Taira no Kagekiyo - The Shadow of Taira

A military commander in the late Heian period. Son of Fujiwara Tadayoshi. In 1180 (Jisho 4), he participated in the battle against Kiso Yoshinaka on the Hokuriku road as a member of the Taira army, and fought bravely at the Battle of Ichinotani in 1184 (Genryaku 1), but was defeated. In the Battle of Yashima the following year, Kagekiyo took the helmet armor of Mioya Juro, a resident of Musashi Province, and called himself "Kazusa Akushichibyoe Kagekiyo, as the Kyoto children call him" (Tale of the Heike). He was known as Akushichibei because he killed his uncle Dainichi Nounin by jumping to conclusions. Kagekiyo survived the downfall of the Taira clan at Dannoura and joined the uprising led by Tomotada (son of Tomomori) who was trying to restore the Taira clan. Later, in 95 (Kenkyu 6), he surrendered to Minamoto no Yoritomo who came to Kyoto to offer a memorial service for the Todaiji Temple, and was entrusted to Hatta Tomoie, but he eventually died after abstaining from food and drink. He is famous for the Noh play "Daibutsu Kuyo" and the Joruri "Shusse Kagekiyo" (written by Chikamatsu Monzaemon).

[Tanabe Hisako]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

平安末期の武将。藤原忠清(ただきよ)の子。1180年（治承4）の北陸道における木曽義仲(きそよしなか)との戦いに平家軍として参戦、続く84年（元暦1）の一ノ谷の戦いにも奮戦したが敗れた。翌年の屋島(やしま)の戦いで、武蔵(むさし)国住人美尾屋(みおのや)十郎の兜(かぶと)の錣(しころ)をとった景清は、「是(これ)こそ京童(わら)べのよぶなる上総悪七兵衛(かずさあくしちびょうえ)景清」と名のった（平家物語）。彼は叔父にあたる大日能忍(だいにちのうにん)を早合点から殺してしまい、悪七兵衛といわれていた。壇ノ浦における平氏滅亡後も生き延びた景清は、平氏再興を図る知忠(ともただ)（知盛(とももり)の子）の挙兵に加わった。その後95年（建久6）東大寺供養に上洛(じょうらく)した源頼朝(よりとも)に降(くだ)り、八田知家(はったともいえ)に預けられたが、やがて飲食を断って死んだという。謡曲『大仏供養』、浄瑠璃(じょうるり)『出世景清』（近松門左衛門作）などで有名である。

［田辺久子］

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