중세 무사의 이름과 권력의 상관관계 연구 - 묘지(名字)를 중심으로 -

Abstract

There might be couple of key words in understanding a society or a country. In case of Japan, many key words such as emperor system, collectivism, and Samurai’s culture can be emerged. One of them, name should also be included in understanding Japan. People should have their own names. It indicates that human is a social animal. By using names, we carry on social lives, establish human relationships, and create our own history. That is why names are considered as social identity which is counted as a critical element. This study investigates how Japanese used their names through the historical backgrounds. If one takes a closer look at Japanese history, there exists a huge distinction from before and after Mayge Ushin. Japanese names have a very complicated system. Medieval Samurai changed their names throughout their lives. However, it is not easy to explicate the reason why a Japanese person had so many different names of his own. Name reflects on history, social status of each era, from a king to his subjects, ancestor and kinship, family relationships, the characteristics of culture, religion, and gender. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the aspects of Samurai family’s power in Kamamura era through the co-relational analysis of Medieval Samurai’s personal name and power.