In early medieval Japan, surnames or family names were uncommon, and often a daughter was identified by the title of her father or another powerful man in her life. Shikibu was the title of Murasaki's father, who served in the court of the Japanese emperor. This would be equivalent to a girl being called "doctor" or "lawyer." As for Murasaki, which means
Giovanni Boccaccio. Reproduced by permission of the Library of Congress.
Amuse themselves by telling 100 tales, mostly about love. What sets the Decameron apart from much of the literature that preceded it is its natural, everyday tone, which would later have a profound influence on Geoffrey Chaucer (see entry on English Scholars, Thinkers, and Writers).
Boccaccio himself seems to have considered the Decameron a work of little
Significance when compared to his many other writings both before and after the 1350s. It appears, however, that Boccaccio sometimes showed poor judgment and had trouble estimating the proper worth of something. He was not always wise in his choice of friends, for instance: he remained impressed with Niccolo Acciaiuoli (aht-chy-WOH-lee), who he had known from his early days in Naples, despite the fact that Acciaiuoli often let him down. The two often quarreled, yet Boccaccio remained dedicated to Acciaiuoli.
Boccaccio also had at least one falling-out with Petrarch, who he first met in September 1350; ultimately, however, the two giants of Italian literature patched up their differences. From the early 1360s, Boccaccio lived quietly in his hometown, Certaldo, where he devoted his time to friends, politics, and literature. Having produced numerous works other than the Decameron, including a biography of Dante, Boccaccio died four days before Christmas in 1375.
"purple," this was a complex pun of a type familiar in China and Japan, which at that time bore a heavy Chinese influence.
Purple is one of the colors of the wisteria flower, whose symbol in the Chinese system of writing made up the first syllable of the name Fujiwara ("wisteria plain.") Fujiwara was the name of the most powerful family in Japan, which
Since the mid-600s had been the real power behind the imperial throne. Through marriage and other alliances, the Fuji-wara—more of an extended clan than a mere family—had made their influence felt far and wide. Murasaki's father, Fuji-wara no Tametoki (tahm-uh-TOH-kee) belonged to a minor branch of the powerful clan, and his position as a low-ranking official reflected that fact. Therefore by giving his daughter a name that suggested that of the Fujiwara, Murasa-ki's father was establishing a subtle link between her and the great family tradition that preceded her.
World History
