Kōu

項羽 General Xiang Yu

1 Source and/or Related Material

Records of the Grand Historian, Taiheiki

2 Author

Unknown

3 Repertoire

Kanze, Hōshō, Komparu, Kongō, Kita

4 Synopsis

In Wujiang in ancient China, a grasscutter (waki) and his companions (wakitsure) are on their way home when they board a ferry rowed by an old man (maeshite). As fare for their passage, the old man asks for some poppies from the bunch of flowers the grasscutter is carrying. The old man tells the grasscutters how poppies grew on the grave of Lady Yu, the consort of General Xiang Yu, whom she followed in death. He goes on to recall Xiang Yu’s demise before revealing that he is the spirit of the General and disappearing. Another ferryman (ai) tells the men more about Xiang Yu and encourages them to hold a memorial. As they begin to do so, the spirits of General Xiang Yu (nochishite) and Lady Yu (tsure) appear. They relive their tragic final moments, then disappear once again.