Myth or History: The Life of Tomoe Gozen

Tomoe Gozen or Lady Tomoe was a famed female samurai of late 12th Century
Japan.

I say “was” though even her actual existence is in doubt.

While nearly all of the figures on the list for this assignment are historical figures
whose achievements have become legendary, Tomoe Gozen more than likely
seems to be a mythical figure whose feats have come to be considered part of
history. A little like the legend of King Arthur.

But if her story is only legend why does she remain so central in Japanese culture?

Supposedly born in 1157 we have only the briefest description of her origins, her
father was Nakahara no Kaneto, a supporter of Tomoe’s future husband Minamoto
no Yoshinaka, who was husband to Yoshinaka’s wetnurse, Tomoe’s mother. Tomoe
had one sister, Imai Kanehira, and two older brothers who were also connected to
Yoshinaka as his generals.

Even though she has over time established herself as one of Japan's most enduring
popular heroines, in historical texts of the period such as the Heike Monogatari
account of the Genpei War there are only fleeting accounts of her involvement.

What appears to be settled on in the narrative are accounts of her beauty and battle
skills like this one from the Heike: “Tomoe was especially beautiful, with white skin,
long hair, and charming features. She was also a remarkably strong archer, and as a
swordswoman she was a warrior worth a thousand, ready to confront a demon or a
god, mounted or on foot. She handled unbroken horses with superb skill; she rode
unscathed down perilous descents. Whenever a battle was imminent, Yoshinaka
sent her out as his first captain, equipped with strong armor, an oversized sword,
and a mighty bow; and she performed more deeds of valor than any of his other
warriors”.

But even her feats in battle are clouded in contradictions.

In one battle she is said to have single handedly defended a bridge against dozens
of attackers. Many of the fights are led by her husband Kiso (Minamoto) Yoshinaka
who… according to the comprehensive web based Samurai Archives “rose against
the Taira and in 1184 took Kyoto after winning the Battle of Kurikara”.
The Archives describe how after “Fleeing after a major defeat, Yoshinaka, along with
Tomoe, faced warriors allied with Yoritomo at Awazu, in a desperate fight in which
Tomoe took at least one head, that of Onda Hachirô Moroshige.”

At that time she commanded the forces of the Minamoto Samurai clan, 300 samurai,
against 2000 enemy warriors from the Tairi clan, leading the Minamoto clan to
victory and allowing her husband, Yoshinaka, to become leader of the Minamoto
clan. This sparked the Battle of Awazu where her encounter with Morishige is
described by the archives this way:
“Yoshinaka, knowing that death was near, urged her to flee. Though reluctant, she
rushed a Minamoto warrior named Onda no Hachirô Moroshige, cut his head off,
and then fled for the eastern provinces.”

The Heike text stops there, but reinforcing the unreliable and likely fictitious nature of
her story, are the numerous and varied accounts of what happened next.

While some accounts describe Tomoe as dying in battle along with her husband
another says she committed seppuku, the ritual suicide by disembowellment
practiced by samurai.

Another has her carrying the severed head of her husband from the battlefield to the
sea, drowning herself to serve her master in the afterlife.

But others insist she lived on to the age of 91. At one point It is said she founded a
school to teach other women the samurai arts. She then took holy orders before
dying in a nunnery.

That version of the story certainly seems to fit a legendary arc rather than a
necessarily historical account. To begin as a concubine or prostitute and end as a
nun… seems almost too neat an archetype for it to be real but it’s one that has a lot
of mythical appeal.

Is it possible she is a summary figure representing other women who certainly were
forced to fight at times during the era even if that was mostly as a last defence?

And is her fame a part of the same national need for a female warrior figure that has
amplified the Joan of Arc and Boadicea stories?

Or is it because her story provides such contrast to the Bushido code which
exclusively honoured men and masculine behaviour.

Some say the strongest appeal of all in her story is the loyalty shown to husband and
clan: a highly regarded trait in Japanese culture.
Whatever the reason, her name is stamped indelibly on Japanese culture. Tomoe
Gozen was already a figure in visual arts across the centuries, and in recent years
has featured in video games, anime and manga and whole TV series. Real or fiction
Tomoe Gozen lives on.