Detail
| Title | Picture Scroll of Tawara Tota's Tale, 1st Volume |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-2,Mutsumi-cho,Utsunomiya-Shi,Tochigi |
| Cities / Towns | Utsunomiya |
| Owner / Manager | Tochigi Prefectural Museum |
| Description | This picture scroll depicts the military prowess of Fujiwara no Hidesato, a.k.a. Tawara Tota. Fujiwara no Hidesato was a military commander active in Shimotsuke Province (Tochigi Prefecture) in the mid-Heian period. A brilliant warrior and military strategist, Hidesato successfully suppressed the Taira-no-Masakado Rebellion (935-940), which was said to have threatened the very survival of the nation. Hidesato and his descendants, who defeated Shogun, were recognized as conquerors of the deformed. This led to the later legend of Tawara Tota, which is set in Omi Province (Shiga Prefecture) and likens the defeat of Shogun to the extermination of a giant centipede. The legend of Tawara Tota is included in the Tawara Tota Monogatari (The Tale of Tawara Tota), a fairy tale set in the Muromachi period, and consists of two tales of heroism: the legend of Hidesato’s killing of a giant centipede and the legend of the Dragon Palace and his defeat of Taira no Masakado. The description of the centipede extermination is quoted in "Taiheiki," which describes the civil wars of the Nanboku-chō, suggesting that the original form of the tale dates back at least to the Nanboku-chō period. In this scene, Hidesato is depicted exterminating a giant centipede on Mount Mikami (Yasu City, Shiga Prefecture) at the request of a woman who is an incarnation of the Dragon God of Lake Biwa. |
| Copyright | CC BY-NC-ND（表示－非営利－改変禁止） |
