The Tale of the Heike

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The Heike Monogatari (Jap. 平家物語, Engl. Tales of the Heike) is an epic account of the struggle of the Minamoto and the Taira (Heike) for supremacy in Japan at the end of the 12th century.

Now considered the standard text, the Kakuichi version was written in 1371 based on a collection of orally transmitted stories and is considered one of the greatest classics of medieval Japanese literature. It is a result of the Biwa-hōshi tradition of blind monks who traveled the country reciting epic poems while accompanying themselves on the biwa, a lute. The literary form of the monogatari has also survived through other important works of Japanese literature.

The central theme of the story is the fall of the proud Taira, the samurai clan that defeated the Minamoto, supported by the imperial court, in 1161. However, they were so blinded in their hatred that they sowed the seeds of their own demise and were eventually defeated by the resurgent Minamoto in 1185.

This is a very Buddhist theme - a moral lesson on the consequences of attachment to worldly desires.

Despite the complex and at times bloodthirsty nature of much of the epic, the overarching theme suggests that the work served to atone for the souls of those who died in the great battles described.

The story consists of episodes designed to be told in a series of nightly events. It is mainly a samurai epic based on Bushidō ethics. However, it also contains some love stories that date back to older literature of the Heian period.

The work can be roughly divided into 3 parts. The main character of the first part is Taira no Kiyomori, who is described as arrogant, evil and ruthless. He is so consumed by the fire of hatred that even in death his feverish body does not cool down when he is submerged in water.

The main character of the second part is the general Minamoto no Yoshinaka. After he dies, the main character of the third part is the great samurai Minamoto no Yoshitsune, a military genius who is falsely accused of treason by his more politically astute older brother Minamoto no Yoritomo.

The Heike monogatari were the basis for many later works of art from Nō plays to block prints.