The Tale of the Heike

The medieval Japanese prose narrative Heike monogatari (The Tale of the Heike) follows now the victors, now the vanquished, in an account of a one of the great turning points in Japanese history. On this page you'll find a short explanation of the rivalry between the Taira and Minamoto clans. There are also links to pages here with more detailed information about the Heike intended for those reading it in the original or in translation, followed by notes on related material elsewhere, both in Japan and abroad.

Text of Chapter Nine, Section Ten: ''First and Second Attackers'' (a story of Kumagae no Jirô Naozane); and Text of Chapter Nine, Section Sixteen: ''The Death of Atsumori''