Yorimasa

頼政 Yorimasa

1 Source and/or Related Material

“The Battle at the Bridge,” “The Death of the Prince,” Tale of the Heike book 4

2 Author

Zeami

3 Repertoire

Kanze, Hōshō, Komparu, Kongō, Kita

4 Synopsis

A traveling monk (waki) arrives at the village of Uji (Kyoto), and while he is taking in the scene, an old man (maeshite) appears, shows him the sights, including the Fan Grass, a section of grass in the shape of a fan at the temple of Byōdōin. This happens to be the very grass on which the Genji warrior Yorimasa set down his fan and committed suicide when he was defeated at the Battle of Uji, the old man explains, then reveals that he himself is Yorimasa and vanishes. A commoner (ai) comes to retell the story in plain speech, and the monk begins praying for Yorimasa. Just then, Yorimasa (nochishite) appears dressed as a warrior monk, singing how after he had helped start the rebellion against the Heike, he made his stand here at Uji. His comrade, the warrior monk Tsutsui no Jōmyō Ichirai, put up a valiant fight, but the opposing Heike rode into the Uji River under the shrewd command of Tadatsuna, and a chaotic battle ensued. Finally, he reenacts how he cleared his mind by composing a death poem and committed ritual suicide here on this grass. Asking for more prayers, he fades into the grass.