The Tale of the Heike (Heike monogatari, ) is an epic account of the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto clans for control of Japan at the end of the twelfth century in the Gempei War (1180-1185). Without Shigemori's restraining influence, Kiyomori is close to open war with Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa. Then, in 1167, he becomes Chancellor, the next to top post in government. An abridged translation by Burton Watson was published in 2006. 2021. Those exiled to Kikaijima build a shrine where they pray for return to capital. Thus, karma helps to deal with the problem of both moral and natural evil. Yoshinaka sends forces against them, but this time the Taira are victorious in the battle of Mizushima. The best known of the recited-lineage texts the Kakuichibon is the most familiar in English translation. Shigehira is sent to Kamakura. 7-[19] The Flight of the Heike from the Capital --- A total of 7,000 Taira, all that is left of the clan due to their losses across the country, retreat south. Note that in the title of the Genpei War, "hei" is in this combination read as "pei" and the "gen" () is the first kanji used in the Minamoto (also known as "Genji" which is also pronounced using on'yomi, for example as in The Tale of Genji) clan's name. At Shio-no-yama, Yoshinaka helps his uncle Yoshiie to defeat the Taira forces (Kiyomori's son Tomonori is killed in the battle). All side with Shigemori, not Kiyomori, making it clear who has full control of military options. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here: The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia: Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed. Years later she falls sick and dies. At one level, the Tale is an account of martial heroism of courage, cruelty, power, glory, sacrifice and sorrow. Yoshinaka writes a petition at the Hachiman Shrine to get divine help for the upcoming battle. The Tale of the Heike (, Heike Monogatari) is a story that follows the fall of the Ise-Heishi branch of the Taira clan popularly addressed as the Heike due to the epic during the end of the Heian Period and beginnings of the Kamakura Period in Japanese history. 4 An interesting interpretation of this function of the biwa hshi can be found in the Hichi the Earless segment of the film Kwaidan (1965), directed by Masaki Kobayashi. Kya and became a respected priest Takiguchi. Kiso no Yoshinaka leaves the capital to fight the Taira but is attacked by Minamoto no Yoshitsune. An informer shows the cloister where Koremori's family (including Rokudai) is hiding. He meets with his foster-brother Imai Kanehira and they try to escape from pursuing enemy forces. These 8th century writings provide insight into the ancient traditions observed by Emperors and Empresses living at the time. The first Taira who gets access to the Imperial court is Taira no Tadamori (1131). http://www.samurai-archives.com/HeianPeriod.html, ) and have been provincial governor level appointees. Warriors execute him in front of the monks. Minamoto no Yoritomo's distrust of Minamoto no Yoshitsune grows. The tale portrays the war as a great confrontation between the Taira (or Heike) and Minamoto (or Genji) clans, warrior houses descended from imperial princes that had competed for imperial favor and power for several decades leading up to the war. The two main themes are set in the famous introduction (the bells of the Gion Shja): impermanence and the fall of the mighty (Taira no Kiyomori). Taira no Kiyomori discovers the anti-Taira plot. Kiyomori is angered by the participation of the Retired Emperor in the plot and prepares to arrest him. His performance of part of the Autumn Leaves episode from Book Six can be found on youtube.com. The Taira family sends a large army against the Minamoto. Book the Third: The Track of a Storm Chapters 6-10. Book the Third: The Track of a Storm Chapters 1-5. Heike () refers to the Taira (), hei being the on'yomi reading of the first kanji and "ke" () means family. Kiyomori marries his daughter Kenreimon'in to the son of the retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa. They begin to plot against the Taira. Swords, Oaths, And Prophetic Visions: Authoring Warrior Rule in Medieval Japan. One of the pieces reaches the shore. (1975). Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. Yoshitsune then pursues the remaining members of the Taira clan and destroys them with cunning battle strategies, only to be betrayed by his own brother. Kenreimon'in loses everything. Taira no Shigehira (Taira no Kiyomori's son captured at the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani) is allowed to see his wife before being handed over to Nara monks. Even though they win the comprehensive final battle against the Taira, Kagetoki tells people that Yoshitsune is a traitor. Bridge of Dreams : a Poetics of 'the Tale of Genji'. Prince Mochihito issues an anti-Taira call to arms. See previous section. This evil deed is believed to lead to Kiyomori's downfall. Trans. Course Hero is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university. They talk about the miserable nature of humanity and the way religion can be helpful. The story is episodic in nature and designed to be told in a series of nightly installments. "The Tales of Heike Study Guide." The story glorifies the military values of loyalty, bravery, and strong leadership, and recounts great deeds of honor and duty, self-sacrifice, clever deceit and unexpected outcomes. The Minamoto win more battles and the Taira flee or die. A noble family named the Minamoto are concerned about the power of the Taira family. However, they cannot defeat the Minamoto forces. 14 Records reveal that, occasionally, the 200 ku of Heike were performed over the course of many days, with either a solo performer or a pair of performers alternating ku, but it was more common that one or several individual ku were performed as one event. 8-[4] The Flight from the Dazaifu The Taira, out-numbered, flee this Kysh post. When Yokobue came looking for him, he was firm and did not come out. Kenreimon'in is the daughter of Taira no Kiyomori and a woman who has spent most of her life in the shadows of violent men. In a famous passage, a Taira lady in a boat holds a fan as a challenge to the Minamoto warriors and Nasu no Yoichi, a skillful young Minamoto archer, hits the fan with his arrow. Kiyomori consolidated power through marrying his daughter to the reigning emperor, and then forcing the emperor off the throne in favor of the very young son born of that union. Product Key Features. One of the episodes describing Kiyomori's arrogance is the famous story about the dancer Gi who falls out of Kiyomori's favour and becomes a nun. 6 Also translated by Helen McCullough in 1988. 3 The Japanese Emperor is considered to be the highest power in the country and the person with the utmost authority. Misfortunes of the Taira are blamed on Taira no Kiyomori (his evil deeds caused the suffering of the whole Taira clan). The Minamoto defeat the Taira in a victory at Ichi-no-tani. Upload them to earn free Course Hero access! [11] The Heike also includes a number of love stories, which harken back to earlier Heian literature. The retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa begins to plot against Kiyomori. Yoshinaka's rudeness and lack of knowledge about etiquette are shown to be ridiculous in several episodes (makes fun of courtiers, wears tasteless hunting robes, does not know how to get out of a carriage). Edited by Harou Shirane and Tomi Suzuki. It is brought to the capital and shown to Yasuyori's family. Section summary. He returns to the capital. In a famous scene, Yoshinaka is killed when his horse is stuck in the muddy field. [15] Petitioning with Sacred Palanquins---, , who have been petitioning for the punishment of men who had insulted the monks of an affiliate temple in the provinces. "The Initiate's Book" is also the most explicitly religious part of The Tales of the Heike. by Helen Craig McCullough. She is welcomed into the afterlife. Minamoto no Yoshitsune writes the Letter from Koshigoe listing his military deeds and loyal service. When they fled, they took with them the child emperor and the three sacred regalia: a sword, a mirror, and a bead strand. The proud do not endure, they are like a dream on a spring night; the mighty fall at last, they are as dust before the wind. 9 His suffering as well as the whirlwind that strikes the capital are seen as signs of the fall of the Taira. Then, Yoritomo kills Minamoto no Noriyori (Yoshitsune's half brother) who is reluctant to go against Yoshitsune. There are other memorable characters whose stories may be designed to both elicit an emotion and teach a life lesson, in particular the elderly warrior Sanemori, the poet Tadanori, and the uneven opponents Kumagae and Atsumori. Minamoto no Yoshitsune's armies move west to attack the Taira from the rear whereas his half-brother Noriyori advances to attack the Taira camp from the east. Kenreimon'in is the only character who is welcomed into the afterlife. There is merit in complexity. His heir, Shigemori, dies early, leaving clan leadership in the hands of his incompetent brother, Munemori, who is unable to defend the clan against the attacks of the revitalized Minamoto. Kenneth Dean Butler, "The Heike monogatari and The Japanese Warrior Ethic", Last edited on 11 December 2022, at 18:52, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Tale_of_the_Heike&oldid=1126877798. The triumphs of the Taira and the Minamoto are fleeting. Character notes Koreyoshi, a local commander. Translated by Royall Tyler (Penguin, 2012), pp. The setting of the story portrays the Japanese as people with honor, deceit, and brave. He begins a separate uprising against the Taira on the other side of the country. The read-lineage texts are culturally important, although they generally have received less attention in the West as they do not conform as easily to our notions of epic. The oldest dated Heike variant is in fact a read-lineage text, the Engybon, whose colophon dates it to 1309. Events move beyond him at such a rate that Shigemori can never succeed. Course Hero. [16] The monk Saik is executed and others are exiled. Kiyomori ignores Taira no Shigemori and executes enemies. After the 1185 earthquake the hut is ruined. The religion she finds in the monastery is a stark contrast to the lavish lifestyle she once enjoyed. The three Minamoto heirs, whose lives have been spared by Taira Kiyomori, return from exile to vanquish the Taira during the Genpei War. How does the theme of impermanence color this narrative? Kiso no Yoshinaka wins a major battle at Yokotagawara (1182). This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. This website uses cookies to identify users, improve the user experience and requires cookies to work. Taira no Tsunemasa visits an island to pray and compose a poem. These are the tales of bravery of aristocratic families, their show of dignified vicissitudes but also along with that their cowardliness, deceit, and all the travails of human frailty. He is troubled by bad dreams and news of disturbances around the country. It discusses the stories of 12th century and the main focus is the transition of Chinese and the Japanese. The English translation used in this LitChart was published in 1976. When the Taira lose the war against the Minamoto, she decides to dedicate her life to religion. In a show of force he calls on all who are loyal to him to bear arms. She lives a plain and simple life. . The illness of Kiyomori's pregnant daughter, Taira no Tokuko, is attributed to angry spirits of the executed (such as Fujiwara no Narichika) and the exiled. Key Facts about The Tale of Genji Full Title: The Tale of Genji When Written: 1000-1012 BCE Where Written: The Heian-ky imperial court When Published: The original was published as 54 individual chapters as they were written. The Taira use the distraction to gather their armies. Taira no Noritsune, Kiyomori's nephew and a strong warrior, fails to have a fight with Minamoto no Yoshitsune and dies fighting bravely. Leiden: Brill, 2017. The story of the Heike was compiled from a collection of oral stories recited by travelling monks who chanted to the accompaniment of the biwa, an instrument reminiscent of the lute. Aoi, a servant girl (sht, or ue-warawa, that is, a servant to a lady-in-waiting). The Taira continue to fight and win a number of battles. The Tales of Heike Study Guide. Kenreimon'in leaves the monastery and travels to a Buddhist retreat in Jakko-in. Messengers bring news of anti-Taira forces gathering under the Minamoto leadership in the eastern provinces, Kysh, Shikoku. There were various calculations as to when this nadir would arrive, but the widely believed doctrine at the time was that it began around 1050. The Tale of the Heike. 2021. Course Hero. In 2012, Royall Tyler completed his translation, which seeks to be mindful of the performance style for which the work was originally intended. Yoritomo (still suspicious) orders the execution of Rokudai (age 30+), and the Taira line comes to an end. Yoritomo sends an assassin to kill Yoshitsune (fails). The story is intended to be told in a series of nightly installments. In the spring of 1186, Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa makes a visit to the mountain retreat. The fate Heike met leaves us with lot of tears. Kiyomori, under pressure from temples and courtiers, moves the capital back to Kyoto. Course Hero is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university. Emperor Go-Shirakawa helps the Minamoto and the war begins. Course Hero. The biwa ( - Chinese: pipa), a form of short-necked lute, was played by a group of itinerant performers (biwa hshi).The root of Biwa music was The Tale of the Heike. It also promulgates Buddhist teachings; the theme of the impermanence of the material world appears throughout the story, and the fates of the characters are preordained by the good or evil deeds of prior existences. Kenreimon'in retires to a monastery and dies alone. During the confused fighting at the shore, Yoshitsune loses his bow and gets it back risking his life. The Minamoto defeat the Taira in a victory at Ichi-no-tani. Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa returns to the capital from Enryaku-ji together with Minamoto no Yoshinaka's armies. His cruel and arrogant behavior soon angers other powerful people. Oyler, Elizabeth. His death (in 1181, age 64) highlights the themes of impermanence and fall of the mighty. In 1183, the Taira gather a large army (mainly from western provinces) and send it against Minamoto no Yoshinaka and Minamoto no Yoritomo. The theme of impermanence (muj) is captured in the famous opening passage: The sound of the Gion Shja bells echoes the impermanence of all things; the color of the sla flowers reveals the truth that the prosperous must decline. Like most epics (the work is an epic chronicle in prose rather than verse), it is the result of the conglomeration of differing versions passed down through an oral tradition by biwa-playing bards known as biwa hshi. Chapter 1.1, trans. This page was last edited on 11 December 2022, at 18:52. Course Hero, Inc. As a reminder, you may only use Course Hero content for your own personal use and may not copy, distribute, or otherwise exploit it for any other purpose. The Tale of the Heike recounts the struggle for power between the Taira (or Heike) and Minamoto (or Genji) houses in the late twelfth century. Then he goes to Fukuhara and brings back the Imperial Edict from Go-Shirakawa permitting Minamoto no Yoritomo to overthrow the Taira. Kiso no Yoshinaka (cousin of Minamoto no Yoritomo in the northwestern provinces) plans a rebellion against the Taira and raises an army. He very reluctantly decides he can no longer see her. In the capital, Yoshinaka fights with Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa (the battle at the Hjji) and takes control of the capital and the court by force. Taira no Munemori flees to the provinces as the Taira evacuate the capital city. The Minamoto take control of Japan. Shigehira, concerned about his past arrogance and evil deeds (burning of Nara temples), wants to devote himself to Buddhism. They make a thousand stupas (Buddhist wooden objects) with their names and throw them into the sea. Course Hero, Inc. As a reminder, you may only use Course Hero content for your own personal use and may not copy, distribute, or otherwise exploit it for any other purpose. Kiyomori uncovers the Minamoto family's plot against him. The battle is filled with demonstrations of skill and bravery. Fujiwara no Narichika's son Naritsune and Yasuyori are pardoned, but Shunkan is left alone on Kikaijima for letting the anti-Taira conspirators gather at his villa. Copyright 2016. The Tale of the Heike. Having once arisen into a powerful clan under . Theodore de Bary, at Columbia University. The Heike also includes a number of love stories, which harkens back to earlier Heian literature. 7 By the Edo period, blind professionals (including reciters of the tale) had been organized into a guild, referred to as the Tdza, which held exclusive permission to perform and transmit the Heike, among other tasks. The Tale of the Heike. She also mentions a dream in which she saw the Taira in the dragon king's palace asking her to pray for their salvation. Meanwhile, the Enryaku-ji complex is destroyed and a fire at the Zenk-ji destroys a Buddhist statue. 3-28 (The Jetavana Temple, The Night Attack in the Palace, The Sea Bass, One Mans Glory, Gio); 325-28 (Death of Kiyomori); 369-71 (Sanemori); 389-91 (Tadanoris Flight from the Capital); 401-4 (The Flight from Fukuhara); 504-6 (The Death of Atsumori); 687-709 (Kenreimon-in Becomes a Nun, Kenreimon-in Moves to Ohara, The Cloistered Emperors Visit to Ohara, Passage Through the Six Realms, Kenreimon-in Enters Paradise). A photograph of what was Bishop Shunkan's mountain villa where anti-Taira plots were discussed. Kenreimon'in is different. After he dies the main figure of the third section is the great samurai, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, a military genius who is falsely accused of treachery by his politically astute elder brother Minamoto no Yoritomo. Dancer, Nun, Ghost, Goddess. In-text citation: ("A Literary Analysis of the Tale of Heike.") Works Cited entry: The news reaches Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa and Kiyomori who see the stupa with emotion.[18]. The most prevalent and well known edition of the Tale of the Heike today, the 1371 Kakuichi text, is generally thought to be a fictional dramatization of the Genpei War. Kya. (2021, March 31). The book was first published in 1219 and the latest edition of the book was published in October 1st 2012 which eliminates all the known issues . The Heike is considered one of the great classics of medieval Japanese literature. The Genpei War and the Tale of the Heike, Japan's Greatest War Story. (This web site have a few notes about the Noh play 'Atsumori' elsewhere .) Kya and Kumano (where his father Koremori drowned). Accessed January 18, 2023. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Tales-of-Heike/. Mongaku comes back with a letter from Yoritomo and saves Rokudai just before his execution takes place. The Minamoto gain the upper hand and the Taira flee. Briefly summarize "A Tale of the Sky World . Taira no Noritsune, Kiyomori's nephew and a commander of the Taira, shoots at Minamoto no Yoshitsune, but Tsuginobu, Yoshitsune's retainer, dies protecting him from arrows. Heike () refers to the Taira () clan; hei is an alternate reading of the kanji (character) for Taira. She escapes the Minamoto violence and dedicates her life to religion. The story of the Heike Monogatari was compiled from a collection of oral stories composed and recited by traveling monks, who chanted them to the accompaniment of the biwa, a four-stringed instrument reminiscent of the lute. She has lost many close family members and friends. This can be seen clearly with the treatment of Kiyomori in The Tale of the Heike, who is cruel throughout his life, and later falls into a painful illness that kills him. However, the Emperors portrayed in The Tales of the Heike are often controlled by other people. He arranges marriages and appoints governors. 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