In the history of literature, the tales written during the Heian period are divided into two groups--'the former tale' and 'the latter tale'--depending on whether a work was written before or after "The Tale of Genji."
文学史では、平安時代に書かれた物語は『源氏物語』の前か後かで「前期物語」と「後期物語」とに分けられる。