「徳兵衛の渡海物語」写本群に関する一考察

Abstract

In the middle of the Edo period江戸時代, the writings of the story crossing the sea of Tokubee徳兵衛 spread widely in Japan. And these are still a lot left in Japan. The story “Tokubee’s Tokai-Monogatari”徳兵衛の渡海物語 is the valuable manuscript on which overseas information were recorded in the early of the Edo period. However, these historical details, remains a mystery, not yet been resolved. And it has been known as a long absurd story. The first purpose of this paper is to clarify the manuscript group writings published after that. And the next purpose of this paper is to clarify how the manuscript writings spread widely in Japan. First of all, by classification of the manuscript writings, it was made clear that there were three kinds. By the classification of the three kinds, next became clear. Story of the group that contains the keyword of Genroku 7元禄七年(1694 A.D.) is the oldest manuscripts. Story of the group that contains the keyword of Genroku 15元禄十五年(1702 A.D.) is a manuscript group that has been presented to the lord of the country. Story of the group that contains the keyword of Hoei 4宝永四年(1707 A.D.) is a manuscript group that the name of Tenjiku Tokubee天竺徳兵衛 appeared in Japan for the first time. And also, by comparing three kinds of the manuscript groups, next became clear. Ⅰ. Story of the group that contains the keyword of Genroku 7 was manuscripts of a possibility that has been edited by Tokubee who lived in Takasago Sendou Machi高砂舟 頭町. And the number of historical sources is small. But on the other hand, Story of the group that contains the keyword of Genroku 15 or Hoei 4 was manuscripts of a possibility that was re-edited third person in Osaka大坂. And the number of historical sources is large. Ⅱ. Story of the group that contains the keyword of Genroku 7 was simple. And a grave of Tokubee who has died in 1695 exists in Takasago Sendou Machi. But on the other hand, there were contradictions in the description contents for the story of the group that contains the keyword of Genroku 15 or Hoei 4. And Tokubee was still alive after Genroku 15. From the above results, Genroku 7, Genroku 15 and the main description contents of the story of the group that contains the keyword of Hoei 4 were same. But it is now clear that depiction of Tokubee for each manuscript group were different from each other. In conclusion, the story crossing the sea of Tokubee has been understood gradually as absurd story. It is because there were the contradictions to the depiction of Tokubee in this story. But still the reason for popular of the story crossing the sea of Tokubee was because people wanted to know the overseas information in the Edo period.