Tales of Old Japan Large Print Edition By Baron Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford Cornell University Library (2009), 478 pages Genre: Folktales, Literature

Reviewed by Israel Drazin - January 3, 2011

This series of 28 tales and 4 sermons was first published in 1871 by Freeman-Mitford (1837-1916). The volume includes an appendix that discusses Japanese customs, such as hare-keri, marriage ceremonies, births, rearing children, and funeral rites. The most famous tale is The Forty-seven Ronins, which recounts the adventure of the 47, the 48 graves, revenge, and honor.

An official insults a lord and he tries to kill him to revenge the insult. The lord is sentenced for his attempted murder. He has to commit suicide, his family is deprived of all of their property, and his 47 retainers are reduced from Samurai to the Ronin status. The 47 decide to take revenge for their lord's death by killing the official who insulted their lord. The story tells how they succeed, are punished by needing to commit suicide, how they receive a noble burial because of their illegal but noble act, and how another man kills himself and is buried in the 48^th grave.

The author writes that this is a true story. He saw the graves and the documents that describe the events.

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