Angsty historical samurai chicks. Oh man, I would have been dreamy over this when I was 14!
This is a completely random historical post about a really random historical person.
(It's Yoshitsune in the background and Shizuka Gozen in the front)
But oooooh, this would make SUCH an awesome novel.
Who? A twelfth century Japanese temple dancer, Shizuka Gozen.
I have never heard of her before, and went looking her up because meganbmoore told me that she is the OTP of Yoshitsune, a legendary tragic (and real) samurai/warlord who is the protagonist of the taiga drama of the same name she is currently watching.
And heeeee! She is totally famous. She appears in a bunch of kabuki plays, a puppet play (!!) and prints, and I found a bunch of webpages about her and her relationship with Yoshitsune (who was a legendary nobleman/fighter/general who ended up pissing his brother who became shogan and who hunted him to death).
But eeeee! Seriously. This reads like some sort of crazy kdrama. Or romance novel. Only depressing. OK, fine, a Victorian novel then.
Normally, I wouldn't cut for 'spoilers' for a historical person who's been dead for 800 years, but since this would constitute major spoilers for the drama and I know most people on my flist are as unfamiliar with this as I am, I am cutting for spoilers.
Anyway, Shizuka Gozen was a 'shirabyoshi,' a dancer for the gods (whatever that means). She and Yoshitsune met and fell for each other and she became his concubine. During the last years of his life, she apparently followed him/fled with him as he went into hiding from his brother Yoritomo who wanted Yoshitsune to be a little less noisy about that breathing problem he had.
Eventually, she became pregnant (no, really? :P) and was left behind at a temple for safe-keeping. Unfortunately for her, she was found by Yoritomo's followers and brought to him. Yoritomo questioned her about where Yoshitsune was but she refused to tell him.
Just as well, because she gave birth while still in captivity and Yoritomo killed the child (obviously not personally but you get the gist. That would make for a hell of an awkward family reunion, IMO).
After she recovered from childbirth, apparently Yoritomo (who sounds like a grade-A jerk) ordered her to dance for him, as she was such a famous dancer.
So she did and in the middle of it all, she burst into a defiant song declaring her love for Yoshitsune. This did not please Yoritomo much and he ordered her executed, but was persuaded to relent by his courtiers because she was a famous temple dancer and it would be really bad PR.
She managed to escape and went looking for Yoshitsune but by that point he already was killed. Anyhoo, she became a nun a died a year later. Probably because her life was super-sucky to the max.
The capper? She was 19 when she died. Clearly, she employed her time in a more useful manner than I have, but then I am also not dancing in front of evil rulers and dying in my teens, so I might be considered ahead.
ETA: ROFL. I found a website on Yoshitsune that has the following to say: "In Japan, there's a TV series playing, also based on his life. The actor playing Yoshitsune is Hideaki Takizawa. Well, at least they weren't kidding when they said he was a hansome fella." LOL. Indeed.
(It's Yoshitsune in the background and Shizuka Gozen in the front)
But oooooh, this would make SUCH an awesome novel.
Who? A twelfth century Japanese temple dancer, Shizuka Gozen.
I have never heard of her before, and went looking her up because meganbmoore told me that she is the OTP of Yoshitsune, a legendary tragic (and real) samurai/warlord who is the protagonist of the taiga drama of the same name she is currently watching.
And heeeee! She is totally famous. She appears in a bunch of kabuki plays, a puppet play (!!) and prints, and I found a bunch of webpages about her and her relationship with Yoshitsune (who was a legendary nobleman/fighter/general who ended up pissing his brother who became shogan and who hunted him to death).
But eeeee! Seriously. This reads like some sort of crazy kdrama. Or romance novel. Only depressing. OK, fine, a Victorian novel then.
Normally, I wouldn't cut for 'spoilers' for a historical person who's been dead for 800 years, but since this would constitute major spoilers for the drama and I know most people on my flist are as unfamiliar with this as I am, I am cutting for spoilers.
Anyway, Shizuka Gozen was a 'shirabyoshi,' a dancer for the gods (whatever that means). She and Yoshitsune met and fell for each other and she became his concubine. During the last years of his life, she apparently followed him/fled with him as he went into hiding from his brother Yoritomo who wanted Yoshitsune to be a little less noisy about that breathing problem he had.
Eventually, she became pregnant (no, really? :P) and was left behind at a temple for safe-keeping. Unfortunately for her, she was found by Yoritomo's followers and brought to him. Yoritomo questioned her about where Yoshitsune was but she refused to tell him.
Just as well, because she gave birth while still in captivity and Yoritomo killed the child (obviously not personally but you get the gist. That would make for a hell of an awkward family reunion, IMO).
After she recovered from childbirth, apparently Yoritomo (who sounds like a grade-A jerk) ordered her to dance for him, as she was such a famous dancer.
So she did and in the middle of it all, she burst into a defiant song declaring her love for Yoshitsune. This did not please Yoritomo much and he ordered her executed, but was persuaded to relent by his courtiers because she was a famous temple dancer and it would be really bad PR.
She managed to escape and went looking for Yoshitsune but by that point he already was killed. Anyhoo, she became a nun a died a year later. Probably because her life was super-sucky to the max.
The capper? She was 19 when she died. Clearly, she employed her time in a more useful manner than I have, but then I am also not dancing in front of evil rulers and dying in my teens, so I might be considered ahead.
ETA: ROFL. I found a website on Yoshitsune that has the following to say: "In Japan, there's a TV series playing, also based on his life. The actor playing Yoshitsune is Hideaki Takizawa. Well, at least they weren't kidding when they said he was a hansome fella." LOL. Indeed.