Taira no Atsumori - Taira no Atsumori

A military commander in the late Heian period. The youngest son of Tsunemori. He was given the rank of Junior Fifth Rank, but was called a Mukan no Tayu (unofficial official) because he did not hold any official position. In February 1184 (Genryaku 1), the Taira clan, defeated in the Battle of Ichinotani by the forces of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, fled to the sea. Atsumori, who was too late to escape, was captured and killed by Kumagai Naozane, a resident of Musashi Province who was on the side of the Minamoto clan. He is said to have died on February 7th, when he was 16 or 17 years old. He was an accomplished flute player, and was carrying a famous flute twig that his grandfather Tadamori had received from Emperor Toba. The story of Naozane, who killed Atsumori, feeling the impermanence of life and becoming a monk is included in works such as "The Tale of the Heike," and is well known in the form of the Kowaka dance piece "Atsumori," the Noh play "Atsumori," and the Joruri piece "Ichinotani Futaba Gunki."

[Tanabe Hisako]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

平安末期の武将。経盛(つねもり)の末子。従(じゅ)五位下に叙せられたが官職についていなかったので無官大夫(むかんのたゆう)とよばれた。1184年（元暦1）2月、源義経(よしつね)軍との一ノ谷の戦いに敗れた平氏は、海上へ逃れた。このとき逃げ遅れた敦盛は、源氏方の武蔵(むさし)国住人熊谷直実(くまがいなおざね)に捕り押さえられ、討たれた。2月7日、16歳または17歳と伝えられる。笛の名手で、祖父忠盛(ただもり)が鳥羽(とば)院より賜った名笛小枝(さえだ)を携えていたという。敦盛を討った直実が、人生の無常を感じ出家する話は『平家物語』などに収められ、幸若(こうわか)舞曲『敦盛』、謡曲『敦盛』、また浄瑠璃(じょうるり)『一谷嫩軍記(いちのたにふたばぐんき)』などとしてよく知られている。

［田辺久子］

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