Tamamo-no-Mae ( 玉藻前 , 玉藻の前 , also 玉藻御前 ) is a legendary figure in Japanese mythology . One of the stories explaining the legend comes from Muromachi period (1336 to 1573) genre fiction called otogizōshi . In the otogizōshi Tamamo-no-Mae was a courtesan under the Japanese Emperor Konoe (who reigned from 1142 through 1155).
25-641: Tamamo-no-Mae is believed to have been based on the historical empress consort Fujiwara no Nariko (1117-1160), mother of Konoe, who participated in a number of succession struggles leading to the Hōgen rebellion and Heiji rebellion . Stories of Tamamo-no-Mae being a legendary fox spirit appear during the Muromachi period as otogizōshi (prose narratives), and were also mentioned by Toriyama Sekien in Konjaku Hyakki Shūi . Edo period folklore then conflated
50-528: A time. These were hereditary courtiers whose experience and background would have brought them to the pinnacle of a life's career. During Toba's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included: The years of Toba's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō . Unless otherwise noted (as BC), years are in CE / AD Imperial Consort and Regent Empress Jingū
75-580: The Heiji Rebellion . After this second rebellion, on December 22, 1160, Nariko died in her Shirakawa Oshikōji-dono ( 白河押小路殿 ) palace at the age of 44. According to her wishes, her remains were buried at Mount Kōya . At the time, women were not permitted to enter Mount Kōya, and so this caused something of a stir there. Hashimoto, Yoshihiko (1996). "美福門院藤原得子" [Bifukumon-in Fujiwara no Nariko]. 平安の宮廷と貴族 [ Nobles and Courts of
100-834: The Murakami Genji , and the courtiers of the Nakamikado-ryū of the Fujiwara Hokke gathered around her. In early 1142, Toba's other wife Fujiwara no Tamako was forced to become a nun for attempting to curse Nariko, and her political position solidified further. In 1149, Nariko was bestowed the title Bifukumon-in. In 1148, Nariko took in her cousin Fujiwara no Koremichi ( 藤原伊通 ) 's daughter Fujiwara no Shimeko as her adopted daughter. This came immediately after Toba consented to allow Fujiwara no Yorinaga 's adopted daughter Fujiwara no Tashi to marry Emperor Konoe, and Nariko may have intended to marry Shimeko to Konoe from
125-620: The Heian Period ] (in Japanese). Yoshikawa Kōbunkan ( 吉川弘文館 ) . Unless otherwise noted (as BC), years are in CE / AD individuals that were given the title of empress posthumously individuals elevated to the rank of empress due to their position as honorary mother of the emperor Shōshi served briefly as honorary empress for her younger brother Emperor Go-Daigo Emperor Toba Emperor Toba ( 鳥羽天皇 , Toba- tennō , February 24, 1103 – July 20, 1156)
150-567: The court. Emperor Sutoku, dissatisfied at his line's removal from the succession, allied with Tadazane and Yorinaga, launching the Hōgen Rebellion immediately after Toba's death in 1156. Nariko had at this point already become a nun, but she showed strategic ability in the conflict. Toba had left Taira no Kiyomori and his brothers out of his will because Kiyomori's stepmother was Prince Shigehito's wetnurse, but by inviting them to help Go-Shirakawa's side in spite of this, Nariko helped him to win
175-560: The crown prince Banzoku ( 班足太子 ; based on Indian tales of Kalmashapada the man-eater), causing him to cut off the heads of a thousand men. It was then defeated again, and fled the country. The same fox returned to China around 780 BC and was said to have possessed Bao Si , a concubine of the Zhou dynasty King You . It was again chased away by human military forces. The fox stayed quiet for some time. Then she appeared in Japan as Tamamo-no-Mae,
200-540: The first. When Konoe came of age in 1150, Tashi immediately entered his court, but Shimeko followed two months later. As Shimeko was also an adopted daughter of the regent Fujiwara no Tadamichi , Tadamichi reported to Toba that a woman not of the regent family could not become empress. Although Tadamichi was also Yorinaga's adoptive father, he had recently had his own son Konoe Motozane , and allied with Nariko in an effort to let his own biological descendants succeed him. Tashi became kōgō , and Shimeko chūgū . As Tashi
225-590: The fox in the plains of Nasu . In the 1653 Tamamo no sōshi ( 玉藻の草紙 ), an addendum was added to the story describing that the spirit of Tamamo-no-mae embedded itself into a stone called the Sesshō-seki . The stone continually released poisonous gas, killing everything that touched it. The stone was said to have been destroyed in the Nanboku-chō period by the Buddhist monk Gennō Shinshō ( 源翁心昭 ), who exorcised
250-555: The initial years of Toba's reign, the actual power was held by his grandfather, the "retired" Emperor Shirakawa , in a process known as cloistered rule . Kugyō (公卿) is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre- Meiji eras. Even during those years in which the court's actual influence outside the palace walls was minimal, the hierarchic organization persisted. In general, this elite group included only three to four men at
275-721: The legend with similar foreign stories about fox spirits corrupting rulers, causing chaos in their territories. In the story told by Hokusai , formed in the Edo period , the nine-tailed fox first appeared in China and possessed Daji , a concubine of the Shang dynasty 's last ruler King Zhou . She enchanted the king and brought on a reign of terror that led to a rebellion that ended the Shang dynasty. The fox spirit fled to Magadha of Tianzhu (ancient India) and became Lady Kayō ( 華陽夫人 ), concubine of
SECTION 10
#1732793581150300-491: The most favoured courtesan of Emperor Konoe . She was said to be a most beautiful and intelligent woman, being able to answer any question asked. She caused the Emperor to be extremely ill and was eventually exposed as a fox spirit by the astrologer Abe no Yasuchika, who had been called to diagnose the cause of the Emperor's poor health. A few years later, the emperor sent Kazusa-no-suke ( 上総介 ) and Miura-no-suke ( 三浦介 ) to kill
325-615: The now-repentant fox spirit. He held a Buddhist memorial service after the deed, allowing the spirit to finally rest in peace. The stone split in two on March 5, 2022. Cracks in the stone had been seen several years before the split, possibly allowing rainwater to penetrate and weaken it, so it is highly likely that the stone cracked naturally. Some humorously speculated that this had freed Tamamo-no-Mae, and social media in Japan predicted that dark forces had been released. Fujiwara no Nariko Fujiwara no Nariko ( 藤原得子 , 1117 – December 22, 1160) , also known as Bifukumon-in ( 美福門院 ) ,
350-430: The running as possible successors: Prince Shigehito, eldest son of Emperor Sutoku; and Prince Morihito, the son of Sutoku's younger brother, Prince Masahito . As it had already been decided that Morihito was to become a monk at Ninna-ji , it was assumed that Shigehito would become emperor. However, multiple players were opposed to this. Nariko was worried that a cloistered rule by Sutoku would constrain her power. Tadamichi
375-513: The throne and replaced him with his and Nariko's son Narihito, who took the throne as Emperor Konoe. As Narihito had been adopted by Sutoku's consort Fujiwara no Kiyoko , he should have had the official title of kōtaishi ( 皇太子 ) , but in the proclamation of his ascension he was instead recorded as kōtaitei ( 皇太弟 ) , which marked him as the younger brother, rather than the son, of the emperor. The now-retired Emperor Sutoku could not open his own cloistered government with his younger brother on
400-418: The throne, and so this was a major source of enmity for him. Meanwhile, Konoe's ascension brought now-empress dowager Nariko investiture as kōtaigō . Minamoto no Masasada ( 源雅定 ) and Fujiwara no Narimichi ( 藤原成通 ) were appointed as stewards of her quarters ( 皇后宮大夫 ) . Power began to concentrate around her as Toba's most favored retainers, including her cousin Fujiwara no Ienari ( 藤原家成 ) , her relatives in
425-437: The war. After the rebellion, Fujiwara no Michinori took control of the political situation. Nariko had long wished for her adopted son Prince Morihito's enthronement, and after a conference between her and Michinori in 1158 Prince Morihito ascended to the throne as Emperor Nijō . Unfortunately, this development led to the formation and opposition of sides centering on Michinori, Nijō, and Go-Shirakawa, which ultimately erupted in
450-533: Was an Empress consort of Emperor Toba of Japan and mother of Emperor Konoe . She was the daughter of the chūnagon Fujiwara no Nagazane ( 藤原長実 ) and Minamoto no Masako ( 源方子 ) . Born in 1117, Nariko grew up with her father Nagazane's doting affection. According to the Imakagami , he commented that he could not bring himself to marry her to an ordinary person. Nariko's maternal uncle Minamoto no Morotoki ( 源師時 ) recorded in his diary that even when Nagazane
475-427: Was clear that autumn that the pregnancy had failed. Three months later, Shimeko returned to the palace. In the end, her pregnancy may have been a phantom pregnancy , spurred on by the hopes and anticipation of those around her. The disappointed Nariko allied with Tadamichi, moving to produce a favorable outcome in the succession. In 1155, the physically weak Emperor Konoe died. Two of Nariko's adopted sons were now in
500-517: Was conferred the junior third rank ( 従三位 ) . In 1137 she gave birth to Princess Akiko ( 暲子内親王 ) , and in 1139 to a long-awaited son, Prince Narihito, the future Emperor Konoe . Three months later, Toba made Narihito crown prince and thus successor to Emperor Sutoku . Nariko was promoted to the position of nyōgo ( 女御 ) , surpassing Toba's main wife Fujiwara no Tamako in influence. In 1140, she adopted Emperor Sutoku's first son Prince Shigehito ( 重仁親王 ) . In late 1141, Toba pressed Sutoku to abdicate
525-483: Was embroiled in a troublesome confrontation with his father Tadazane and brother Yorinaga, and resentful that Sutoku had shifted his affections from Tadamichi's daughter Kiyoko to Hyōe-no-suke no Tsubone ( 兵衛佐局 ) . Fujiwara no Michinori was the husband of Prince Masahito's wetnurse and looking to expand his own power. Ultimately, the decision was made to immediately install the 29-year-old Masahito as Emperor Go-Shirakawa , despite him not being crown prince, until Morihito
SECTION 20
#1732793581150550-489: Was of the same family as Tamako, and Shimeko was her own adopted daughter, Nariko showed more of an affinity towards Shimeko and hoped that she would bear a child first. In 1152, Nariko directed the affixation of Shimeko's maternity belt, and when Shimeko went into confinement to give birth two months later, Nariko constructed five human-sized buddha statues and prayed for safe delivery. However, Shimeko did not give birth on schedule, and although monks prayed for her every day, it
575-440: Was old enough to take the throne. Shortly thereafter, Morihito returned from Ninna-ji and received Nariko's complete support. He was made crown prince, came of age three months later, and married Nariko's daughter Princess Yoshiko. At the same time, there was a rumor that Emperor Konoe had died of a curse. Nariko and Tadamichi slandered Tadazane and Yorinaga to Toba, after which Yorinaga lost his position as nairan and his power in
600-493: Was on his deathbed, he shed tears and said that he could not forget his dear girl for even a moment. Nagazane was favored in the court because his grandmother Fujiwara no Chikako ( 藤原親子 ) acted as wetnurse to the future Emperor Shirakawa , and during Shirakawa's cloistered rule, Nagazane served as his attendant. In 1134, after Nagazane's death, Nariko gained the affection of the retired Emperor Toba , and in late 1135 gave birth to Princess Eishi ( 叡子内親王 ) . Early in 1136, she
625-634: Was the 74th Emperor of Japan , according to the traditional order of succession . Toba's reign spanned the years from 1107 through 1123 . Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne , his personal name (his imina ) was Munehito -shinnō (宗仁親王). He was the son of Emperor Horikawa . His mother was Empress Dowager Fujiwara no Ishi (藤原苡子) Toba had three Empresses, some consort ladies and 14 imperial sons and daughters. When his mother died, his grandfather, former- Emperor Shirakawa , took him under his care and raised him. During
#149850