Shizuka Gozen

Date of birth and death unknown. A concubine of Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Daughter of Iso Zenji, she was originally a Shirabyoshi (traditional dancer) in Kyoto. When Yoshitsune was attacked by Tosabo Shoshun, an assassin sent by her brother Yoritomo, at Horikawadai in Kyoto, Shizuka used her wit to save Yoshitsune. After that, she followed Yoshitsune and fled from Daimotsuura (Daimotto-cho, Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture) to Mount Yoshino, but was captured by a mountain monk and escorted to Kamakura. In Kamakura, she was subjected to severe questioning about Yoshitsune's whereabouts, but Shizuka is said to have remained steadfast in her silence. Yoritomo's wife, Hojo Masako, heard that Shizuka was a skilled dancer and had her perform a dance in front of the shrine at Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine. Kudo Suketsune played the drums and Hatakeyama Shigetada played the bronze beaters. Shizuka sang songs of her affection for Yoshitsune, saying, "I long for the traces of those who trampled through the snow on the peaks of Mt. Yoshino," and "I wish that the days of repeating the hemp tassels of Shizu and Shizu would come true," which displeased Yoritomo, but Masako intervened and the situation was resolved. Shizuka eventually gave birth to a child, but Yoritomo had him abandoned at Yuigahama Beach in Kamakura. Noh plays with Shizuka as their theme include "Yoshino Shizuka" and "Two Shizukas," and a joruri piece is "Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Blossoms."

[Kunihiro Suzuki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

生没年不詳。源義経(よしつね)の妾(しょう)。磯禅師(いそのぜんじ)の女(むすめ)で、もと京都の白拍子(しらびょうし)であった。義経が京都堀川第(ほりかわだい)で兄頼朝(よりとも)の刺客土佐房昌俊(とさぼうしょうしゅん)に襲われたとき、機転によって義経を助けた。以後、義経に従い大物浦(だいもつのうら)（兵庫県尼崎(あまがさき)市大物町）から吉野山に逃れたが、山僧に捕らえられて鎌倉に護送された。鎌倉では義経の所在に関して厳しい訊問(じんもん)を受けたが、静は固く沈黙を守ったという。頼朝の妻北条政子(まさこ)は、静が舞の名手であると聞き、鶴岡八幡(つるがおかはちまん)の神前でこれを舞わせた。工藤祐経(くどうすけつね)が鼓を打ち、畠山重忠(はたけやましげただ)が銅拍子(どうびょうし)を勤めた。静はこのとき、「吉野山峰の白雪ふみ分けて入りにし人の跡ぞ恋しき」「しずやしず賤(しず)の苧環(おだまき)くりかへし昔を今になすよしもがな」と、義経への慕情を歌ったため、頼朝の不興を買ったが、政子のとりなしによって事なきを得た。やがて静は一児を生んだが、頼朝はこれを鎌倉由比ヶ浜(ゆいがはま)に捨てさせた。静を主題とした謡曲に『吉野静』『二人静(ふたりしずか)』があり、浄瑠璃(じょうるり)に『義経千本桜』がある。

［鈴木国弘］

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