Tale of Hogen
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese war chronicle or military tale (gunki monogatari
) which relates the events and prominent figures of the Hōgen Rebellion
. This literary and historical classic is believed to have been completed in the Kamakura period
ca. 1320. Its author or authors remain unknown. The events which are recounted in the Hōgen story become a prelude to the story which unfolds in Tale of Heiji
.
As in the Heiji story, the narrative structure is divided in three segments:
(1159-1160), and the Heike monogatari (1180-1185).
In each of these familiar monogatari, the central figures are popularly well known, the major events are generally understood, and the stakes as they were understood at the time are conventionally accepted as elements in the foundation of Japanese culture. The accuracy of each of these historical records has become a compelling subject for further study; and some accounts have been shown to withstand close scrutiny, while other presumed “facts” have turned out to be inaccurate.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese war chronicle or military tale (gunki monogatari
Monogatari
is a literary form in traditional Japanese literature, an extended prose narrative tale comparable to the epic. Monogatari is closely tied to aspects of the oral tradition, and almost always relates a fictional or fictionalized story, even when retelling a historical event...
) which relates the events and prominent figures of the Hōgen Rebellion
Hogen Rebellion
The was a short civil war fought in order to resolve a dispute about Japanese Imperial succession. The dispute was also about the degree of control exercised by the Fujiwara clan who had become hereditary Imperial regents during the Heian period....
. This literary and historical classic is believed to have been completed in the Kamakura period
Kamakura period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....
ca. 1320. Its author or authors remain unknown. The events which are recounted in the Hōgen story become a prelude to the story which unfolds in Tale of Heiji
Tale of Heiji
The Tale of Heiji is a Japanese war epic detailing the events of the Heiji Rebellion of 1159-1160, in which samurai clan head Minamoto no Yoshitomo attacked and besieged Kyoto, as part of an Imperial succession dispute, in which he was opposed by Taira no Kiyomori, head of the Taira clan...
.
Rivalries
As in the Heiji story, multi-level and inter-related rivalries lead to war; and the main characters are presented in traditional status order: Emperors and former Emperors first, Fujiwara ministers second, and Minamoto clan warriors third.- 1st level rivalry -- a conflict amongst emperors:
- Cloistered , 1103-1156
- Cloistered , 1119-1164
- Reigning , 1127-1192
- 2nd level rivalry -- a conflict amongst kugeKugeThe was a Japanese aristocratic class that dominated the Japanese imperial court in Kyoto until the rise of the Shogunate in the 12th century at which point it was eclipsed by the daimyo...
aristocrats, between sons of , 1078-1162- , 1097-1164
- , 1120-1156
- 3rd level rivalry -- a conflict amongst (and within) warrior clans, amongst sons of , 1096-1156
- Tameyoshi's older sons support Go-Shirakawa
- Tameyoshi and his younger sons support Sutoku.
As in the Heiji story, the narrative structure is divided in three segments:
- Part 1 introduces the characters and their rivalries.
- Part 2 relates course of the conflicts.
- Part 3 explains the tragic consequences.
Monogatari historiography
The Japanese have developed a number of complementary strategies for capturing, preserving and disseminating the essential elements of their commonly-accepted national history – chronicles of sovereigns and events, biographies of eminent persons and personalities, and the military tale or gunki monogatari. This last form evolved from an interest in recording the activities of military conflicts in the late 12th century. The major battles, the small skirmishes and the individual contests -- and the military figures who animate these accounts -- have all been passed from generation to generation in the narrative formats of the Hōgen monogatari (1156), the Heiji monagatariTale of Heiji
The Tale of Heiji is a Japanese war epic detailing the events of the Heiji Rebellion of 1159-1160, in which samurai clan head Minamoto no Yoshitomo attacked and besieged Kyoto, as part of an Imperial succession dispute, in which he was opposed by Taira no Kiyomori, head of the Taira clan...
(1159-1160), and the Heike monogatari (1180-1185).
In each of these familiar monogatari, the central figures are popularly well known, the major events are generally understood, and the stakes as they were understood at the time are conventionally accepted as elements in the foundation of Japanese culture. The accuracy of each of these historical records has become a compelling subject for further study; and some accounts have been shown to withstand close scrutiny, while other presumed “facts” have turned out to be inaccurate.
See also
- Hōgen RebellionHogen RebellionThe was a short civil war fought in order to resolve a dispute about Japanese Imperial succession. The dispute was also about the degree of control exercised by the Fujiwara clan who had become hereditary Imperial regents during the Heian period....
, 1156 - Heiji RebellionHeiji RebellionThe was a short civil war fought in order to resolve a dispute about political power. The Heiji no ran encompassed clashes between rival subjects of the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa of Japan in 1159. It was preceded by the Hōgen Rebellion in 1156...
, 1159-1160 - Tale of HeijiTale of HeijiThe Tale of Heiji is a Japanese war epic detailing the events of the Heiji Rebellion of 1159-1160, in which samurai clan head Minamoto no Yoshitomo attacked and besieged Kyoto, as part of an Imperial succession dispute, in which he was opposed by Taira no Kiyomori, head of the Taira clan...
or Heiji monogatariTale of HeijiThe Tale of Heiji is a Japanese war epic detailing the events of the Heiji Rebellion of 1159-1160, in which samurai clan head Minamoto no Yoshitomo attacked and besieged Kyoto, as part of an Imperial succession dispute, in which he was opposed by Taira no Kiyomori, head of the Taira clan... - Genpei WarGenpei WarThe was a conflict between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late-Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the fall of the Taira clan and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto Yoritomo in 1192....
, 1180-1185 - Tale of Heike or Heike monogatari