22. Tamakatsura / The Jeweled Chaplet(玉鬘)
Passage
"With unabated longing I sought the other. What lines have drawn me to the jeweled chaplet?"
A poem by Genji. Translated by Seidensticker.
Guided by a line of fate, Yugao's daughter appears to Genji.
Summary
Yugao's daughter, Tamakazura. When she was young, adoptive father brought her to Kyushu. After the death of father, she is courted by a local powerful person. She runs away from suitor and goes to Kyoto. But she is destitute because she has no protector. She makes a pilgrimage to Hase-Temple(Nara), seeking help from God.
During the pilgrimage, Tamakazura meets Ukon. She was Yugao's handmaiden, now serves Genji. Upon hearing Ukon's report, Genji became Tamakazura's protector.
Comment
From this chapter, we will enter "10 Chapter of Tamakazura". She is of noble origin, but she is in danger. Eventually, she was saved by Divine providence. It's the archetype of a story, like Star Wars.
On the one hand, the portrayal of local powerful people is realistic. He is rude, pushy, and snob. Readers laugh at him. And worries about Tamakazura's fate.
