Keatsにおける超自然現象 : 日本の超自然現象と対比して(特定個人研究)

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  • Keatsにおける超自然現象--日本の超自然現象と対比して
  • Keats ニ オケル チョウシゼン ゲンショウ ニホン ノ チョウシゼン ゲンショウ ト タイヒ シテ
  • The Supernatural Elements in Keats's Poetry, in Comparison with Japanese Supernatural Concepts(Designated Research Project)

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Magic, fairies, and myth are prevalent in many of Keats's poetry. His keen interest in the supernatural elements is especially evident in the fairy heroines in "Lamia" and "La Belle Dame sans Merci" and in the enchanting background in "The Eve of St. Agnes." In these lyric narratives, the mortal-immortal lovers enjoy a momentarily brilliant union in the visionary world, and the mortal lovers in "The Eve of St. Agnes" gain superhuman qualities as they are enchanted by Keats's skillful spell. Japan has also a tradition of myth and folklore where magic and supernatural elements are fused in the human world, but we do not have fairies; "fairies" essentially came from Western culture, and our folktales are much more humble and commonplace. In contrast, Keats's splendid treatment of these elements in the narrative poems particularly attracts me. This essay explores how the magic and fairies work in the three narrative poems named above, in comparison with Japanese folklore and shows how charming Keats's supernatural elements are to the Japanese mind. In "Lamia," all sorts of supernatural phenomena-the mythological background, brilliant magic, transformation, and mortal-immortal lovers-are contained. In "La Belle Dame sans Merci," the fairy is a most mysterious heroine, and the mortal-immortal love is highly intense, being followed by momentary horror, though the knight is uncertain of what has happened to him. In "The Eve of St. Agnes," though we do not have mortal-immortal love nor the practice of magic nor the metamorphosis, the reader and the characters are always enchanted by Keats's spell. In the end the mortal lovers are shifted to fairy lovers and are gone into a visionary realm. Japanese folktales have supernatural creatures; however, they are more properly called "spirits" akin to gods, than fairies. Usually, they are shapeless like air, unlike monstrous Western fairies. The mortal-immortal union is also prevalent in Japanese supernatural tales. But the union is seldom love, usually marriage, and the stability of life. Very frequently, the mortal-immortal marriage is animal-human marriage. As the animals once had their lives saved by men, they appear in the form of women and devote themselves as wives to repay the kindness. This grateful repayment shows a feature of our folktale. They obediently keep house and produce children by spell. After a while, they return to their original animal form or disappear to another realm. In the mortal-immortal relations, women tend to be magicians and demons and transform themselves as in the case of Keats's three narratives. Probably it is universal that women are more likely to be devilish by nature. Another characteristic of our folklore is that our spirits are linked with ordinary common people and common places, not with kings, queens, knights, and castles like Keats's subject matter. Japanese supernatural creatures are not so romantic; rather, they are related to daily life. This difference makes us fascinated with Keats's glorious, sensuous magic and fairies. We adore the romantic love story of the knights and the mysterious fairy lady in "La Belle Dame sans Merci," the lovely mythological background and the magic palace in "Lamia," and the charming Madeline and Porphyro in the medieval castle.

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