redsamuraiii:Satomi Ishihara as Shizuka Gozen in Taiga Drama Yoshitsune by Panda SamuraiThe most cel
redsamuraiii:Satomi Ishihara as Shizuka Gozen in Taiga Drama Yoshitsune by Panda SamuraiThe most celebrated of all shirabyoshi was Shizuka Gozen, the concubine of Minamoto no Yoshitsune. She was renowned throughout the country for extraordinary beauty and also for the power of her dancing. In Japan, dance began as a way of supplicating the gods, and once, when the country had been suffering from drought for a hundred days, the gods responded by sending rain as soon as Shizuka began to dance – or so goes the legend. In 1185, when Minamoto no Yoshitsune, was forced to flee Kyoto and escape from his older brother and the new Shogun, Yoritomo, Shizuka Gozen accompanied him. However, Yoshitsune eventually sent her and the rest of his entourage back as it was only slowing him down.Soon after Shizuka was captured and brought before Yoritomo. There she was interrogated as to Yoshitsune’s whereabouts. But she refused to give anything away. Yoritomo then forced her to dance for him, intending to intimidate and frighten her but Shizuka did not flinch. Instead, she danced and sang a song full of praise for her lover, Yoshitsune, and longing to be at his side. This greatly angered Yoritomo, and he intended on having her put to death, but his wife, sympathetic to the young woman, begged for Shizuka’s life. With her help, Shizuka Gozen was released.However, Shizuka was pregnant with Yoshitsune’s child. Yoritomo declared that if it were a daughter she could live on peacefully, but if it were a son, he would have the child killed. When she gave birth to a son, Yoritomo’s wife again intervened and the child was spared but sent away to live with Shizuka’s mother.Free to do as she pleased, Shizuka sought to follow her lover once more, but upon hearing of his death, she became a nun in Kyoto and died of grief. According to some tales, however, Shizuka was later killed along with her and Yoshitsune’s child, a son, by the order of Yoritomo.The last song and dance of Shizuka Gozen are still performed today in Kyoto by geisha, whom tribute her for inspiring the foundation of geisha or courtesans of skilled musicians, dancers, and singers, noted for their brilliance, beauty and talent. Fast forward to 11:00 to see her dance and sing. -- source link