Tomoe Gozen
Tomoe Gozen (巴 御前?) (1157?–1247?) was one of the few examples of a true female warrior samurai in all of Japanese history. She was a samurai during the time of the Genpei War (1180–1185). Her name is pronounced /to.mo.e/.
Most knowledge about Tomoe Gozen comes from tales and legends. In her first appearance in Heike Monogatari Tomoe Gozen was one of the female attendants of prominent daimyo Minamoto no Yoshinaka. Many women of the time knew how to use the naginata to defend their home, and there are tales of female ashigaru, but Tomoe Gozen was a high-level samurai, skilled in riding, archery and kenjutsu. She was said to have been fearless and possessing great skill in combat. Fiercely brave and tirelessly loyal to Yoshinaka, she was one of his senior captains during the war, leading some of his troops. She was well respected by men and fought bravely alongside them. In the Heike Monogatari (Tale of the Heike), Tomoe is described:
- Tomoe was especially beautiful, with white skin, long hair, and charming features. She was also a remarkably strong archer, and as a swordswoman she was a warrior worth a thousand, ready to confront a demon or a god, mounted or on foot. She handled unbroken horses with superb skill; she rode unscathed down perilous descents. Whenever a battle was imminent, Yoshinaka sent her out as his first captain, equipped with strong armor, an oversized sword, and a mighty bow; and she performed more deeds of valor than any of his other warriors.
- —Tale of the Heike, McCullough, page 291.
After defeating the Heike and driving them into the western provinces, Yoshinaka took Kyoto and desired to be the leader of the Minamoto clan. His cousin Minamoto no Yoritomo was prompted to crush Yoshinaka, and sent his brothers Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Minamoto no Noriyori to kill him. Yoshinaka fought Yoritomo's forces at the Battle of Awazu on February 21, 1184, where it has been said that Tomoe Gozen took at least one head of the enemy. Although Yoshinaka's troops fought bravely, they were outnumbered and overwhelmed. When Yoshinaka was defeated there, with only a few of his soldiers standing, he told Tomoe Gozen to flee because he wanted to die with his foster brother Imai no Shiro Kanehira and he said that he would be ashamed if he died with a woman.
There are varied accounts of what followed. One is that she was seen fleeing the field with the head an enemy samurai. Afterwards there is even more uncertainty. Some say that she cast herself into the ocean, while others say that after surviving the battle she gave up the sword. It is also said that she was defeated by Wada Yoshimori and became his wife. After Wada and their son Asahina Saburo died she was said to have become a nun in Echizen. These different stories are what give the story of Tomoe Gozen its intrigue. She was never proven to have been a historical figure so she could also be an invention of the author of Heike Monogatari. The grave of Yoshinaka's other female attendant Yamabuki Gozen exists.
A lot of people claim that she was the wife or concubine of Yoshinaka, however he was married to a Fujiwara woman.
Since her time, Tomoe Gozen has cast a spell of mystery over the Japanese people. Because she was so unusual, some believed she was the reincarnation of a river goddess.[citation needed]
Tomoe in the media
Her first appearance in literature is of course in the Heike Monogatari. She has been written about by factual and fictional authors alike, and has been incarnated as characters in various anime. In the 2005 NHK taiga drama Yoshitsune, Tomoe Gozen was one of the main characters. Her story is quite fictional. She was portrayed by actress and model Eiko Koike.
Jessica Amanda Salmonson wrote "The Tomoe Gozen Saga", a
Saisei, one of the Mibu Five Stars in the manga Samurai Deeper Kyo, turned out to be the resurrected Tomoe Gozen. She is accurately portrayed, wearing beautiful armor and being highly skilled with her naginata.
In the comic book, Usagi Yojimbo, a major supporting character and a fan favourite is Tomoe Ame, a female samurai loosely based on Tomoe Gozen.
"Gozen"
The title "gozen" is not a surname. Instead it is an honorific applied mostly to women, but sometimes also men. Many translators render it as "Lady". She was a member of the Nakahara clan.
References
- Bella Online
- Famous Women of Japanese History
- Samurai Warriors: Miyamoto Musashi and Tomoe Gozen
- (Japanese) Modes of Address
- Woodblock print of Tomoe Gozen in battle
McCullough, Helen Craig (translator). The Tale of the Heike. Palo Alto, California: Stanford University Press, 1988. ISBN 0-8047-1418-5, ISBN 0-8047-1803-2.
External links
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