Heroines of Jiangyong: Chinese Narrative Ballads in Women's Script - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 029598841X ISBN 13: 9780295988412

Publisher: University of Washington Press, 2009

Synopsis

Heroines of Jiangyong is the first English translation of a set of verse narratives recorded in the unique women's script (nushu) of rural Jiangyong County, Hunan, in southern China. This selection of Chinese folk literature provides a rare window into the everyday life of rural daughters, wives, and mothers, as they transmit valuable lessons about surviving in a patriarchal society that is often harsh and unforgiving. Featuring strong female protagonists, the ballads deal with moral issues, dangers women face outside the family home, and the difficulties of childbirth.

The women's script, which represents units of sound in the local Chinese dialect, was discovered by scholars in the late twentieth century, creating a stir in China and abroad. This volume offers a full translation of all the longer ballads in women's script, providing an exceptional opportunity to observe which specific narratives appealed to rural women in traditional China. The translations are preceded by a brief introduction to women's script and its scholarship, and a discussion of each of the twelve selections.

About this title

From the Publisher:

"The stories and songs translated here are gems of folk literatu. For the first time, Western readers will be able to appreciate some of the most popular stories composed in women's script and survey the kind of stories and songs enjoyed by these village women." - Anne McLaren, University of Melbourne

"Contributes to the study of Chinese literature, history, and society by filling the void of research on rural women in imperial China - a field grossly underexplored due to the lack of historical documentation." - Fei-wen Liu, Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica, Taipei

About the Author:

Wilt L. Idema is professor of Chinese literature at Harvard University. He is the translator of Meng Jiangnu Brings Down the Great Wall: Ten Versions of a Chinese Legend and the author (with Beata Grant) of The Red Brush: Writing Women of Imperial China.

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Washington Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 029598841X
• ISBN 13: 9780295988412
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192