97:(1589-1619). Though formally composed and recorded at these times, most if not all are believed to derive from far earlier traditions, as a result of their language, style, and content. The poems contained in the compilation vary, but follow a general pattern of celebrating famous heroes of the past, from poets and warriors to kings and voyagers. A few are love poems. They range from two verses to forty, some making extensive use of rhyme and couplet structures.
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to extensively study it. Iha, Nakahara, and several others have used the compilation as a basis for research into ancient
Ryukyuan customs and society. Thorough analysis has yielded elements of a foundation of understanding of ancient governance, social structures, and folk religion, but it cannot be expected that a comprehensive understanding may be derived from the material.
176:, who consolidated, centralized, and reformed the government, and the second came just after Ryukyu became a direct vassal to Satsuma. At both times, cultural and ideological means, as well as more mundane political ones, were needed to ensure unity and to maintain a connection to tradition and history.
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Only a small handful of scholars has studied the documents in any significant depth. The vast changes in
Ryukyuan culture and language over the last several centuries have made the poetry difficult to access and understand, and Iha Fuyū (d. 1947) and Nakahara Zenchū (d. 1964) were among the only ones
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Though reflective of ancient folk traditions, the poetry also reflects the intricate links the
Ryukyus enjoyed with other nearby states. Many of the Ryukyuan islands, largely culturally and linguistically isolated, are mentioned, along with various locations in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, and the
151:, as a form, are said to be the predecessors in Ryukyuan culture to distinct forms of music, dance, and literature; they incorporate all three of these. Only after centuries of development, and influence from China, Japan, and various
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was first compiled in 1531, and again in 1613 and 1623, as part of attempts by the royal government to secure their cultural or spiritual legitimacy and power. The first compilation came just after the reign of
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cultures, did distinct traditions of music, dance, and literature develop, literature being the only one to be recorded with any consistency. Outside of what might be inferred or reconstructed from the
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The hiragana used, however, is a traditional orthography which associates different sounds to the characters than their normal
Japanese readings, due to it originally being based on an earlier stage of
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was among the scholars who traced it to various words associated with oracles and divine songs. He further derived the term as referring to
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The poetry contained in the volumes extends from the 12th century, or possibly earlier, to some composed by the Queen of
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Regardless of the true meaning or origins of the term, however, a basic cloud of meanings is nevertheless apparent. The
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139:, a "compilation of thoughts" or of collective memory, is also associated with sacred groves and with divine songs.
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that has not yet undergone vowel raising characteristic of the modern languages. The characters used to write
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70:. There are 1,553 poems in the collection, but many are repeated; the number of unique pieces is 1,144.
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108:(草紙) means simply a written work, but the origins and meaning of the term "omoro" are more elusive.
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82:, for example (おもろ), would be written this same way, but pronounced as
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A Brief
History of Early Okinawa Based on the Omoro Sōshi.
62:, collected into 22 volumes and written primarily in
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54:is a compilation of ancient poems and songs from
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217:Tokyo: Honpo Shoseki Press, 1987. p6.
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252:Japanese poetry anthologies
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120:word for sacred groves.
132:, meaning "to think".
213:Sakihara, Mitsugu.
76:Northern Ryukyuan
66:with some simple
41:Northern Ryukyuan
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201:首里・那覇方言音声データベース
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169:Omoro Sōshi
158:Omoro Sōshi
137:omoro sōshi
21:Omoro Sōshi
241:Categories
184:References
153:South Seas
197:"ウムルウソーシ"
101:Etymology
174:Shō Shin
118:Ryukyuan
110:Iha Fuyū
88:Okinawan
64:hiragana
58:and the
33:Okinawan
143:History
95:Shō Nei
56:Okinawa
46:おもろおさうし
28:おもろさうし
149:omoro
128:, or
126:umuru
114:omori
106:Sōshi
84:umuru
80:omoro
68:kanji
167:The
147:The
130:umui
116:, a
18:The
86:in
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