The Tale of the House of Taira

Having rapidly risen to the heights of power, the mighty Taira clan ruled Japan for twenty years. Prince Kiyomori Taira controlled the fates of the noblest lords and even the emperor himself. One day, Prince Motohito attempted to overthrow the... rule of the self-governing feudal lord, but this ended in disaster for both the prince and the warriors of the Minamoto clan, on whose support he relied, and even for the holy monastery of Mii-dera, which was burned by the vengeful Kiyomori for providing refuge to the rebel. However, the fierce reprisals did not deter the enemies of the Taira clan, but rather ignited their fury. And soon a real war broke out, fundamentally changing the political structure of the country and forever imprinting itself in the collective memory. For centuries, blind biwa storytellers sang of the tragic confrontation between the Taira and Minamoto clans. But 'The Tale of the House of Taira' is not just a story about the events of the 12th century in the popular genre of 'gunki', praising samurai valor and adorned with poignant verses. The internal war in 'The Tale of the House of Taira' is depicted without the slightest sympathy for either side involved, mourning the destroyed sanctuaries, lives, families, and loves. 'The Tale of the House of Taira' is Japan's 'Iliad'. One of the texts that nourish the roots of national culture. Without acquaintance with it, one cannot approach understanding Japan: its literature, as well as its visual arts, is saturated with plots and reminiscences that refer back to this epic. The design of this edition uses illustrations from old printed and manuscript books and scrolls, as well as woodblock prints of ukiyo-e artists and images from the decorative and applied arts of Japan.

Printhouse: Inostranka

Series: Foreign Literature. Big Books

Age restrictions: 16+

Year of publication: 2025

ISBN: 9785389263727

Number of pages: 736

Size: 210х140х43 mm

Cover type: hard

Weight: 936 g

ID: 1686883

Having rapidly risen to the heights of power, the mighty Taira clan ruled Japan for twenty years. Prince Kiyomori Taira controlled the fates of the noblest lords and even the emperor himself. One day, Prince Motohito attempted to overthrow the rule of the self-governing feudal lord, but this ended in disaster for both the prince and the warriors of the Minamoto clan, on whose support he relied, and even for the holy monastery of Mii-dera, which was burned by the vengeful Kiyomori for providing refuge to the rebel. However, the fierce reprisals did not deter the enemies of the Taira clan, but rather ignited their fury. And soon a real war broke out, fundamentally changing the political structure of the country and forever imprinting itself in the collective memory. For centuries, blind biwa storytellers sang of the tragic confrontation between the Taira and Minamoto clans. But 'The Tale of the House of Taira' is not just a story about the events of the 12th century in the popular genre of 'gunki', praising samurai valor and adorned with poignant verses. The internal war in 'The Tale of the House of Taira' is depicted without the slightest sympathy for either side involved, mourning the destroyed sanctuaries, lives, families, and loves. 'The Tale of the House of Taira' is Japan's 'Iliad'. One of the texts that nourish the roots of national culture. Without acquaintance with it, one cannot approach understanding Japan: its literature, as well as its visual arts, is saturated with plots and reminiscences that refer back to this epic. The design of this edition uses illustrations from old printed and manuscript books and scrolls, as well as woodblock prints of ukiyo-e artists and images from the decorative and applied arts of Japan.

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