Mark XXI - Part 12 Events (Vol. II)

漁宮 AND OTHER STORIES  - Matsumae, Nanbu, & Date Event:

From amongst the works of the furthest north, amongst the political thinkers and poets of the North, a heroic verse arises which tells of a mythical Fisher-Prince (漁宮). An excerpt is as follows:

“There is a kingdom
At the north end of the earth
Where kami still dwell.
In this Land, there is a Prince,
And this Prince, he is the Land.

He is named Twilight,
Joining mankind and kami
Like the day and night;
The wisest of the wisened,
The bravest of the bravened.

His realm is sacred;
He and his Kingdom are One
In fortune and pain.
When he prospers, the Land does;
When he falters, thus also.

The Prince once rode out
In performance of duty
And was struck gravely.
Many arrows pierced his heart
And his spirit was wounded.

Left barren and weak
Twilight dimmed – Prince and Kingdom
They could not be healed
Even by the wisest men
Or the kami most mighty.

The Prince alone sees:
The Knight of the Holy Grail
Who comes from the south;
This is the lone salvation
Of Twilight – Kingdom and Prince.

Thus Fisher-Prince sits –
For he is too hurt to search –
Until hero comes.
He has for him great Wisdom
And all the Truths of Heaven.

In the land up north
Where the wise kami dwell
The Fisher-Prince waits
He casts wide his fishing pole
Praying for the Cure-Hero.

This is but one tale (the most popular) which has spread across the North, all building upon older stories of those heroes and errant-warriors who partook in the sacred Imperial Quest of Go-Tsuchimikado when he was not yet doubted. Though not many participated, and even fewer succeeded, in the wake of a wider cultural revival, artists have searched for and found heroes of their own, and crafted stories such as these with them in order to extol noble virtues reflecting their local cultures.

The Matsumae often emphasise the artistry and artifact, as well as the common virtues – the defending of the poor, gentle, and downtrod, and the raising up of the weak; all reflecting their increasingly egalitarian societies. The Nanbu tend to focus upon the spiritual and the cosmological, recognising noble heroes as part of the natural order, performing virtues as natural results of their divine ordination, making virtuous the purity of the noble and the servile obedience of the peasant, both of whose reward is in the afterlife of the Pure Land. Finally, the Date recognise the human element, a Date prince of old having died as one of these heroes, permitting the present succession. Their stories are more fantastical and romantic, championing the triumph of love and peace, and the virtues of friendship, honesty, and fidelity (or sometimes infidelity).

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Matsumae:

Option 1: Reactionary hogwash! Aristocratic swill! We don’t want “noble” heroes, even if they perform virtuous deeds. Rewrite these stories with the commoners at the centre.
Option 2: This is the path to the future, idolise these virtues, and progressively nobles with join our cause.
Option 3: These stories remind us of the divine order: even in a democracy there are the heroes and the commonfolk, we must remember that.

Nanbu:

Option 1: Yes, emphasise the serfs and how they must stay on their turf. Pacify them with stories of the hereafter.
Option 2: Let us use these to remember the greater truths of our faiths, and give thanks to the divine for the sublime beauty of these works. We nobles must strive harder to be pure, and reflect these tales.
Option 3: This sounds like the wonderful basis for a new monument, we’ll get right to work on that!

Date:

Option 1: These stories remind us of Date Naomune, a hero. We will use his image to bolster our clan’s reputation, further endearing us to the people and increasing our prestige.
Option 2: Ah, chivalric romance! What deeds of derring-do, what marvellous bouts of errantry! How splendid and how fair! Let us revel in the drink and songs and let the meanings pass.
Option 3: This is propaganda by Big Moralism to get you to stop committing acts of stochastic violence which are worshipful in the eyes of the One True Tenrinjōō, the Master of Mount Meru! Oh, that was in verse – confound these accursed — DAMN IT!

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