<<The>> dawn of the Warrior Age war tales from medieval Japan

"Warrior tales are a key genre of medieval Japanese literature. Unlike earlier chronicles that focus on the communication of historical fact, the beginning in the early 13th century, such tales try to recreate inner life of the warriors, and take the perspective not of scribes hearing of distant events but of those who experienced war first hand. The tales were transmitted both as read text and as orally performed material, recited by minstrels and traveling monks. As such, they influenced both written and performance genres that came after, including No theater. The Tales of Heike (Heike monogatari) is the most famous of these stories, but this volume pulls together three of the most important tales that complete the story of the crucial decades between 1156 and 1221. They are The Tale of the Hōgen Years (Hōgen monogatari), which treats a deposed emperor's disastrous attempt to regain the throne; The Tale of the Heiji Years (Heiji monogatari), which covers the murderous clash between two rival court factions; and A Record of the Jōkyū Years (Jōkyūki), which deals with a failed imperial attempt to suppress the shogunal government established by Minamoto no Yoritomo. In short, Hōgen, Heiji, and Jōkyūki supplement Heike by covering preceding events and the gist of what followed. Basic to a study of their time, they are also significant works of Japanese literature in their own right. Moreover, the scroll paintings of scenes from Heiji monogatari are particularly famous examples of Japanese art. The volume will have a short introduction, and a separate introduction will precede each work translated. All translations are annotated"