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The Tale of the Heike Trivia Quiz

'The Tale of the Heike' is a classic of Japanese Literature. It is a story of the rise and fall of the Taira family, a powerful clan of warriors descended from the Emperor himself! All questions relate to McCullough's translation of the Kakuichi 'Heike'.

A multiple-choice quiz by victoroftheapes. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
victoroftheapes

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
261,862

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
251

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The opening line of the book reads "The sound of the Gion Shoja bells echoes the impermanence of all things; the color of the Sala flowers reveals the truth that the prosperous must decline." The sentence is a clear indicator of which of the following influences?
Hint

Christian influence

Shinto Influence

Buddhist Influence

Confucian Influence

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Question 2 of 10

2. Minamoto no Yorimasa, at the battle of Uji Bridge, performed an action in such a way that future Samurai would turn to his example (at least, as shown in the Tale). What was this action? Hint

Archery

Charging Headlong into the Enemy.

Falling in Battle to Allow his Master to Escape.

Seppuku/Harakiri

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Question 3 of 10

3. Kiyomori's death is a memorable scene in the book, a scene meant to drive home the evil he committed in his life. What is his last utterance? Hint

"Take a look, easterners! This is how the bravest man in Japan commits suicide!"

"Just take my head and be quick about it."

"Build no halls or pagodas after I die; dedicate no pious works. Dispatch the punitive force immediately, decapitate Yoritomo, and hang his head in front of my grave. That is all the dedication I require."

"The time for flight is past. I am decided."

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Question 4 of 10

4. The monk Mongaku is arrested while petitioning the Retired Emperor for donations. In the resultant scuffle, the Monk causes a courtier named Sukiyuki to commit a major social faux-pas. What is it? Hint

Not wearing his formal hat in the Retired Emperor's presence.

Shedding blood in the Retired Emperor's presence.

Using informal speech in the Retired Emperor's presence.

Harming a holy-man.

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Question 5 of 10

5. Which of the following characters is not descended from an Emperor? Hint

Benkei

Yoshitsune

Kiyomori

Yoritomo

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Question 6 of 10

6. Despite her later portrayal, in the Heike Monogatari, the Famous Lady Warrior Tomoe does not use which of the following weapons? Hint

Her bare hands

A sword

A naginata

A bow

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Question 7 of 10

7. At the battle of Ichi no Tani, Yoshitsune led an army to attack from an unexpected direction. What was this direction? Hint

An impossibly steep cliff.

A narrow gorge

The ocean

The sky.

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Question 8 of 10

8. One of Yoritomo's most important allies is Hojo Tokimasa. He is the father of Yoritomo's wife, Masako, and later became a powerbroker in the Kamakura Shogunate. The Hojo family is a branch of what family? Hint

Genji/ Minamoto

Fujiwara

Ise

Heike/ Taira

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Question 9 of 10

9. The child Emperor Antoku dies at the battle of Dan-no-ura. How does he die? Hint

Yoshitsune fires an arrow at the Imperial barge, which pierces him through the chest and comes out the other side.

His grandmother jumps into the ocean with him under her arm. Both drown.

His mother starts a fire on the boat to prevent the Genji boarding. He and his family are burned to death.

He cuts his own stomach with the sacred sword "Kusanagi" in imitation of his maternal relative's bravery.

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Question 10 of 10

10. Which color do the Heike use on their banners? Hint

Red

Indigo

White

Vermillion

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: Buddhist Influence

The Gion Shoja was the temple at which the Buddha himself preached. The bells of the Hall of Impermanence at the temple were struck when there was a dying patient within: supposedly the sound revealed the true nothingness of all things, easing the patient's suffering and ensuring their happiness in the next life. Sala flowers are a flower which bloom in India.

When the Budhha died despite his enlightenment, the sala flowers turned white and withered.

2. Minamoto no Yorimasa, at the battle of Uji Bridge, performed an action in such a way that future Samurai would turn to his example (at least, as shown in the Tale). What was this action?

Answer: Seppuku/Harakiri

Although Seppuku would become more ritualized later on, the basics are all here: the piercing of the stomach to cause death, the death poem, even the second who eases his master's pain.

3. Kiyomori's death is a memorable scene in the book, a scene meant to drive home the evil he committed in his life. What is his last utterance?

Answer: "Build no halls or pagodas after I die; dedicate no pious works. Dispatch the punitive force immediately, decapitate Yoritomo, and hang his head in front of my grave. That is all the dedication I require."

This utterance is considered extremely sinful, as it shows he died with vengeance in his heart.

Answer: Not wearing his formal hat in the Retired Emperor's presence.

The social system in place was highly restricted on what was to be worn in the court, and Sukeyuki, through no fault of his own, broke a major rule: never go bare-headed in the presence of a superior. Out of shame he avoids the court for a few weeks.

5. Which of the following characters is not descended from an Emperor?

Answer: Benkei

Kiyomori is descended from the emperor Kanmu. Yoshitsune and Yoritomo are descended from the emperor Seiwa. Benkei's birth is unclear.

6. Despite her later portrayal, in the Heike Monogatari, the Famous Lady Warrior Tomoe does not use which of the following weapons?

Answer: A naginata

During the Muromachi period the Naginata became associated with women, and around the same time, Tomoe began to appear with a Naginata. In the Heike Monogatari Tomoe is described as carrying a bow and an over-sized sword. She uses her bare hands to twist a man's head off.

7. At the battle of Ichi no Tani, Yoshitsune led an army to attack from an unexpected direction. What was this direction?

Answer: An impossibly steep cliff.

He ran a deer down the cliff first to see if a horse could make it. The battle is extremely well known. On a strange note, samurai helmets with extremely steep plates over the forehead are sometimes called "Ichi no tani kabuto".

Answer: Heike/ Taira

This made Tokimasa's siding with Yoritomo all the more insulting to the Heike. Those of you who answered "Ise" are thinking ahead to the Odawara Hojo (or the "Go-Hojo"), who would be the major players in the Kanto region during the warring states period. However, the Ise family is, itself, a branch of the Kanmu Heike, just as the Hojo are.

9. The child Emperor Antoku dies at the battle of Dan-no-ura. How does he die?

Answer: His grandmother jumps into the ocean with him under her arm. Both drown.

"There is a capital under the waves too!" she says.
The sword Kusanagi disappears too, as grandmother put it in her belt before jumping.

10. Which color do the Heike use on their banners?

Answer: Red

White is the Genji color. After the battle of Dan-no-ura, the ocean is said to be died red because of the many banners.

Source: Author victoroftheapes

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