Teika(kazura)

定家（葛） Teika

1 Source and/or Related Material

Unknown, similar stories found in digests of the Tale of Genji

2 Author

Komparu Zenchiku

3 Repertoire

Kanze, Hōshō, Komparu, Kongō, Kita

4 Synopsis

A traveling monk (waki) and his companions (wakitsure) journey from the northern provinces to Senbon in the capital, where they stop inside a hut to take shelter from the rain. A local woman (maeshite) comes and tells them that this hut once belonged to the poet and scholar Fujiwara no Teika. She then guides the priests to the grave of Princess Shokushi and tells them about the forbidden love between her and Teika. After Teika’s death, his attachment to Shokushi remained in the form of a vine which grows around her grave, and so the Princess’ spirit remains restless to this day. The woman reveals that she is actually Princess Shokushi, appeals to them for help, and disappears into the grave. A local man (ai) arrives and retells the story in plain speech. That night, the priests are reciting sutras, and Princess Shokushi (nochishite) appears in her true form. She says that the priests’ prayers have lessened her suffering and dances with gratitude, but then she sinks back into the ground, and the vines of attachment wrap tight around her grave once more.