Book contents
- The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature
- The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Contributors
- Book part
- A note on Romanization and conventions
- Glossary
- General introduction
- Part I The ancient period (beginnings to 794)
- Part II The Heian period (794–1185)
- Part III The medieval period (1185–1600)
- 21 Introduction to medieval literature
- 22 Japanese poetic thought, from earliest times to the thirteenth century
- 23 Shinkokin wakashū: The New Anthology of Ancient and Modern Japanese Poetry
- 24 Waka in the medieval period: patterns of practice and patronage
- 25 Hyakunin isshuand the popularization of classical poetry
- 26 Medieval recluse literature: Saigyō, Chōmei, and Kenkō
- 27 Medieval women’s diaries: fromTamakiwarutoTakemukigaki
- 28 Setsuwa (anecdotal) literature:Nihon ryōikitoKokon chomonjū
- 29 The rise of medieval warrior tales:Hōgen monogatariandHeiji monogatari
- 30 The Tales of the Heike
- 31 The late medieval warrior tales: fromSoga monogataritoTaiheiki
- 32 Literature of medieval Zen temples: Gozan (Five Mountains) and Ikkyū Sōjun
- 33 Renga (linked verse)
- 34 Noh drama
- 35 Noh drama theory from Zeami to Zenchiku
- 36 Kyōgen: comic plays that turn medieval society upside down
- 37 Late medieval popular fiction and narrated genres: otogizōshi, kōwakamai, sekkyō, and ko-jōruri
- Part IV The Edo period (1600–1867)
- Part V The modern period (1868 to present)
- Bibliography of English secondary sources and translations
- Index
30 - The Tales of the Heike
from Part III - The medieval period (1185–1600)
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 January 2016
Book contents
- The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature
- The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Contributors
- Book part
- A note on Romanization and conventions
- Glossary
- General introduction
- Part I The ancient period (beginnings to 794)
- Part II The Heian period (794–1185)
- Part III The medieval period (1185–1600)
- 21 Introduction to medieval literature
- 22 Japanese poetic thought, from earliest times to the thirteenth century
- 23 Shinkokin wakashū: The New Anthology of Ancient and Modern Japanese Poetry
- 24 Waka in the medieval period: patterns of practice and patronage
- 25 Hyakunin isshuand the popularization of classical poetry
- 26 Medieval recluse literature: Saigyō, Chōmei, and Kenkō
- 27 Medieval women’s diaries: fromTamakiwarutoTakemukigaki
- 28 Setsuwa (anecdotal) literature:Nihon ryōikitoKokon chomonjū
- 29 The rise of medieval warrior tales:Hōgen monogatariandHeiji monogatari
- 30 The Tales of the Heike
- 31 The late medieval warrior tales: fromSoga monogataritoTaiheiki
- 32 Literature of medieval Zen temples: Gozan (Five Mountains) and Ikkyū Sōjun
- 33 Renga (linked verse)
- 34 Noh drama
- 35 Noh drama theory from Zeami to Zenchiku
- 36 Kyōgen: comic plays that turn medieval society upside down
- 37 Late medieval popular fiction and narrated genres: otogizōshi, kōwakamai, sekkyō, and ko-jōruri
- Part IV The Edo period (1600–1867)
- Part V The modern period (1868 to present)
- Bibliography of English secondary sources and translations
- Index
Summary
The Heike monogatari or The Tales of the Heike is a long medieval narrative, extant in multiple variants, about the rise and fall of Taira Kiyomori and the Heike warrior house in the course of the twelfth century. The first half of the Heike narrate the rapid rise and consolidation of Kiyomori's power, alternating praise with censure. The second half of the Heike narrates the defeat of the Heike by the Genji forces, first led by Kiso no Yoshinaka, who drives the Heike into flight and exile from the capital; and then by Minamoto no Yoshitsune, who defeats them in two battles. As the Heike variants circulated throughout the fourteenth and into the fifteenth centuries, copied and recopied by multiple hands, the story continued to propagate and gain ever larger audiences across all classes of Japanese society, reaching a peak of popularity in the golden age of Heike performance in the fifteenth century.
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- The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature , pp. 295 - 305Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2015