Japanese Classical Literature ２

　　日本の古典文学 　　　 其の二

Francis Yamamoto

１．「 Tale of the Heike 」平家物語　 Tale of the Heike was compiled in 1240 by

an unknown author from a collection of oral stories composed and recited by traveling monks, who chanted them with a BIWA (Japanese lute).

BIWA 　 HOUSHI (traveling monk with BIWA)

A part of picture scroll of “Tale of the Heike” (17th century)

Outline of Heike

Tale of the Heike is an epic account of the struggle between the Taira (Heike)and Mi-namoto(Genji) clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War (1180-1185).

Note: You have already known “Tale of Genji”, story of HIKARU GENJI‘s love. But he do not have any rela-tionship to the Genji clain.He is a fictional character. But “Tale of the Heike” is based on historical facts.

Tale of the Heike is composed by 12 chapters and 1 additional chapter.　 1 : Prologue2- 6 : Chronicle of the rise of Heike clain.7-12: Chronicle of the fall of Heike clain.add : A sequel to the epic.(epilogue) 　

KIYOMORITADAMORISHIGEMORIKOREMORIMUNEMORITOMOMORIATSUMORIYORIMORITSUNEMORI and others

YORITOMOYOSHITSUNEYOSHITAKA(KISO)NORIYORITAMEYOSHIKAZIWARA-GENTASASAKI-SHIROUKUMAGAI-JIROKUMAGAI-KOJIROIMAI-SHIROU and others

vs

Main charactersHEIKE GENJI

Chapter 1 prologue “GION-SHOUJA”(The opening lines)

The pealing of the bells of the Jetavana temple ring with the sound of the impermanence of all material things. The color of the paired Sala trees gives witness to the truth that all who flourish must necessarily perish. Those who flaunt their pleasures are not long for the world; they are as brief as the dream of a Spring night. And the brave ones are vanquished in the end; they are merely as specks of dust before the wind.

"MUJOU"( 無常）“MUJOU”or evanescence is the main

aesthetic of Tale of The Heike. Nothing has eternity, Everything fades away .

We can see this thought clearly in the prologue.

All the story is consistent in this thought. Altough thought of MUJOU came from the

buddhism, it depends on the days of war and it has penetrated all over Japan.

　

I

ATSUMORI called back to shore by KUMAGAI 17th centuries painting

ARMOR AND HELMET

National treasure “KIKU ICHIMONJI”

SWORD, BOW AND ARROW

National treasure “DOUZI GIRI”

Japanese bow is the biggest bow in the world.

BOOKS

“The Tale of the Heike”translated by Helen McCllough

Stanford Univ Pr.

“Genji & Heike”selection from The Tale of Genji and The Tale of the Heiketranslated by Helen McCllough

Stanford Univ Pr.