Takeuchi no Sukune - Takeuchi no Sukune

Japanese: 武内宿禰 - たけしうちのすくね

A legendary figure who appears in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. He is also written as Takeuchi no Sukune, and Takeuchi and Takeuchi are also read as Takeuchi no Sukune and Takenouchi no Sukune. In the Kojiki, he is said to have been the son of Prince Hikofutsu no Oshi no Nobu, the son of Emperor Kōgen, the eighth emperor, and Yamashita Kagehime, and served four emperors including Emperor Seimu, while in the Nihon Shoki, he is said to have been the son of Yatsushino Takeoshin no Mikoto and Kagehime, the daughter of Ki no Nao's distant ancestor Michihiko, and served Emperor Keikō in addition to the four emperors mentioned above. He is said to have lived a very long life, been a staunch loyal retainer, and acted as a spokesman for the gods, and is also said to be the ancestor of the Katsuragi, Soga, Heguri, and other clans. However, the historical accuracy of this legend is extremely low, so he is thought to be a mythical figure depicted as an ideal minister. Or perhaps the images of several loyal retainers who served each emperor were integrated and embodied in the story as a single person.

(Takashi Sasaki)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

『古事記』『日本書紀』に登場する伝承上の人物。建内宿禰とも書かれ,また武内,建内はタケウチノ,タケノウチノとも読まれる。『古事記』では第8代孝元天皇の皇子比古布都押之信命と山下影比売の子で,成務天皇をはじめとする4代の天皇に仕えたと伝え,『日本書紀』では屋主忍男武雄心命と紀直の遠祖【G7EDF道彦/とじひこ】の娘の影媛との間に生まれた子で,上記の4代のほかに景行天皇にも仕えたと伝える。大変な長寿であり,徹底した忠臣,神の代弁者として活躍したことが語られ,また葛城,蘇我,平群その他の諸氏の祖とされる。しかし,その伝承の史実性は極めて薄いので,理想的な大臣として描かれた説話上の人物だと考えられている。あるいは,各天皇に仕えた何人かの忠臣に対するイメージが統合され,それがひとりの人物として説話の中で具現化されたものか。

(佐佐木隆)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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