What is the difference between seppuku and hara-kiri rituals. What. The ethical side of hara-kiri and seppuku

“It is in moments of frenzy that a samurai commits deeds that are detrimental to karma.<…>You can do things that even seppuku will not be enough, ”says one of the heroes of the“ hermetic detective ”B. Akunin“ Leviathan ”, Japanese Gintaro Aono. “Ah, you are talking about it, how is it, hirakira, harikari,” another hero of Leviathan, the Frenchman Gauche, ironically remarks.

Of course, in both cases we are talking about ritual suicide, considered in bushido, the code of samurai ethics, one of the most worthy types of death. In Russian-language dictionaries of foreign words, only the word hara-kiri is recorded - in the meaning of ‘suicide by ripping open the stomach’. However, who, if not Akunin, - or rather, Grigory Chkhartishvili, a well-known Japaneseist and author of a solid scientific study "Writer and Suicide", - should understand all the intricacies of using this term. Note that it is the Japanese who uses the word seppuku for ritual suicide in Akunin, and the mention of hara-kiri is found in Leviathan only in the speech of Europeans (“A Japanese appeared with a touching colorful knot in his hand. I wonder what he has there - a travel kit for hara-kiri?” - reflects the Frenchwoman Renata Kleber). The term seppuku is indeed much more common in Japan itself.

The emergence of doublets of seppuku and hara-kiri is associated with the peculiarities of hieroglyphic writing, which in the 5th-6th centuries. came to Japanese from China - although Chinese and Japanese belong to different language groups, it is the hieroglyphics (the image of an object or object using a symbolic drawing) that seems to best fit oriental style consciousness. Along with the Chinese character, its Chinese (the so-called "upper" or "he") reading was also borrowed. But over time (from the VIII-X centuries, after the invention based on Chinese writing special systems Japanese writing - the alphabet "katakana" and "hiragana"), the hieroglyphs gradually appeared and actually Japanese ("lower", or "kun") reading. Thus, it turned out that the same hieroglyphic sign (or set of signs) would mean the same thing for the Chinese and for the Japanese, but sound different. So, two hieroglyphs, meaning 'stomach, entrails' and 'cut, rip open', with the "upper", "Chinese", reading will sound like seb-puku (seppuku), and with the "lower", "Japanese", reading - as hara-kiri (hara-kiri). "Chinese" hieroglyphic variants are generally perceived as referring to a higher, bookish style of speech. According to the witty remark of one of the Japanists, making hara-kiri is comparable to throwing off the hooves, while committing seppuku is like leaving with dignity for another world.

The colloquial, derogatory word hara-kiri is used, as a rule, by those who do not respect the bushido code without due respect. That is why the perfect ritual suicide (and by no means only “by ripping up the stomach with one’s own hands” - much more often a kind of “second” helps the samurai leave this world, who, standing behind, should cut off the suicide’s head with one blow of the sword) should be called seppuku. After all, hara-kiri - a suicide committed against the rules, in violation of any ethical or aesthetic standards - is a shame for a true samurai.

Svetlana Drugoveyko-Dolzhanskaya

1603 - 1867), when the rite was finally formed, - by the verdict of the court as a punishment for the crime committed. Harakiri was the privilege of the samurai, who were proud that they could freely manage their lives, emphasizing the performance of the rite for strength of mind and self-control, contempt for death. Cutting the abdomen required great courage and endurance from the warrior, since the abdominal cavity is one of the most sensitive places in the human body. The center of many nerve endings. That's why samurai, who considered themselves the most courageous, cold-blooded and strong-willed people of Japan, preferred this painful type of death.

Literally translated, hara-kiri means "to cut the stomach" (from "hara" - the stomach and "kiru" - to cut). However, the word "hara-kiri" has a hidden meaning. In Japanese, it corresponds to the words "stomach", "soul", "intentions", "secret thoughts" with the same spelling of the hieroglyph.

According to the philosophy of Buddhism, in particular the teachings of the Zen sect, not the heart, but the abdominal cavity is considered as the main, central point of life of a person and thus the seat of life. In accordance with this, the Japanese put forward the thesis that the vital forces located in the abdomen and occupying, as it were, a middle position in relation to the whole body, contribute to a more balanced and harmonious development of a person.

Despite the fact that in some works of European authors the idea was cited of identifying the Japanese understanding of the category "soul" with similar concepts among the ancient Greeks (who called the receptacle of the soul - the psyche - the chest-abdominal barrier) and among the ancient Jews (the Hebrew prophets spoke about the location of the soul in intestines), "hara" in the Japanese sense is not the equivalent of "soul" in the European sense. Here you can talk more about feelings and emotions. And it is no coincidence that in connection with this there are many expressions and sayings related to "hara". For example, a person who encourages another to be frank in a conversation uses the expression "hara o watte hanashimasho", which means "let's talk while sharing hara", or in other words, "let's talk with our stomachs open". Such sayings as “haradatsu” (to rise to the stomach, get angry) are also characteristic; "haraginatai" (dirty belly, vile person, low aspirations), etc.

The Japanese also give an important place to the "art of hara" (belly) - "haragei". This “art” refers to the process of communicating people at a distance as a result of intuitive connection and understanding each other with the help of hints.

Thus, the Japanese consider the stomach as an internal source of emotional existence, and opening it by means of revealing one's innermost and true intentions, serves as proof of the purity of thoughts and aspirations. In other words, according to the concepts of the samurai, “seppuku is the ultimate justification of oneself before heaven and people,” and it is more symbolic of a spiritual nature than simple suicide.

Origin of the rite

AT ancient period the history of Japan, the rite of hara-kiri was not common among the Japanese population of the archipelago. However, having already certain ideas about the stomach as the main point of the human body, they were probably able to easily borrow the Ainu rite “re”. Actually hara-kiri appeared relatively late among the military settlements of the northern provinces that fought against the Ainu, which later turned into the class of Japanese warriors.

It is quite natural that the rite began to develop among warriors - people who were in constant combat readiness and always carried weapons with them - a means for waging war and an instrument of suicide.

Many consider seppuku a more humane variety of hara-kiri, since in the first case an assistant participated in the ceremony ( kaishakunin), which cut off the head of a samurai after he cut his stomach.

Actually both terms have the same meaning - a way to kill yourself by cutting open your belly(even if the fatal blow was delivered by an assistant). To better understand the difference between these concepts, it is necessary to trace the history of the emergence of the ritual and get acquainted with the specifics of the pronunciation of Japanese characters.

Description and history of the ritual

Often referred to as hara-kiri in the West, seppuku is a form of ritual suicide that originated in feudal Japan in the 12th century. In 1156, a landowner from the ancient Minamoto family, having lost a battle, cut his stomach open to avoid captivity and save his honor. Since then, a similar way of dying has spread among the warriors and has been enshrined in the Bushido code.

Until the 14th century, the ceremony was performed as a sign of loyalty to the master and as a way to die with honor. In addition, a warrior could commit suicide as an act of protest or to express grief in the event of the death of a revered leader. Starting from the Kamakura period (1192 to 1333), the ritual of suicide is described in written sources as a way of atonement, an opportunity to apologize for one's mistakes and prove one's honesty.

The suicide would rip open his stomach with a short sword, slit the stomach and then turn the blade up, inflicting a mortal wound. Some warriors died slowly, especially if the ceremony took place right on the battlefield. Others used a specially chosen assistant who cut off the head with a katana immediately after the samurai hit. Before dying, the warrior drank sake and recited a short death poem.

A female version of the rite was also practiced, called “jigay”. The war wife cut her throat with a special tanto knife.

In the Edo period, starting from the 14th century, samurai who committed crimes began to be sentenced to ritual suicide. Warriors were the first to stab themselves with a sword in order to die with honor, despite the fact that in the end they were beheaded by the executioner. In 1873 this practice was abolished.

The ceremony usually took place in the presence of a witness (kenshi) sent by the body that pronounced the death sentence. The convict sat on two tatami mats, and behind him stood a kaishakunin with a katana, the role of which was most often performed by a close friend or relative. A small table with a short sword was placed in front of the condemned. A moment after the warrior stabbed himself, the executioner cut off his head. Sometimes the assistant struck with the sword at the moment when the warrior was just reaching out to grab the sword. This gesture was enough to make the death of the ball warrior worthy.

Comparison of terms

Japanese characters have two ways of reading: Sino-Japanese "on" and Japanese "kun". Seppuku (切腹) uses the same characters as hara-kiri (腹切り), but in a different order. The pronunciation of these hieroglyphs differs depending on the way of reading.

Transcription and meaning of "hara-kiri"

"Hara-kiri" (腹切り) is made up of the character "腹" meaning stomach and pronounced "hara". "Hara" is the "kun" reading, the Japanese sound of the character "腹".

"切り" is pronounced "kiri", which is the infinitive form of the verb "kiru" meaning "to cut". "Kiru" is also the "kun" reading of the character "切". Together, these hieroglyphs translate as "cut the stomach."

Transcription and meaning of "seppuku"

The pronunciation of "seppuku" (切腹) uses the Sino-Japanese "on" reading. The character "切" sounds like "setsu" (cut) and the character "腹" sounds like "huku" (stomach). Together, these hieroglyphs translate as "cut the stomach."

Usage in language

Initially, the Japanese did not have a written language and used Chinese characters if there was a need to write something down. They used their own spoken language to communicate.

In the process of the formation of writing, the Japanese borrowed Chinese characters along with their pronunciation and reworked them, taking into account the peculiarities of their native speech.

Since "seppuku" is an "on" reading, this term was used in cases where Sino-Japanese was preferred, namely in written documents and official speech. Therefore, seppuku is the official name for ritual suicide.

"Hara-kiri" is a "kun" reading, so this term is used only in colloquial speech and refers to the process of ripping the stomach open, without emphasis on its ritual meaning.

An analogy can be drawn if modern Russia there was a sentence of "guillotining", on the street one could hear: "His head was cut off". But the judge would not say: "I sentence you to cut off his head". All official statements would use the word "guillotine".

Europeans are more fond of the term "hara-kiri", perhaps because it sounds more beautiful, however, to show respect for traditions, it is better to use the formal "seppuku".

From unreliable sources on the Internet, you can learn that "hara-kiri" is not used in Japanese, as it is considered colloquial, rude and abusive. Such conclusions were drawn from the fact that "seppuku" implies a ceremony performed according to the rules of the Bushido code, and "hara-kiri" simply means "to cut the stomach with a sword." In fact, the Japanese do not put any derogatory meaning into the word "hara-kiri".

conclusions

1. Harakiri means killing oneself by gastric dissection and is only used in spoken language. The Japanese call this term the process of ripping open the abdomen with a sword.
2. The term "seppuku" denotes a solemn ritual carried out according to all the rules of the samurai code. The word is bookish and belongs to a higher style of speech.
3. The word "hara-kiri" is popular in the West, as it is more harmonious and familiar to a Westerner.

Etc.). By performing seppuku, samurai demonstrated their courage in the face of pain and death and the purity of their thoughts in front of gods and people. In the case when seppuku were to be committed by persons who were not trusted, or who were too dangerous, or did not want to commit suicide, the ritual dagger (kusungobu) was replaced with a fan, and thus seppuku was reduced to decapitation.

General Akashi Gidayu prepares to commit seppuku after losing a battle for his lord Akechi Mitsuhide in 1582. He has just written his death verse, which can also be seen in the upper right corner of the painting.

Etymology

"Seppuku" and "hara-kiri" are written with the same two characters. The difference is that seppuku is written as 切腹 (first comes the hieroglyph “cut” and then “stomach”, when reading, “on”, Japanese-Chinese readings are used), and hara-kiri is vice versa - 腹切り (the first hieroglyph is “stomach”, they use “ kunny, purely Japanese readings). In Japan, the word "hara-kiri" is a colloquial form and carries some everyday and pejorative connotation: if "seppuku" means a ritual suicide committed in accordance with all the rules, then "hara-kiri" is more likely translated as "to cut one's stomach with a sword".

History of occurrence

In ancient times, seppuku was not common in Japan; other methods of suicide were more common - self-immolation and hanging. The first sepukku was committed by a daimyo from the Minamoto clan in the war between the Minamoto and Taira, in 1156, under Hegen. Minamoto no Tametomo, defeated in this short but brutal war, cut his stomach open to avoid the shame of captivity. Seppuku quickly takes root among the military class and becomes an honorable way for a samurai to take his own life.

Seppuku consisted in the fact that the suicide cut the stomach across, from the left side to the right, or, in another way, cut it twice: first horizontally from the left side to the right, and then vertically from the diaphragm to the navel. Subsequently, when seppuku spread and began to be used as a privileged death penalty, a special complex ritual was developed for him, one of important points which consisted in the fact that the assistant (kaisyaku) of an involuntary suicide, usually his best friend, with one swing of the sword, cut off his head at the right time, so that seppuku essentially boiled down to ritual decapitation.

A legal difference was established between seppuku beheading and ordinary beheading, and for privileged persons, starting with the samurai, the death penalty was replaced in the form of indulgence by death through seppuku, that is, the death penalty, but only in the form of ritual beheading. Such a death penalty was relied on for offenses that did not dishonor the samurai ethics, so it was not considered shameful, and this was its difference from the ordinary death penalty. Such was its ideology, but it is difficult to say to what extent it was carried out in practice. The fact remains only that seppuku in the form of execution was applied only to the privileged class of the samurai, etc., but in no way to the classes of the population considered below the samurai.

This official use of seppuku dates back to a later time, namely the tokugawa period of the shogunate, but regardless of it, this method of suicide in its private use was very widespread throughout the entire mass of the population, almost becoming a mania, and the most insignificant reasons began to serve as reasons for seppuku . After the restoration of 1868, with the beginning of the organization of the state system according to the European model and the change in the whole way of life that began under the pressure of new ideas, the official use of seppuku was eventually canceled, and at the same time its private use began to be withdrawn, but not withdrawn at all. Cases of seppuku were not uncommon in the 20th century, and each such case was met with the hidden approval of the nation, creating a halo of glory and greatness in relation to some persons who used seppuku of a more prominent position.

Ideology

There is a point of view according to which seppuku was intensively implanted by the religious tenets of Buddhism, its concept of the frailty of being and the impermanence of everything earthly. In the philosophy of Zen Buddhism, the center of human life and the location of his soul was considered not the heart or head, but the stomach, which occupies, as it were, a middle position in relation to the whole body and contributes to a more balanced and harmonious development of a person. In this regard, a lot of expressions arose that describe different mental states of a person using the word "stomach", in Japanese hara [fuku]; for example, haradatsu- “walk with a raised belly” - “get angry”, hara chinese- "dirty belly" - "low aspirations", hara no chicken hito- "a man with a black belly" - "a man with a black soul", hara no nai hito- “a man without a stomach” - “a soulless person”. It is believed that the opening of the abdomen by seppuku is carried out in order to show the purity and purity of one's thoughts and aspirations, the discovery of one's innermost and true intentions, as proof of one's inner rightness; in other words, seppuku is the last, extreme justification of oneself before heaven and people.

It is also possible that the emergence of this custom is caused by reasons of a more utilitarian nature, namely, the constant presence of a suicide weapon - a sword. Ripping open the stomach with a sword was a very effective means, and it was impossible to stay alive after such a wound. In Europe, there was some analogy to this ritual: the custom of throwing a sword in ancient Rome did not arise due to any special ideology of this phenomenon, but due to the fact that the sword was always with you. Both in the West and in the East, the use of the sword as a tool for suicide began precisely among the class of warriors who constantly carried it with them.

Notes

It should be noted that penetrating wounds abdominal cavity- the most painful in comparison with similar wounds of other parts of the body.

The household expression "pain shock", "death from pain shock" is widespread. However, in reality, no “pain shock” exists, and a person cannot die from pain alone - even very strong one.

Links

• jack seward, Hara-Kiri: Japanese Ritual Suicide(Charles E. Tuttle, 1968)
• Christopher Ross, Mishima's Sword: Travels in Search of a Samurai Legend(Fourth Estate, 2006; Da Capo Press 2006)
• Seppuku - A Practical Guide (tongue-in-cheek)
• An Account of the Hara Kiri from Mitford's "Tales of Old Japan" provides a detailed description: http://www.blackmask.com/thatway/books162c/taja.htm
• Zuihoden - Mausoleum of Date Masamune - When he died, twenty of his followers killed themselves to serve him in the next life
• Seppuku and "cruel punishments" at the end of Tokugawa Shogunate
• SengokuDaimyo.com The website of Samurai Author and Historian Anthony J. Bryant

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It is difficult to imagine a more cruel and ruthless ritual than hara-kiri. Among the samurai given form suicide was carried out either as a punishment or voluntarily as a way of showing courage. However, along with hara-kiri, the term "seppuku" is often used. What does it mean and what is the difference between these concepts?

Definition

Harakiri- ripping open the abdomen with a sword. The Japanese consider this word somewhat vulgar and use it extremely rarely, only in colloquial speech.

Seppuku- ritual ripping of the abdomen according to all the rules. The written version of the term.

Comparison

These terms have essentially the same meaning. Harakiri and seppuku are even written with the same hieroglyphs, but in a different order. In the word seppuku, the hieroglyph denoting the verb “cut” comes first, the second hieroglyph is read as “belly”. Harakiri is denoted by the same characters, but in a different sequence. This term carries a purely everyday, and sometimes even derogatory connotation. Seppuku, on the other hand, implies a ritual departure from life, performed according to all the rules of the samurai code. Thus, the word "hara-kiri" is used mainly in colloquial speech, while "seppuku" is its written counterpart. Europeans often use the term "hara-kiri" because it seems to them more harmonious.

The samurai code of conduct states that seppuku is a type of ritual suicide, which is the most worthy way to die. The rite must be performed according to all the rules. The purpose of the ritual is to demonstrate the purity of intentions and thoughts for self-justification before people and heaven. For example, if the owner of a samurai died in the process of hostilities, then holding a seppuku will be the best proof of his loyalty and devotion. This rite could also be used as a method of execution by decapitation.

In 1968, the ritual of hara-kiri, or seppuku, was officially banned by law, but to this day there are cases of such suicides. Indeed, for the Japanese, life is an inevitable harbinger of death, it is important for them to leave this world beautifully and spectacularly. And even waking up on a sunny morning, they try to spend this day as if it were their last.

Findings site

1. Harakiri is a predominantly colloquial term for suicide by ripping open the abdomen, sometimes with some pejorative meaning. Seppuku is the written version of the term.
2. The word "hara-kiri" is often used to refer to the very process of ripping open the stomach with a sword, while seppuku is considered a sacred ritual performed according to all the rules of the samurai code.
3. The term "hara-kiri" is more common in Europe, due to its euphony and familiarity for Europeans.