Buchbesprechungen Comptes Rendues

This document is a collection of book reviews. Here's a summary of each review:

Review 1: On Arab and Islamic Manuscripts (Likely a collection of essays)

This review discusses a work that appears to be a collection of essays on various aspects of Arabic and Islamic manuscripts. The reviewer highlights contributions from several scholars:

• Geneviève Humbert: Focuses on the "guz," a term the author proposes for an intermediate element between a booklet and a volume.
• Muhammad Isa Waley: Offers interesting reflections on the typology and functions of illumination in Islamic manuscripts.
• Anne Boud'hors: Discusses "slanted uncial" script in Coptic and its survival in Upper Egypt until the 15th century.
• Françoise Briquel-Chatonnet and Valentina Colombo: Revisit the origins of Arabic script, with Briquel-Chatonnet emphasizing Syriac influence and Colombo favoring Nabataean. The reviewer finds the arguments for Syriac influence more convincing.
• Paul Géhin: Examines a Greco-Arabic manuscript of the Gospel of Luke where the same scribe produced both versions.
• Dickran Kouymjian: Reviews the study of Armenian paleography.
• Ramazan Şeşen and Gérard Troupeau: Focus on colophons in Muslim and Arab Christian manuscripts, respectively.
• Eleazar Birnbaum: Provides a meticulous study of Katib Chelebi's autograph manuscripts in Istanbul, shedding light on his working methods.
• Claus-Peter Haase: Reveals an earlier version of Piri Reis's map in a Kiel manuscript.
• Paola Orsatti: Studies the maxlas in Persian poetry, drawing original insights at the intersection of literary criticism, calligraphy, and religion.
• Adel Sidarus: Presents preliminary research on a trilingual Greco-Coptic-Arabic lexicon.
• Iraj Afshar: Examines Persian arz notes (a type of ex-libris) and their significance for manuscript history.
• Gérard Colas: Discusses manuscripts sent from India by French Jesuits between 1729 and 1735, noting their Sanskrit, Tamil, and Telugu content.
• Bernadette Martel-Thoumian: Studies manuscripts acquired by the Zahiriyya in Damascus between 1943 and 1972.
• Stig T. Rasmussen: Covers Arabic and Semitic studies in Denmark, though the reviewer finds this contribution somewhat out of place.

The reviewer praises the book's beautiful production, impeccable typography, and rich illustrations, recommending it to a wide range of researchers. The only regret expressed is the absence of an index, particularly a glossary of technical terms, which would have significantly enhanced the work's value.

Review 2: Michael Stein's "Japans Kurtisanen" and "Geisha"

This review discusses two books by Michael Stein concerning Japanese courtesans and geishas.

• "Japans Kurtisanen. Eine Kulturgeschichte der japanischen Meisterinnen der Unterhaltungskunst und Erotik aus zwölf Jahrhunderten" (Japan's Courtesans. A Cultural History of Japanese Mistresses of Entertainment and Erotics from Twelve Centuries):

  • The reviewer notes that despite the title suggesting a history, the book reads more like a chronicle.
  • Stein's profound knowledge of literary and non-literary Japanese sources is evident through numerous short poems, songs, and prose quotes.
  • The book is structured into six historical periods: prehistoric/Nara, Heian, Kamakura, Muromachi/Momoyama, and Meiji to the present.
  • The chapter titles are described as informative, ranging from "Magical Powers of Femininity" to "Singing Goddesses in Human Form," and even "Slaves in Bamboo Cages" for Edo-period courtesans.
  • The reviewer observes that Stein's overarching theme is the power imbalance between men (possessing power and money) and women (economically disempowered and silenced).
  • The Heian period is highlighted as the "happiest time for entertainers," where courtesans enjoyed considerable artistic freedom, though sexual services were a prerequisite. They organized into guilds to distinguish themselves from imitators.
  • The review notes the spread of courtesans to roadside inns and river houses, frequented by nobles, officials, and even monks, citing an example of a Buddhist monk enjoying the company of a courtesan.
  • The reviewer contrasts the artistic freedom of the Heian period with the Kamakura period, where art's status diminished, and military men viewed love as weakness, leading to widespread homosexuality and pederasty. Courtesans even adopted male attire.
  • The Muromachi-Momoyama period saw a resurgence of ostentation, with women becoming "always available 'toys' of male desires" and "a commodity."
  • The Edo period is seen as a further degradation of women's status, with prostitution becoming regulated in red-light districts.
  • The Meiji era saw the preservation of some refined love arts, and despite a general ban on state-authorized prostitution in 1946, prostitution persisted, albeit underground. Geishas continue to practice traditional arts and are considered appreciated companions.
  • The reviewer suggests potential comparisons with Western traditions like Greek hetairai and French royal mistresses, but notes Stein's focus on specific aspects related to eroticism within each period, providing a broad background for the general literary and art historical context.

• "Geisha. Vom Leben jenseits der Weidenbrücke. Aus dem Japanischen übertragen und mit einem Nachwort versehen von Michael Stein" (Geisha. About Life Beyond the Willow Bridge. Translated from Japanese and with an Afterword by Michael Stein):

  • This book features two authentic accounts of the entertainment industry from the 19th and 20th centuries.
  • The first is by writer Narushima Ryuhoku (1837-84), detailing the organizational spectrum of the entertainment industry and offering illustrative anecdotes.
  • The second is "Life Report of a Geisha" by Masuda Sayo, born in 1925. This account is described as a shocking picture of an unloved, exploited prostitute from childhood. Her will to bear witness to her undignified existence gives her life meaning.
  • Stein's translation and afterword for Ryuhoku's work are mentioned, as is his engagement with women's issues and human compassion as a driving force behind these publications.
  • The reviewer highlights Stein's concluding observation that the common thread in courtesan history is the man as the "striker" (possessing power and money) and the woman as the "struck" (deprived of economic independence).

Review 3: Etienne Lamotte's "Suramgamasamadhisútra. The Concentration of Heroic Progress" (English Translation)

This review focuses on the English translation of Lamotte's work on the Suramgamasamadhisútra.

• Translator: Sara Boin-Webb is identified as the official translator of Lamotte's works, with previous translations of Vimalakirtinirdeśa and Histoire du bouddhisme indien mentioned. Her translation of Nagarjuna's commentary on the Prajñaparamitásútra is awaiting publication.
• Publication Delay: The reviewer notes a significant delay of at least fifteen years between the completion of the translation (commissioned by the Pali Text Society, which couldn't publish it) and its eventual publication by the Buddhist Society and Curzon Press. Lamotte's foreword to the English edition was written before his death in 1983.
• Content of Lamotte's Foreword: The foreword discusses the problematic expression "suramgama" in the sutra's title. Lamotte proposes an interpretation of "samadhi whose progress is like that of the hero," stemming from a possible connection to the root gam and a suffix khac. The reviewer notes a potential parallel with the term purvamgama in Buddhist literature.
• Sutra Identification: The text is identified as an early Mahayana Buddhist scripture with an Indian prototype, and it's crucial not to confuse it with another Suramgamasutra composed in Chinese and translated by Charles Luk.
• Editorial Improvements: The reviewer acknowledges the expanded index, revised bibliography, and correction of minor typographic errors from the French edition, which enhance the work's usefulness.
• New Typographic Errors: However, the reviewer points out the presence of new typographic errors in the English translation, particularly in the spelling of Indian words, providing numerous examples.
• Overall Assessment: Despite the errors, the English translation is considered easy to read and reliably executed. The reviewer hopes that scholars without access to French publications will utilize this richly annotated translation, which is described as a veritable mine of information on Mahayana Buddhism, consistent with Lamotte's other works.

Review 4: Galsan Tschinag's "Der Wolf und die Hündin" and "Die graue Erde"

This review covers two works by Galsan Tschinag, a writer from the Tuwa people of Western Mongolia.

• "Der Wolf und die Hündin. Erzählung" (The Wolf and the Bitch. Narrative):

  • Described as a narrative of less than eighty pages, it reads like a poem in prose.
  • The author's imagination is praised for bringing nature, including the sun, stars, and animals, to pulsating life. The landscape is dramatized, with a wolf and a dog playing the main roles.
  • The relationship between the wolf and the dog mirrors tragic human bonds. Humans are depicted as enemies of wildlife, pursuing the wolf and his companion into the mountains and to their death.
  • The reviewer emphasizes that a deeper understanding of the author's background (born in the Altai Mountains, belonging to the Turkic Tuwa people) is necessary to fully grasp the figurative language and the unusual atmosphere.
  • Tschinag's life story is briefly mentioned: his studies in Leipzig, his return to the Altai Mountains with his resettled tribe, and his preference for writing in German.
  • Both his poetry and prose incorporate autobiographical elements.

• "Die graue Erde. Roman" (The Grey Earth. Novel):

  • This novel is highlighted for offering insight into the author's persona as a shaman, which in turn broadens the understanding of the concept of culture, particularly concerning shamanism among the Tuwiner people.
  • The review notes that shamanism has developed unique rituals in different Asian cultures, but common features include the belief that spirits cause earthly events and communicate with chosen individuals (shamans).

In essence, the provided text contains reviews of academic works related to manuscripts and Islamic/Arabic studies, and literary works focusing on Japanese cultural history (courtesans and geishas) and contemporary Mongolian literature.