Silenka
03-11-2012, 06:15 AM
Hi all,
Figured I'd post this in weaboo-land since it'll have more chance of reaching people who actually have info on what I'm asking after.
I am doing a senior thesis on shirabyoshi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirabyoshi), dancers who dressed in men's court clothing + a sword and were chiefly popular from about 1150-1350. There is not a lot of english-language material on them, so I'm mining for other info.
Here is a picture of a shirabyoshi:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Shizuka-gozen_in_her_farewell_dance_to_Yoshitsune.jpg
Part of my thesis is going to talk about current representations of shirabyoshi, whether it be in video games, dramas or anime. Problem is, I know of only two contemporary sources which feature them at all (the new Taiga drama Kiyomori, and Total War: Shogun 2 game).
Sooo if anyone knows where to find other current representations of them, please let me know! :nekobeg:
Japanese-language info will be fine too, it just takes me longer (a lot longer, lol) to go through it, but Japanese-language sources are going to be necessary for my paper as well.
Tl;dr stuff here about the subjects of my thesis:
The only three shirabyoshi who are really popular and well-known are:
1. Gio & Hotoke from Tale of the Heike (Kiyomori released Gio from his patronage and left her for dead after he saw Hotoke dance, later Hotoke felt the same thing would happen to her and joined Gio in becoming a nun).
2. Shizuka, who was supposedly a wife or concubine of the great general Minamoto Yoshitsune, also of Tale of the Heike fame. He was on the run from his brother Yoritomo, who saw him as a threat to the Kamakura shogunate's throne and wanted him and his entire line eradicated, so Yoshitsune left her in the Yoshino mountains, where she was eventually captured by Yoritomo and made to dance for him...later he killed her newborn son. Or so the story goes.
I essentially have to prove the historicity of these two. The only lead I have for Shizuka so far is that all of the stories about her corroborate at major points, which means there is a national idea of her story being 'a certain way', which is good evidence for actual historicity.
Gio and Hotoke, on the other hand, are a little more difficult. The only thing I've managed to dig up is Gio-ji (http://www.kyotodreamtrips.com/2011/06/a-story-of-botched-love-gio-ji-temple-in-sagano-kyoto/), a Shingon temple in Kyoto which is supposedly where Gio and Hotoke lived as nuns. It claims to host Gio and her mother's graves, which would imply actual existence. However, it's also quite possible that it's a grave only in spirit, since Gio is a celebrated and famous figure in Japanese history.
I appreciate any help you can provide on the matter, it's a lot of ground to cover and it's difficult to find shirabyoshi discussed at any length, whether in Japanese or English. :nekoeyes:
Thanks, even if you only read all this drivel lol.
Figured I'd post this in weaboo-land since it'll have more chance of reaching people who actually have info on what I'm asking after.
I am doing a senior thesis on shirabyoshi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirabyoshi), dancers who dressed in men's court clothing + a sword and were chiefly popular from about 1150-1350. There is not a lot of english-language material on them, so I'm mining for other info.
Here is a picture of a shirabyoshi:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Shizuka-gozen_in_her_farewell_dance_to_Yoshitsune.jpg
Part of my thesis is going to talk about current representations of shirabyoshi, whether it be in video games, dramas or anime. Problem is, I know of only two contemporary sources which feature them at all (the new Taiga drama Kiyomori, and Total War: Shogun 2 game).
Sooo if anyone knows where to find other current representations of them, please let me know! :nekobeg:
Japanese-language info will be fine too, it just takes me longer (a lot longer, lol) to go through it, but Japanese-language sources are going to be necessary for my paper as well.
Tl;dr stuff here about the subjects of my thesis:
The only three shirabyoshi who are really popular and well-known are:
1. Gio & Hotoke from Tale of the Heike (Kiyomori released Gio from his patronage and left her for dead after he saw Hotoke dance, later Hotoke felt the same thing would happen to her and joined Gio in becoming a nun).
2. Shizuka, who was supposedly a wife or concubine of the great general Minamoto Yoshitsune, also of Tale of the Heike fame. He was on the run from his brother Yoritomo, who saw him as a threat to the Kamakura shogunate's throne and wanted him and his entire line eradicated, so Yoshitsune left her in the Yoshino mountains, where she was eventually captured by Yoritomo and made to dance for him...later he killed her newborn son. Or so the story goes.
I essentially have to prove the historicity of these two. The only lead I have for Shizuka so far is that all of the stories about her corroborate at major points, which means there is a national idea of her story being 'a certain way', which is good evidence for actual historicity.
Gio and Hotoke, on the other hand, are a little more difficult. The only thing I've managed to dig up is Gio-ji (http://www.kyotodreamtrips.com/2011/06/a-story-of-botched-love-gio-ji-temple-in-sagano-kyoto/), a Shingon temple in Kyoto which is supposedly where Gio and Hotoke lived as nuns. It claims to host Gio and her mother's graves, which would imply actual existence. However, it's also quite possible that it's a grave only in spirit, since Gio is a celebrated and famous figure in Japanese history.
I appreciate any help you can provide on the matter, it's a lot of ground to cover and it's difficult to find shirabyoshi discussed at any length, whether in Japanese or English. :nekoeyes:
Thanks, even if you only read all this drivel lol.