John Lindsey
10th June 2000, 07:08
Kaibara Ekiken (1630-1714) is generally accredited with writing the text: Onna Daigaku (Women’s Great Learning), although some may say his wife wrote it. The book was very popular during the Edo period and represented the views of women during this time…or so they say. It was an important book for the women of Samurai class, and was often given to her upon marriage.
In the text, the author lists seven actions by a wife that demand that she leaves her husband’s home:
1. A woman who is disobedient to her parents-in-law shall leave.
2. A woman who bears no children shall leave, because it is for the succession of offspring that a girl is taken for a wife. If, however, the woman is right-minded and well-behaved, without jealousy, she may adopt a child, instead of leaving her husband, from a family of the same name (as her husbands). Nor need she leave in case when a concubine has a child.
3. A licentious woman shall leave.
4. A jealous woman shall leave.
5. If the woman is infected with leprosy or some other bad disease, she shall leave.
6. If she is talkative and speaks indiscreetly, she shall leave, lest she should cause discord among the relative of her husband or disorder in his home.
7. If she is kleptomaniac, she shall leave.
Source: Kaibara Ekiken and “Onno Daigaku” by Sakai Atsuhara, written in the December 1939 issue of Cultural Nippon (published by the Nippon Bunka Chuo Renmei).
In the text, the author lists seven actions by a wife that demand that she leaves her husband’s home:
1. A woman who is disobedient to her parents-in-law shall leave.
2. A woman who bears no children shall leave, because it is for the succession of offspring that a girl is taken for a wife. If, however, the woman is right-minded and well-behaved, without jealousy, she may adopt a child, instead of leaving her husband, from a family of the same name (as her husbands). Nor need she leave in case when a concubine has a child.
3. A licentious woman shall leave.
4. A jealous woman shall leave.
5. If the woman is infected with leprosy or some other bad disease, she shall leave.
6. If she is talkative and speaks indiscreetly, she shall leave, lest she should cause discord among the relative of her husband or disorder in his home.
7. If she is kleptomaniac, she shall leave.
Source: Kaibara Ekiken and “Onno Daigaku” by Sakai Atsuhara, written in the December 1939 issue of Cultural Nippon (published by the Nippon Bunka Chuo Renmei).