２　源平倶利伽羅峠の戦い　Kurikara Genpei War

＜倶利伽羅峠の戦い＞　Fight of the competition between two teams(Genji and Heike) at Kurikara mountain pass

1183（寿永2）年5月11日に源氏と平家が興亡の明暗を分けたKurikara源平合戦がありました。平家軍の総大将、平維盛（たいらのこれもり＝清盛の嫡男重盛の長男）は、倶利伽羅山中の猿ヶ馬場（さるがばば）に本陣を敷いて、7万余騎の軍勢とともに木曽義仲率いる源氏軍を待ち構えていました。一方、義仲は埴生八幡宮（はにゅうはちまんぐう）で戦勝祈願を行った後、平家の動きに合わせて味方の軍を7手に分け配置させ、夜が更けるのを待っていました。夜半に北側の黒谷の方角から、400から500頭もの牛の角に松明（たいまつ）を付け、4万余騎の軍勢とともに平家の陣に突入しました。昼間の進軍で疲れ切っていた平家軍1万8千余騎は、源氏軍の奇襲に混乱し、何もできずに追い詰められ、人馬もろとも地獄谷に突き落とされました。

On May 11, 1183, there was the Kurikara Genpei War, which divided the rise and fall of the Minamoto and Heike clans.  Taira no Koremori , the commander-in-chief of the Heike army, had set up his main camp at Sarugababa in the Kurikara mountains and was waiting for the Genji army led by Kiso Yoshinaka with more than 70,000 cavalry.   On the other hand, Yoshinaka prayed for victory at Haniu Hachiman Shrine, then divided his troops into seven groups according to the movements of the Heike and waited for night to fall. At midnight, from the direction of Kurotani on the north side, they mounted torches on the horns of 400 to 500 cattle and rushed into the Heike camp with an army of over 40,000 cavalry. The 18,000-odd cavalry of the Heike army, exhausted from the daytime march, were confused by the surprise attack of the Minamoto army, and unable to do anything, they were cornered and thrown into Hell Valley, along with their horses and men.

①源平倶利伽羅峠の戦い　戦闘要図（寿永二年五月十一日）　Battle outline drawing of necessary parts（1183）

②源平合戦慰霊の地　Place of competition between two teams battle memorial service （Genji and Heike）

③「火牛の計」立て看板　Standing signboard in the historic battleground said to be “Kagyunokei” which fought against an enemy by the tactics using the cow attached a torch to at the corner

④源平倶利伽羅合戦のモニュメント 　Monument in the historic battleground trace called “Genpei-kurikara-kasen”

⑤矢合せの地　The historic battleground that was named “yaawasenochi”

⑥地獄谷が見える古道（歴史国道「北陸道」の反対の尾根にある）　The ancient road where Hell Valley is seen（on the opposite ridge of history national road “Hokurikudou”

⑦森林に覆われた地獄谷　　Hell Valley where it was covered by the forest

⑧倶利伽羅神社に保存されている「源平倶利伽羅合戦図屏風」（池田九華　作）　　”The figure of competition between two teams Kurikara battle screen（Genji and Heike）” which is stored by Kurikara Shrine (Kyuuka Ikeda product)

⑨地獄谷から発掘された蹄鉄　　The horseshoe which was excavated from Hell Valley

⑩埴生八幡宮に残されている木曽義仲の祈願書　　Prayer book of Yoshinaka Kiso left in Hanyuu-Hachiman shrine

⑪上記の祈願書の要旨　　The point of the prayer book of the above