Kumasaka (The Robber) is a Noh play from the 15th century attributed by Arthur Waley to Zenchiku Ujinobu, about the notable Heian period bandit Kumasaka no Chohan.
The play takes the form of Mugen Noh - supernatural, or dream-time Noh. [1]
The samurai hero, Minamoto no Yoshitsune - known in his early life as Ushiwaka or Young Bull - had a series of David and Goliath encounters attributed to him in his youth, one of which concerned repelling a bandit attack led by the robber Kumasaka (a figure sometimes identified as the slayer of Young Bull's mother). [2]
A travelling monk is offered shelter by another, on condition that he prays for an anonymous soul buried by a pine-tree. [3] The traveller is surprised to see a large pike hanging on the cottage wall; and the other uncovers his past as a robber, before vanishing, thereby revealing to the priest that "It was under the shadow of a pine-tree that he had rested". [4]
Thereafter, the robber reappears as the ghost of Kumasaka, and tells the story of his last fight, and of his death at the hands of Ushiwaka, "The wonderful boy...be he ogre or hobgoblin". [5]
Minamoto no Yoshitsune was a military commander of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian and early Kamakura periods. During the Genpei War, he led a series of battles which toppled the Ise-Heishi branch of the Taira clan, helping his half-brother Yoritomo consolidate power. He is considered one of the greatest and the most popular warriors of his era, and one of the most famous samurai in the history of Japan. Yoshitsune perished after being betrayed by the son of a trusted ally.
In Japanese folklore and mythology, Sōjōbō is the mythical king and god of the tengu, legendary creatures thought to inhabit the mountains and forests of Japan. Sōjōbō is a specific type of tengu called daitengu and has the appearance of a yamabushi, a Japanese mountain hermit. Daitengu have a primarily human form with some bird-like features such as wings and claws. The other distinctive physical characteristics of Sōjōbō include his long, white hair and unnaturally long nose.
The Tale of the Heike is an epic account compiled prior to 1330 of the struggle between the Taira clan and Minamoto clan for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War (1180–1185). Heike (平家) refers to the Taira (平), hei being the on'yomi reading of the first kanji and "ke" (家) means family. Note that in the title of the Genpei War, "hei" is in this combination read as "pei" and the "gen" (源) is the first kanji used in the Minamoto clan's name.
Arthur David Waley was an English orientalist and sinologist who achieved both popular and scholarly acclaim for his translations of Chinese and Japanese poetry. Among his honours were the CBE in 1952, the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 1953, and he was invested as a Companion of Honour in 1956.
Saitō Musashibō Benkei, popularly known as simply Benkei, was a Japanese warrior monk (sōhei) who lived in the latter years of the Heian Period (794–1185)[1]. Benkei led a varied life, first becoming a monk, then a mountain ascetic, and then a rogue warrior. He later came to respect and serve the famous warrior Minamoto no Yoshitsune, also known as Ushiwakamaru. He is commonly depicted as a man of great strength and loyalty, and a popular subject of Japanese folklore, showcased in many ancient and modern literature and productions.
The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail is a 1945 Japanese period drama film written and directed by Akira Kurosawa, based on the kabuki play Kanjinchō, which is in turn based on the Noh play Ataka. It depicts a famous 12th century incident in which Yoshitsune and a small group of samurai cross into enemy territory disguised as monks.
Taira no Atsumori (1169–1184) was a samurai of the late Heian period of Japan. He was a member of the Taira clan. He fought in the Genpei War against the Minamoto.
Shizuka Gozen (静御前) (1165–1211), or Lady Shizuka, one of the most famous women in Japanese history and literature, was a shirabyōshi of the 12th century, and a mistress of Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Since she, like many others, are featured largely in the Heike Monogatari, Gikeiki, and a number of plays of various traditions, her story is quite well known, but it is difficult to separate fact from fiction within it.
Matsukaze is a play of the third category, the woman's mode, by Kan'ami, revised by Zeami Motokiyo. One of the most highly regarded of Noh plays, it is mentioned more than any other in Zeami's own writings, and is depicted numerous times in the visual arts.
Aoi no Ue is a Muromachi period Japanese Noh play based on the character Lady Aoi from the Heian period novel The Tale of Genji. It is an example of the fourth category of "miscellaneous" Noh plays. Aoi no Ue was the first of many Noh plays based on The Tale of Genji. It is sometimes attributed to Zeami Motokiyo or to his son-in-law Zenchiku; the extant version of the text is likely a reworking of a version written for the troupe of a contemporary, Inuō.
Miho no Matsubara is a scenic area on the Miho Peninsula in Shimizu Ward of Shizuoka City, Japan. Its seven-kilometre seashore is lined with pine trees. It is the location of the legend upon which the Noh drama Hagoromo is based; on the second Saturday and Sunday of October, the city of Shizuoka holds a Hagoromo Festival and a performance of the Noh drama takes place near the pine tree of the legend.
Shunkan (俊寛) is a Noh play, which was traditionally attributed to Zeami, but is now ascribed either to his son-in-law Zenchiku or his son Motomasa.
The Gikeiki (義経記), "The Chronicle of Yoshitsune", is a Japanese gunki monogatari ("war-tale") that focuses on the legends of Minamoto no Yoshitsune and his followers. Thought to have been written during the Nanboku-chō period, it has provided inspiration to numerous Noh, kabuki and bunraku plays. Much of the image that people today have of Yoshitsune and those associated with him is considered to have been influenced by the Gikeiki.
Aya no Tsuzumi is a Japanese Noh play by an unknown author, written in the 15th century.
[[File:Maan van de grafsteen Sotoba no tsuki Honderd aspecten van de maan (serietitel) Tsuki hyakushi, RP-P-2008-186.jpg|thumb|The aged Komachi rests upon the Sotōba]]
The letter from Koshigoe is a 12th century document written by Minamoto no Yoshitsune to Minamoto no Yoritomo from the city of Koshigoe.
Benkei on the Bridge is a Japanese Noh play from the 15th century, by Hiyoshi Sa-ami Yasukiyo.
Haku Rakuten (白楽天) is a Noh play in the first category by Zeami Motokiyo, about the Japanese god of poetry repelling the Chinese poet Bai Juyi from Japan 500 years earlier, in defiance of the (perceived) challenge from China to the autonomy of Japanese poetry.
Eboshi-ori is a Noh play of the 16th century by Miyamasu.
Ukai is a Noh play of around 1400, attributed to Enami no Sayemon.