Tomoe Gozen

Tomoe Gozen, a drawing by Shitomi Kangetsu (1747-1797).

Tomoe Gozen (巴 御前) (1157?–1247), pronounced [tomo.e], was a late twelfth-century female samurai warrior (onna-bugeisha), known for her bravery and strength.^[1] She fought with Minamoto no Yoshinaka in the Genpei War.^[2]

History

According to one historical account,

“

Tomoe was especially beautiful, with white skin, long hair, and charming features. She was also a remarkably strong archer, and as a swordswoman she was a warrior worth a thousand, ready to confront a demon or a god, mounted or on foot. She handled unbroken horses with superb skill; she rode unscathed down perilous descents. Whenever a battle was imminent, Yoshinaka sent her out as his first captain, equipped with strong armor, an oversized sword, and a mighty bow; and she performed more deeds of valor than any of his other warriors. — The Tale of the Heike[3]

”

After defeating the Taira and driving them into the western provinces, Minamoto no Yoshinaka (Tomoe's master) took Kyoto and desired to be the leader of the Minamoto clan. His cousin Yoritomo was prompted to crush Yoshinaka, and sent his brothers Yoshitsune and Noriyori to kill him. Yoshinaka fought Yoritomo's forces at the Battle of Awazu on February 21, 1184, where Tomoe Gozen purportedly took at least one head of the enemy. Although Yoshinaka's troops fought bravely, they were outnumbered and overwhelmed. When Yoshinaka was defeated there, with only a few of his soldiers standing, he told Tomoe Gozen to flee because he wanted to die with his foster brother Imai no Shiro Kanehira and he said that he would be ashamed if he died with a woman.^[4]

Tomoe Gozen with Uchida Ieyoshi and Hatakeyama no Shigetada. Woodblock print by Yōshū Chikanobu, 1899

There are varied accounts of what followed. At Battle of Awazu in 1184,^[5] she is known for beheading Honda no Moroshige of Musashi.^[6] She is also known for having killed Uchida Ieyoshi and for escaping capture by Hatakeyama Shigetada.^[7]

In fiction

Tomoe Gozen's life, set in a fantasy Japan, is the subject of a trilogy of novels by Jessica Amanda Salmonson (The Disfavored Hero, The Golden Naginata and Thousand Shrine Warrior, 1981 – 1984).

Tomoe Gozen is one of the supporting characters in the Syfy film Riverworld.

Gallery

• 

  Tomoe Gozen—artist's impression by Kikuchi Yōsai (1781-1878)

• 

  Tomoe Gozen in the Battle of Awazu—by Utagawa Yoshikazu.

• 

  Tomoe Gozen defeats Uchida Ieyoshi and Hatakeyama Shigetada—Wood engraving, 1899

• 

  Tomoe Gozen at the Yodo River—by Toyohara Chikanobu (1838–1912)

• 

  Tomoe Gozen defeats Uchida Saburo—by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892)

• 

  Memorial to Tomoe at Gichū-ji, Ōtsu, Shiga Prefecture

Notes

1. Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric et al. (2005). "Tomoe Gozen" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 984., p. 984, at Google Books
2. Turnbull, Stephen (1987). Battles of the Samurai. Arms and Armour Press. p. 14. ISBN 0853688265.
3. McCullough, Helen Craig. (1988). The Tale of the Heike, p. 291., p. 291, at Google Books; Kitagawa, Hiroshi et al. (1975). The Tale of the Heike, p. 519.
4. The Tales of the Heike. Translated by Burton Watson. Columbia University Press. 2006. p. 86. ISBN 9780231138031.
5. Turnbull, Stephen (1998). The Samurai Sourcebook. Cassell & Co. p. 204. ISBN 1854095234.
6. Faure, Bernard. (2003). The Power of Denial: Buddhism, Purity, and Gender, p. 211, p. 211, at Google Books; Kitagawa, p. 521.
7. Joly, Henri L. (1967). Legend in Japanese Art, p. 540.

References

• Faure, Bernard. (2003). The Power of Denial: Buddhism, Purity, and Gender. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-09170-9; ISBN 978-0-691-09171-6; OCLC 49626418
• Joly, Henri L. (1967). Legend in Japanese Art: a Description of Historical Episodes, Legendary Characters, Folk-lore Myths, Religious Symbolism, Illustrated in the Arts of Old Japan. Rutland, Vermont: Tuttle. ISBN 978-0-8048-0358-8; OCLC 219871829
• Kitagawa, Hiroshi and Bruce T. Tsuchida, ed. (1975). The Tale of the Heike. Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press. ISBN 0-86008-128-1 OCLC 164803926
• McCullough, Helen Craig. (1988). The Tale of the Heike. Palo Alto, California: Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-1418-1; OCLC 16472263
• Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan Encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 48943301

External links

• Famous Women of Japanese History. The Samurai Archives Japanese History Page.
• Shea, L. "Tomoe Gozen - Female Samurai". Bella Online, 2009.