Six generations

Japanese: 六代 - ろくだい

Years of birth: unknown. A person from the late Heian period. He was the eldest son of Taira no Shigemori's eldest son, Yorimori, and the daughter of Fujiwara no Narichika. His Buddhist name was Myokaku. He was also called Sanmi Zenji. He did not accompany the Heike when they fled the capital in 1183, but remained in the capital, but after the downfall of the Heike clan in 1185, he was captured by the Genji clan in a search for him. His life was spared thanks to the efforts of Munkaku, and he became a monk. In many versions of the Tale of the Heike, he was captured at the age of 12, and after the death of Minamoto no Yoritomo in 1198, he was captured again when Munkaku was exiled, and was executed. However, the place of execution and age at death vary depending on the version and source. Some versions of the Tale of the Heike end the story with the death of the sixth head of the Heike line as the complete downfall of the clan. Another story depicting the six generations is the Rokudai Gozen Monogatari.

(Yoko Sakurai)

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

Japanese:

生年：生没年不詳
平安時代末期の人。平重盛の嫡男維盛と藤原成親の娘の嫡男。法名妙覚。三位禅師とも呼ばれる。寿永2(1183)年の平家の都落ちに同行せず都に残るが,文治1(1185)年平家一門の滅亡後,源氏の探索により捕らえられる。文覚の尽力により助命され,出家。『平家物語』諸本では,12歳で捕らえられ,建久9(1198)年源頼朝死ののち,文覚が流罪にされたときに再び捕らえられ,処刑されたとする本が多い。しかし処刑の地,享年など諸本,資料によって異なる。平家嫡流の六代御前の死をもって一門の完全な滅亡と位置づけ,物語を終える『平家物語』もある。六代を描く物語にはほかにも『六代御前物語』がある。

(櫻井陽子)

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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