Yoshitsune's Influence On Loyalty

I think the author spent so much time naming individuals on both sides, because it made it feel like more of a story with actual characters you could follow. Also, it gave more humanity to the individus, let alone making it easier to understand what was going on.The author may describe clothing and armor in great detail, because it was important to the story to note the difference in color between the groups, and it made a clear distinction between the two groups. It allows the reader to visualize what was happening more too.
2) How does Yoshitsune inspire loyalty (or not) in his men? What qualities are most important in a leader? In an ordinary soldier?
I think at first when he was basically threatening Yoichi Munekata to either shoot the

fan or leave that he actually did the opposite of gaining loyalty, it showed that his soldiers only followed him, because of fear. The momnet I think Yochitsune really inspired loyalty is when he risked his life to get his bow, because he did not want to be known for how small that bow was when he had a legendary one. I think this, because it’s really where his soldiers gained a lot of respect for him, because they saw how much he cared about his own pride. The qualities most important to a leader are to earn respect from your soldiers not just expect it, be authoritative/ making wise decisions on behalf of everyone, and by sympathetic to your men (like he was when he cried for a young fallen soldier). The qualities that are most important in an ordinary soldier is being able to take orders, being very well trained with their weapon of choice, and respecting their authority.
3) What role does religion play in this chapter?
I think religion plays a pretty big role in this chapter. When Yoichi Munekata needed to shoot the beautiful women’s fan he asked the gods to slow down the wind and let him accomplish his shot, and they did exactly that. Also, when Tanzo needed to decide who he was going to support, the Genji or the Heike, he looked to the gods for guidance, and used chickens to decide who would win. Also, when Munemori was talking about the porpoises he looked at them to determine the Heike’s fate, and I took this as a sign from the gods. This reminded me a lot of the Nihon Shoki reading when he kept asking for signs on what he should do. Finally, at the the very end before the young emperor and his grandmother jumped into the ocean the said their final prays to the gods.
4) What does this epic tell us (or not) about warfare in the 11th-14th centuries?
I believe this epic tells us that warfare was not very hand to hand fighting, but rather over long distances with bows and such. Also, that most of it was to show strength and about pride before they taught/ worried about actually winning the battle. It talked very little about what strategies they used, how they tried to gain information about the other.