Nuetaiji　鵺退治

KEY WORD :　art history / paintings

Lit. subjugation of the Fabulous Night Monster. A pictorial subject taken from a famous episode in HEIKE MONOGATARI 平家物語 (The Tale of The Heike) where Minamoto no Yorimasa 源頼政 (1104-80) shoots down a strange flying creature (nue lit. translates as thrush). During the reign of Emperor Konoe 近衛 (r.1141-55) around the Ninpei 仁平 era (1151-53), the emperor was frightened nightly by an ominous mass hovering over the palace. Yorimasa, ordered to subdue the unseen monster, shot an arrow into the low-hanging clouds and hit the beast. Called a nue, it had a monkey's head, badger's body, tiger's legs, snake's tail, and made the sound of a "golden mountain thrush" toratsugumi 虎鶫. The relieved emperor rewarded Yosimasa with a sword called Shishiou 獅子王 (Lion king). In the Ouho 応保 era (1161-62), Emperor Nijou 二条 (r.1158-65) was plagued by the nocturnal cries of a "thrush monster" and Yorimasa again killed the beast with an arrow. The image of Yorimasa shooting the nue was rendered in warrior pictures *musha-e 武者絵 by *ukiyo-e 浮世絵 artists. The theme was depicted on a votive tablet *hengaku 扁額 by Kou Suukoku 高崇谷 (1730-1804) and donated to Sensouji 浅草寺, Tokyo in 1781.

REFERENCES:

*heik0e-e 平家絵

EXTERNAL LINKS:

NOTES:

(C)2001 Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System.　No reproduction or republication without written permission. 掲載のテキスト・写真・イラストなど、全てのコンテンツの無断複製・転載を禁じます。