The Samurai's Tale by Erik Christian Haugaard
"The Samurai's Tale" by Erik Christian Haugaard is a historical fiction novel aimed at young adult readers, set in the chaotic landscape of sixteenth-century Japan. The story follows the life of Murakami, a young boy who loses his family in battle and is renamed Taro as he becomes a servant to Lord Akiyama Nobutomo. As Taro navigates his new life, he longs to become a samurai and eventually achieves this goal, earning the respect of older warriors through his combat skills. However, Taro grapples with the moral complexities of his role as a warrior, including his discomfort with violence and the emotional toll of war.
The narrative delves into the harsh realities of life during this period, portraying the brutalities of battle and the impact of warfare on both the individual and society. It also highlights Taro's dual nature as he finds solace in poetry and beauty amidst the chaos. The novel reflects on the futility of war through Taro's experiences and the tragic fate of his master, portraying a deep exploration of character development and the struggle for identity against a backdrop of cultural and historical significance. Haugaard's meticulous research lends authenticity to the portrayal of samurai culture, distinguishing the novel from more simplistic representations of the era.
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Subject Terms
The Samurai's Tale by Erik Christian Haugaard
First published: 1984
Type of work: Historical fiction
Themes: Coming-of-age and war
Time of work: The sixteenth century
Recommended Ages: 15-18
Locale: Japan
Principal Characters:
Taro , (Murakami Harutomo , ), the son of a poor samurai who dies in battleLord Takeda Shingen , an ambitious warlordLord Akiyama Nobutomo , Taro’s master and friend, one of Lord Takeda Shingen’s generalsLord Akiyama Nobutora , the father of Lord Akiyama NobutomoLord Oda Nobunaga , Lord Takeda Shingen’s cruel rivalLord Oda Nobutada , the son of Oda Nobunaga and a general in his armyLord Takeda Katsuyori , a son of Lord Shingen, sometimes referred to as the Wakatono (the prince)Lord Takeda Yoshinobu , a son of Lord Shingen, who revolts against his father and is killedTogan , a lowly servant of Lord Akiyama who befriends Taro as a childLord Tokugawa Ieyasu , a warlord who supports Oda Nobunaga and later becomes shogun and ruler of JapanLord Uesugi Kenshin , an enemy of Lord ShingenWada Kansuke , a samurai, the master of the KonidataiYoichi , Taro’s servantYoshitoki , a young samurai, Taro’s friendZakoji Aki-Hime , a young girl of noble blood, whom Taro lovesLord Zakoji , a retainer of Lord Akiyama, the father of Aki-hime
The Story
One day during the fourth year of his life, Murakami, the youngest son of a samurai serving Lord Uesugi Kenshin, learns that his father has been killed in battle. Later that same day the victorious warriors kill Murakami’s older brothers, his mother, and his mother’s attendants. The boy is spared only after he grabs a bamboo sword and readies himself to fight the soldier ordered to kill him. By nightfall the young lad, no longer a bushi—a knight’s son—and the darling of every woman in the village, finds himself renamed Taro and made a servant of Lord Akiyama Nobutomo.
What follows is an exciting adventure story set against the historical backdrop of sixteenth century Japan, a tumultuous time when warring factions kept the country in a frenzy of siege and countersiege in attempts to seize control of the country. The story follows Taro’s adventures as he serves first as kitchen servant, then stable boy, and eventually as personal messenger for Lord Akiyama. All his life Taro had wanted nothing more than to become a samurai, and he earns the rank, becoming by age eighteen such a trusted samurai that even older warriors treat him with respect.
Taro masters the skills of a warrior and even defeats an older, more experienced samurai in individual combat. He does not, however, boast of the victory, and he admits to feelings of discomfort and regret after the death of his adversary. There is a vulnerability in Taro. He displays a heart too kind to administer the penalty of death to the servant caught stealing rice from the lord’s stores. The full horrors of war, including decapitations of one’s enemies, the killing of one’s own son if he dared rebel against the father, and the slaughter of men, women, and children who were powerless to defend themselves, are depicted. Yet Taro is also shown attempting to write poetry, appreciating the beauty of the world around him, and struggling with a nature that is not totally comfortable with the violence of the life he has chosen.
The futility of war is revealed in the defeat and ignoble death of Taro’s master, Lord Akiyama, and the loss of Taro’s prestige and rank with the downfall of his master. Actually, Taro’s life comes full circle, as he is forced to dress once again in the rags of a peasant in order to gain entry into the village to pay his last respects to his crucified master and to search for his beloved Aki-hime, who had been left behind when he had to go on his last mission for Lord Akiyama. It is of some significance that the young samurai cannot force himself to cut his hair in the style of the peasant in order to complete his disguise. He leaves the hair cut and dressed in the manner of a samurai and attempts to hide it under a broad peasant’s hat as he returns to Iwamura Castle, which is now filled with enemy troops. Fortunately, he is able to complete his mission, locate Aki-hime, and escape once again without having to remove the hat.
Context
The Samurai’s Tale continues Haugaard’s series of historical fiction for young adult readers featuring children growing up and learning to cope with war. Haugaard takes his readers into the tumultuous world of sixteenth century feudal Japan for a detailed look at a young hero learning to survive and sharing his moral and physical development with a modern audience. Although there are similarities to earlier Haugaard novels set in Norway during the period of the Vikings, England during the time of Oliver Cromwell, and Italy during World War II, The Samurai’s Tale is distinctive for being set within the culture of a major Eastern country. For those readers who might have expected a superficial and stereotyped treatment of the samurai such as might be found in works by other authors, Haugaard has once again proved himself a thorough researcher unwilling to accept or present a simplistic portrayal of those complex individuals who were the samurai.
The Samurai’s Tale, like such earlier works as Hakon of Rogen’s Saga (1963), A Slave’s Tale (1965), The Rider and His Horse (1968), and A Messenger for Parliament (1976), is set in a transitional and violent historical period. Haugaard’s works demonstrate a cultural diversity that is unusual in historical fiction for middle and secondary school readers. His choices of settings, characters, and narrators reflect his interest in the powerless rather than the powerful with their efforts to build their historical reputation, and nowhere is this interest more apparent than in The Samurai’s Tale. Eric Haugaard is not an author for all readers. His careful research into historical periods and events and his powerful presentation of complex topics demand a mature and perceptive reader.