Bizarre Events after the Relocation of the Capital, Depicted in “The Tale of Heike”

Abstract

This article aimed to study the presentation of bizarre events after Taira no Kiyomori relocated the capital to Fukuhara in “The Tale of Heike”, Engyou edition. The study found that the writer of the Engyou edition not only presented bizarre events in terms of bad omens, but also presented Kiyomori’s behavior, which conflicted with the will of the gods and resisted the power of karma. These factors were believed to lead to the Taira clan collapse. In addition, the writer also used flashbacks to the prosperity of Kiyomori that resulted from the good deeds of composing the poem to the gods. This persuded the reader to realize Kiyomori’s behavior that changed from a person that believed in gods to become a person that ignored the will of the gods. Furthermore, the writer reflected the adherent in power of Kiyomori when he didn’t accept the gods’ revelation telling him about the Taira clan collapse. This presentation reflected that the writer of the Engyou edition tried to point out that the warrior’s behavior was an important factor that resulted in the decline of power. In addition the power of Karma, especially the power of the gods, was a key variable in determining the fate of the warriors as well as the prosperity or collapse of the whole clan.