Hakkenden　八犬伝

KEY WORD :　art history / paintings

Lit. biographies of eight dogs. A pictorial subject in *ukiyo-e 浮世絵 taken from the NANSOU SATOMI HAKKENDEN 南総里見八犬伝, Takizawa Bakin's 滝沢馬琴 (1767-1849) woodblock-printed novels *yomihon 読本, published in 106 volumes between 1814-41. Samurai ideals of duty, family loyalty, righteousness, physical prowess and courage are central themes in an involved plot based on the structure of the Chinese novel Shuihuzhuan (Jp: SUIKODEN 水滸伝). General Satomi Yoshizane 里見義実 offers his daughter Fusehime 伏姫 to whomever kills his chief enemy. When his dog Yatsufusa 八房, kills the man, and returns with the head, Fusehime accepts the dog as her husband despite her father's objections. Eventually a child is born. A retainer of Yoshizane attempts to kill Yatsufusa, but his bullet strikes Fusehime who then stabs herself to death. Eight beads, each with a Chinese character standing for a Confucian virtue, rise into the sky. Later one each of the eight beads is found in the hands of infant sons born to men whose surnames begin with the character for dog inu 犬. The eight young warriors or dogs (of the title) engage in various heroic exploits, alone or together, and eventually restore the Satomi family to power. The numerous volumes brought out by several succeeding publishers include illustrations by five ukiyo-e artists including Keisai Eisen 渓斎英泉 (1790-1848). From the early 1830's, single-sheet prints often in a series of Hakkenden were produced by such artists as Utagawa Kuniyoshi 歌川国芳 (1797-1861) and Kunisada 国貞 (1786-1865). Most notably, a dramatic episode where Inuzuka Shino 犬塚信乃 and Inukai Genpachi 犬飼現八 fight on the roof of the Houryuukaku 芳流閣 was often illustrated.

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