Talk:Tales of Old Japan

Moving text from Forty-seven ronin
The on-going exchange of views at Talk:Forty-seven Ronin has, to a significant extent, developed into something of a consensus that reliance on information from Mitford is unjustified. For example -- a recent posting,
 * I wouldn't move it up in quality on anybody's list until it's completely rewritten without any reliance on Mitford. See the email discussion with Prof. Henry Smith, which he has graciously allowed me to post here. Noel (talk) 19:54, 11 November 2007 (UTC)
 * The accuracy of the account given here is disputed -- nobody knows what happened when the samurai confronted Kira, many other details ...{unsigned]
 * This is not really true; the ronin lived on for quite some time in captivity, and provided their recounting of the events of the attack in great detail, which have been retained in the records. See the email discussion with Prof. Henry Smith, which covers this exact point. Noel (talk) 19:54, 11 November 2007 (UTC)

This development led me to copy the major part of that article -- those paragraphs supported by an in-line citations from Mitford -- and to re-post that summary of Mitford's account here. I would anticipate re-visiting and dramatically re-editing the article about the historical Forty-seven ronin, while the work of previous editors who relied on Mitford is saved here in the context of the book in which the story was popularized. --Ooperhoofd 14:15, 13 November 2007 (UTC)