 『Nihonshoki(日本書紀)』 and 『Fudoki(風土記)』 fully followed the basic composition mentioned above. However, 「The annals of Empress Jingū」 of 『Nihonshoki(日本書紀)』 which had a character of an official history for foreign countries added articles on negotiations with countries such as Silla․Paekche․the Gaya confederacy. Particularly, these records were written in a chronological order. Also, they quoted 『Samkukgu Tongyjeon(三國志 魏志東夷伝)』․「Jinkikyochū(晉紀居住)」 which were history books of China and 『Paekcheki(百濟記)』to highlight the reality of those events. Undoubtedly, those records did not exist in 『Samguksagi(三國史記)』 of Korea that recorded the same age. They were issues of debate between scholars of Korea and Japan. The legend of Empress Jingū received attention because of its genealogical characteristics.『Kojiki(古事記)』and 『Nihonshoki(日本書紀)』recorded that an ancestor of Empress Jingū was ‘Amenohiboko’ who came from Silla and the genealogy was connected to her son Emperor Ōjin. However, perspectives on ‘Amenohiboko’ on those two literatures were considerably different. 『Kojiki(古事記)』introduced the genealogy of ‘Amenohiboko’ which was continued to Emperor Ōjin through 「The annals of Emperor Ōjin」. However, 「The annals of Emperor Suinin」 of 『Nihonshoki(日本書紀)』 did not introduce it as far as Emperor Ōjin and introduced only up to ‘Tajimamori(田道間守)’ who was the fourth generation and ‘Kiyohiko(淸彦)’ who was the second generation. Regardless of the authenticity of the genealogy, the genealogy in 「The annals of Emperor Ōjin」proved that Emperor Ōjin needed people from overseas who had advanced culture and technology to establish the Emperor system with centralization of power. The advanced civilization was introduced through ‘sacred treasures(神寶)’ on the legend of ‘Amenohiboko’. 「The annals of Emperor Suinin」 of 『Nihonshoki(日本書紀)』 considered the genealogy of ‘Amenohiboko’ as a disadvantage because of the notion of considering other countries as uncivilized. In this manner, political intentions on two literatures were contrary to each other. 『Fudoki(風土記) did not have local legends that proved that ‘Amenohiboko’ was a blood relative of Emperor Ōjin. However, legends of Empress Jingū, Emperor Ōjin, and ‘Amenohiboko’ were appeared in common for regions such as Harima Province and it proved that three legends were organically connected. Japan tried to overcome military and political inferiority because of China's cultural influence in Asia, import of products of civilization from Baekje, inferiority in strength to Silla through the legend of Empress Jingū. Those notions were expressed through the legend of Empress Jingū. The legend about ‘the oracle’, ‘the prince who was conceived by Empress Jingū.’, ‘The conquest of Silla’, ‘The subjugation of Samhan’ were remembered in every time of crisis to console Japanese people until these days.
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