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Gunki Monogatari

Epic and Heroic Narrative

Gunki monogatari, or war tales, is a category of Japanese literature written primarily during the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, focused on wars and conflicts, especially the civil wars fought between 1156 and 1568. Examples include the Hogen Monogatari and the Heiji Monogatari, and the best known gunki monogatari is the Heike Monogatari.

Facts
Place of Origin
Japan; transmitted both through written texts and through recitation by blind priests known as biwa hōshi. 1
Notable Example
Heike Monogatari, the best known gunki monogatari, chronicling the war between the Minamoto and Taira clans. 1
Defining Trait
A category of Japanese literature focused on wars and conflicts, especially the civil wars fought between 1156 and 1568, mixing Japanese prose with Chinese phrases and occasional waka poems. 1
Sources
1. Gunki Monogatari (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Distribution section
    There were two forms in which gunki monogatari were transmitted: through yomimono (written texts) and through recitation by blind priests known as biwa hōshi.
  • Lead section, sentence 1
    is a category of Japanese literature written primarily in the Kamakura and Muromachi periods that focus on wars and conflicts, especially the civil wars that took place between 1156 and 1568.
  • Lead section, sentence 3
    The most well known gunki monogatari is Heike Monogatari.
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