A hundred years ago, two mighty warrior families fought for dominance in Japan. One was
the Taira clan, also called the Heike. The other was the Minamoto clan, known also as the
Genji. Out of those times comes:
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Kiyomori, warrior leader of the Heike, rises to power and glory. His
daughter marries the Emperor and gives birth to the imperial heir. But the pride and
arrogance of Kiyomori bring danger to his family.
Kiyomori defeats a Minamoto revolt but dies the following year. Rebellion flares again
and sweeps away the Heike armies. Aboard a Heike ship in the war’s climactic sea
battle is Nii-dono, widow of Kiyomori and grandmother of the eight-year-old Emperor
Antoku. Seeing the imminent defeat of the Heike, Nii-dono takes her grandson in her arms
and plunges into the sea. |
For another view of this era of war, read:
An Account of My Hut by Kamo no Chomei
Disgusted with his violent world, Kamo no Chomei withdrew to the solitude of a tiny hut in
the mountains. There he reflected on the impermanence of life--how the grand palaces of
one age become the lowly cottages of the next. |
