Shinano no Zenji Yukinaga

A person who is recorded as the author of "The Tale of the Heike" in the 226th chapter of "Tsurezuregusa". During the reign of Emperor Gotoba, he became a monk and retired from the world, and was raised by Jien, who wrote "The Tale of the Heike" and had the blind priest Shobutsu recite it. The most popular theory is that this person was Yukinaga, the son of Nakayama Yukitaka and the governor of Shimotsuke, and it is thought that "Shinano no Mae no Tsukasa" is a mistake for "Shimotsuke no Mae no Tsukasa". This is because his father Yukitaka's rise to power is particularly recorded in "The Tale of the Heike" (volume 3), and his family, known as the Hamuro family, includes many people who have been said to be the authors of "The Tale of the Heike" since ancient times. However, there are still many questions before he can be identified as the author, including whether this theory is correct or not.

[Kusaka Riki]

"Reprint of 'The Tale of the Heike' by Takao Yamada (1968, Benseisha)" ▽ "The Tale of the Heike Research Dictionary, edited by Sadatsugu Ichiko (1978, Meiji Shoin)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

『徒然草(つれづれぐさ)』226段に『平家物語』の作者として記されている人物。後鳥羽院(ごとばいん)の時代に出家遁世(とんせい)、慈円(じえん)に養われて『平家物語』を書き、盲目法師生仏(しょうぶつ)に語らせたという。この人物は中山行隆(ゆきたか)の子で下野守(しもつけのかみ)であった行長とする説が有力であり、「信濃前司」は「下野前司」の誤りかとされている。父行隆の出世が『平家物語』にことさら記され（巻3）、葉室(はむろ)家といわれる彼の家系には、古来『平家物語』作者と伝承されてきた人物が多いからである。しかし、この説の当否を含め、作者と認定するにはなお多くの疑問を残す。

［日下　力］

『山田孝雄著『平家物語考』再版（1968・勉誠社）』▽『市古貞次編『平家物語研究事典』（1978・明治書院）』

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