The Katana of Africa: biographical productions of Yasuke through multimedia representations.
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Date
2024
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Publisher
University of the Western Cape
Abstract
The way of the samurai is contingent on fealty, courage, respect and honour. These are perhapsa few of the most recognizable traits of the samurai caste in feudal Japanese society as the samurai have long been an intrigue for those inside and outside of Japan. The point of referencewhich this thesis has been inspired, focusses on the sixteenth century historical figure, Yasuke an East African who was enslaved by Europeans, taken across the trade route seas to Japan and through a complicated journey - is considered to be the world’s first black samurai in history. Yasuke’s story is one that can be erroneously viewed as simply fictional but there is much more that lies beneath, and that exceeds, the historical figure. This research focusses on the impact of both biographical and micro-historical narratives on historical research outputs and reproduction. Furthermore, it addresses the way in which historical production is constructed, utilized, distorted and how it inspires mass media projectsand fuels representation. Yasuke’s history has inspired numerous forms of media depictionsand iterations, highlighting the importance of biographical research and the way in which historians exhume and exalt histories that have been buried under grand narratives. By using the historical figure’s lived experience, this thesis first embarks on contextualizing the historically based literature of multiple regions including East Africa, Portugal and Japanduring the sixteenth century. From this point the research explores, as if through a magnifying lens, into the depths of Yasuke and his journey in feudal Japan. The thesis then examines both historical and fictional literature, the latter which has been inspired by the former, methodologically with the application of narrative theory which delves into the intricacies of the life and representations of Yasuke. Ultimately, this thesis contends with the possible limitations of biography and the perceived limitlessness of fictionality as it pertains to historic
conjecture.
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Keywords
Biography, Microhistory, Representation, Historical Production, Narrative Theory