Kurama Tengu

鞍馬天狗 The Goblin of Kurama

1 Source and/or Related Material

Tale of the Heiji Disturbance, Chronicle of Yoshitsune

2 Author

Unknown

3 Repertoire

Kanze, Hōshō, Komparu, Kongō, Kita

4 Synopsis

In Higashidani Valley at Mt. Kurama, some monks lead a group of children belonging to the Heike clan (maekokata) to view the cherry blossoms. A temple servant (omoai) entertains the party with a dance while everyone enjoys the view, but the unexpected arrival of a wandering mountain ascetic dampens the mood, and the group goes home. All, that is, except Ushiwaka-maru (maekokata), the sole survivor of the defeated Genji clan among them: one day he will be known as Yoshitsune, hero of the Genji-Heike Wars. He stays behind to talk to the weird wanderer, and they two admire the cherry blossoms together. The ascetic reveals that he is actually the tengu goblin of Mt. Kurama and that he will train Ushiwaka in the arts of war so that he may overthrow the Heike—then he disappears. Tree-leaf goblins (adoai) arrive for sparring practice with Ushiwaka, but finding him too formidable an opponent, they disperse. Ushiwaka (nochikokata) prepares himself and awaits the Great Tengu (nochishite). The goblin arrives with mountain goblins he has summoned from across Japan, and they complete Ushiwaka’s training in the ways of war. The tengu vows to protect the boy, then flies away.