Poems and Songs of Emperor Keikō

Missing the Capital

The nihongi records that in his 17th year of reign he vsited the Koyu District in Hyuga visiting the moors of Nimo there. Missing the capital during the visit he composed a poem which went as follows:

Oh! How sweet!
From the quarter of my home,
Clouds arising come hither!
Yamato
Is the most secluded of lands.
Yamato
Retired behind Mount Awogaki,
Which encompasses it in its folds,
Is beautiful.
Let those whose lives are sound
Stick (in their hair) by way of headdress
Branches of the white evergreen oak
Of Mount Heguri-
(Fold within fold)
This child.

This poem is noted to have been split into three segments and sung by Yamato Takeru in the kojiki.¹

A Tall Trees Shade

In the 7th month of the 17th year of his reign he constructed a Palace at Takaya.

Here he saw a tree once so tall it covered the Hill of Kishima in shade in the morning and Mount Aso in the evening, and so he composed a song about it which goes as follows:

The morning hoar-frost.
August tree pole-bridge!
The Lords of the Presence
Pass over it-
The august tree pole-bridge!¹

Footnotes

1. Aston. W.G. (1896) “Nihongi Volume 1: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to AD697”. Tuttle Publishing.

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• • • • Period: Legendary Period
      • Occupation: Prince
      • Family: Emperor Keikō (father) Kagurohime (mother)
      • Birth: –
      • Death: –

Ohoyenomiko

Ohoyenomiko (大江王) was the son of Emperor Keikō and Kagurohime.

The kojiki says his mother was the daughter of Sumeiroohonakatsuhiko, who was the great-grandson of Yamato Takeru. This would have to be an error in the records as it would mean the Emperor married his great-great-granddaughter.¹

Footnotes

1. Yasumaro. O, translated by Gustav Heldt. (2014) “Kojiki. An Account of Ancient Matters”. New York: Columbia University Press.

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• • • • Period: Legendary Period
      • Occupation: –
      • Family: Emperor Keikō (husband/great-great-grandfather?) Ohoyeonomiko (son) Sumeiroohonakatsuhiko (father)
      • Birth: –
      • Death: –

Hikohitonoohoye

Kagurohime (迦具漏比売) was one of several concubines of Emperor Keikō and together they had a son called Ohoyenomiko.

The kojiki says she was the daughter of Sumeiroohonakatsuhiko who was the great-grandson of Yamato Takeru. This would have to be an error in the records as it would mean the Emperor married his great-great-granddaughter.¹

Footnotes

1. Yasumaro. O, translated by Gustav Heldt. (2014) “Kojiki. An Account of Ancient Matters”. New York: Columbia University Press.

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• • Period: Legendary Period
  • Occupation: Prince
  • Family: Emperor Keikō (father) Unknown mother
  • Birth: –
  • Death: –

Wakakinoiribiko

Wakakinoiribiko (若木之入日子王) is mentioned in the kojiki as the son of Emperor Keikō with an unnamed concubine.¹

Footnotes

1. Yasumaro. O, translated by Gustav Heldt. (2014) “Kojiki. An Account of Ancient Matters”. New York: Columbia University Press.

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• • Period: Legendary Period
  • Occupation: –
  • Family: Emperor Keikō (husband) Kunisewake (son) Toyotowake (son) Kunichiwake (son)
  • Birth: –
  • Death: –

Sonotakebime

Sonotakebime (襲武媛) was one of the several wives of Emperor Keikō. Together they had three sons by the name of Kunisewake, Toyotowake and Kunichiwake according to the nihongi.¹

The kojiki list another child for her, this being Nunoshi no Iratsume.²

Footnotes

1. Aston. W.G. (1896) “Nihongi Volume 1: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to AD697”. Tuttle Publishing.
2. Yasumaro. O, translated by Gustav Heldt. (2014) “Kojiki. An Account of Ancient Matters”. New York: Columbia University Press.

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• • Period: Legendary Period
  • Occupation: Princess
  • Family: Emperor Keikō (father) Yasakairihime (mother) Emperor Seimu (brother) Ihokiirihiko (brother) Wakayamatoneko (brother) Isakinoirihiko (brother) Ōsuwake (brother) Nunoshi no Iratsume (sister) Ihokiirihime (sister) Oshiwake (brother) Kagoyorihime (sister) Kibinoehiko (brother) Takakinoirihime (sister) Otohime (sister)
  • Birth: –
  • Death: –

Nunaki no Iratsume

Nunaki no Iratsume was the daughter of Emperor Keikō and Yasakairihime according to the nihongi.¹

The kojiki states that she was the daughter of Keikō and ‘another concubine.’²

Footnotes

1. Aston. W.G. (1896) “Nihongi Volume 1: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to AD697”. Tuttle Publishing.
2. Yasumaro. O, translated by Gustav Heldt. (2014) “Kojiki. An Account of Ancient Matters”. New York: Columbia University Press.

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• • Period: Legendary Period
  • Occupation: Princess
  • Family: Emperor Keikō (father) Yasakairihime (mother) Emperor Seimu (brother) Ihokiirihiko (brother) Wakayamatoneko (brother) Isakinoirihiko (brother) Ōsuwake (brother) Nunaki no Iratsume (sister) Ihokiirihime (sister) Oshiwake (brother) Kagoyorihime (sister) Kibinoehiko (brother) Takakinoirihime (sister) Otohime (sister)
  • Birth: –
  • Death: –

Nunoshi no Iratsume

Nunoshi no Iratsume (渟熨斗皇女) was the daughter of Emperor Keikō and Yasakairihime according to the nihongi.¹

The kojiki states that she was the daughter of Keikō and Sonotakebime ²

Footnotes

1. Aston. W.G. (1896) “Nihongi Volume 1: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to AD697”. Tuttle Publishing.
2. Yasumaro. O, translated by Gustav Heldt. (2014) “Kojiki. An Account of Ancient Matters”. New York: Columbia University Press.

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• • Period: Legendary Period
  • Occupation: Prince
  • Family: Emperor Keikō (father) Yasakairihime (mother) Emperor Seimu (brother) Ihokiirihiko (brother) Isakinoirihiko (brother) Ōsuwake (brother) Nunoshi no Iratsume (sister) Nunaki no Iratsume (sister) Ihokiirihime (sister) Oshiwake (brother) Kagoyorihime (sister) Kibinoehiko (brother) Takakinoirihime (sister) Otohime (sister)
  • Birth: –
  • Death: –

Wakayamatoneko

Wakayamatoneko (稚倭根子皇子) was the son of Emperor Keikō and Yasakairihime according to the nihongi.

An alternative version in that same book says he was instead the son of Harima no Inabi no Ōiratsume,¹ this is also stated in the kojiki but the name given is merely Yamatoneko.²

Footnotes

1. Aston. W.G. (1896) “Nihongi Volume 1: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to AD697”. Tuttle Publishing.
2. Yasumaro. O, translated by Gustav Heldt. (2014) “Kojiki. An Account of Ancient Matters”. New York: Columbia University Press.

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• • Period: Legendary Period
  • Occupation: Prince
  • Family: Emperor Keikō (father) Yasakairihime (mother) Emperor Seimu (brother) Ihokiirihiko (brother) Wakayamatoneko (brother) Ōsuwake (brother) Nunoshi no Iratsume (sister) Nunaki no Iratsume (sister) Ihokiirihime (sister) Oshiwake (brother) Isakinoirihiko (brother) Kagoyorihime (sister) Takakinoirihime (sister) Otohime (sister)
  • Birth: –
  • Death: –

Kibinoehiko

Kibinoehiko (吉備兄彦皇子) was the son of Emperor Keikō and Yasakairihime according to the nihongi.¹

The kojiki states that he was the son of Keikō and ‘another concubine.’²

Footnotes

1. Aston. W.G. (1896) “Nihongi Volume 1: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to AD697”. Tuttle Publishing.
2. Yasumaro. O, translated by Gustav Heldt. (2014) “Kojiki. An Account of Ancient Matters”. New York: Columbia University Press.

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The post Kibinoehiko appeared first on . A History . . of Japan . 日本歴史.

• • Period: Legendary Period
  • Occupation: Princess
  • Family: Emperor Keikō (father) Yasakairihime (mother) Emperor Seimu (brother) Ihokiirihiko (brother) Wakayamatoneko (brother) Ōsuwake (brother) Nunoshi no Iratsume (sister) Nunaki no Iratsume (sister) Ihokiirihime (sister) Oshiwake (brother) Isakinoirihiko (brother) Kibinoehiko (brother) Takakinoirihime (sister) Otohime (sister)
  • Birth: –
  • Death: –

Kagoyorihime

Kagoyorihime (香依姫皇女) was the daughter of Emperor Keikō and Yasakairihime according to the nihongi.¹

The kojiki states that she was the daughter of Keikō and ‘another concubine.’²

Footnotes

1. Aston. W.G. (1896) “Nihongi Volume 1: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to AD697”. Tuttle Publishing.
2. Yasumaro. O, translated by Gustav Heldt. (2014) “Kojiki. An Account of Ancient Matters”. New York: Columbia University Press.

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