SOURCE: “The Textual Evolution of the Heike Monogatari” in Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 26, No. 5, 1966, pp. 5-51.

In the following excerpt, Butler examines the authorship and dates of creation of the Shibu text, arguing for its acceptance as the original Heike Monogatari.

… the Authorship of the Gi; … the Authorship of the shibu Text =~ Sshibu Text

The starting point for all investigations of the authorship of the original Heike monogatari has been the following section of the Tsurezuregusa, a miscellany written by Yoshida Kenkō (1282-1350) about the year 1330.

Section No. 226: During the time of the Retired Emperor Go-Toba,¹ the former Governor of Shinano Yukinaga² was renowned for his learning, but because he forgot two of the virtues of the “Dance of Seven Virtues”³ when he took his turn in discourse on yüeh-fu, he was given the sobriquet of “Five Virtues Kanja.”⁴ Feeling miserable, he forsook scholarship and...