#Lady Hangaku

[teal-eyedronin378]

Lady Hangaku (Hangaku Gozen), by Yoshitoshi.

She took a prominent role in the Kennin Rebellion, an uprising against the Kamakura shogunate in 1201.

[ultra-rockart]

Another Thing Blue Eye Samurai Got Wrong

There were women who fought as fighters and samurai (or more often called as onna-bugeisha or onna-musha) for their clan. They didn't have to hide their femininity. There is a long history of female warriors in Japan that date back to an Empress named Jingū (she ruled from 201 to 269 AD). I bring you two of the greats:

Tomoe Gozen

She was skilled at archery, the sword and the use of the naginata. Tomoe is one of the most feared women because of her cleverness and offensive tactical skills. Her men trusted and respected her. During the Battle of Awazu, she killed the Musashi clan leader. Sadly, there is no more records of her after that. Tomoe is the most known and celebrated of the onna-bugeisha.

Nakano Takeko

Like many samurai of her time, she wore the typical samurai armor but instead chose to wear a red hakama. This red hakama became a symbol of not just her femininity but empowerment. She fought in the Boshin War against Imperialists who wanted the Emperor to rise to power (they eventually won during the Battle of Toba–Fushimi).

Similar to the Kiheitai (or the ad hoc army by the Imperialists), she led the Jōshitai or women's army fighting on the side of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Nakano was wounded with a rifle shot and rather than allowing her enemies to parade her lifeless body as a trophy, she ordered her sister (also a capable warrior as with her mother. all 3 women fought alongside each other) to cut her head off and burry her head in secret so her enemies would not have a reason to disgrace her. Her head was buried under a pine tree and her beloved naginata was given to a temple.

In Aizu during the Autumn festival, girls parade around the streets wearing a red hakama and a white headband to honor Nakano and the women fighters of the Jōshitai.

Other female fighters include Yamamoto Yae aka "Bakumatsu Joan of Arc" and Hangaku Gozen or Lady Hangaku.

______________________________________________________________

There is a reason the filmakers of Lady Snowblood (a film Blue Eye Samurai heavily borrows from) didn't chose to disguise Yuki as a man when she enacted her revenge.

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

"Considering that midlanders are almost everywhere, do you know how easy it is for me to put on makeup and different clothes and become someone else? I don't even have to change my hair color."

Sometimes adventurers need disguises, and Riven has adopted quite a few~ With the help of Yugiri (and a little support from Hien), Riven has a Doman alternate persona named Hangaku Itazaki, the daughter of a very minor noble house that was all but wiped out during the Garlean occupation.

On paper, Lady Itazaki is one of Yugiri's shinobi, and is most often away on deep-cover assignments in Yanxia.

[incandescentia]

tidbits of about tsuru!!

godawful alcohol tolerance and might pass out from merely three cups of sake, the exact reason why she usually never partake in drinking activities unless incredibly necessary.

the hime title in her name apparently signifies her high ranking status as a daughter from noble family, so apart from intense combat training, she is also instilled with a variety of etiquette lessons since birth.

others usually refer to her as himemiko-sama (or simply just 'lady priestess'/'princess' in english) & your character is free to do so as well.

despite of this, she doesn't speak with that typical ojou-sama desu wa speech nor the samurai de gozaru kind of speech... she's just... the normal feminine-leaning kind of formal with composed language. her personal first person pronoun is just the regular 'watashi'.

she doesn't really have many girl friends around her age apart of the shrine maidens in oyamazumi shrine, but then again she comes from a higher social standing as the daughter of the head priest & coming from a samurai family, so there is some distance between her & others around her. due to this, she's a little bit of a socially awkward bean when it comes to... girl stuff.

while she is not a daimyo, she is a renowed warlord with stellar military record on her own & moreso as a woman during that era. it helps that she wields a high ranking position as a chief priestess of the local prominent shrine.

combine her status as a noble & her position as both religious leader & a warlord, many local lords had their eyes on her for marriage to secure an alliance, but she finds it hard to move on from her deceased first love. and probably because not many men can best her in combat.

is quite knowledgeable about ships, due to her personal experience in naval battles...

even not as a servant, she is canonically blessed by the kami & will occasionally show bursts of divine powers--which explains why she is seemingly able to do superhuman feats in the battlefield. (this is cranked up in the nasuverse where she's the avatar of the kami than simply a blessed human)

tsuru only cuts her hair once or twice & she wants to keep it that way (also, the white hair is natural)

contrary to her appearance, she can be a big eater. it's not that she'll be displaying this uncouth behavior publicly - she is a princess & the head priestess after all.

she grew up with stories about various onna bugeisha from the past like tomoe gozen & hangaku gozen, so they're like idols to her.

speaking of fellow people in sengoku era, she might hold some contempt or a degree of wariness towards like... most sengoku period daimyo, especially if they have like a godawful track record within their rule OR directly clashed for territorial dispute against her... looking respectfully of you @ nobunaga & motonari

on the other hand she does respect people like uesugi kenshin, who mostly have a pretty clean track record & respectable personality (& being a bishamonten incarnate too)

[shini--chan]

Allies or axis who are having (feeling and) war against the country (reader) . During the fight they hurt the reader and finding out that she is a Girl! How would they react because they thought that she was a he for years?

Yandere Axis

Germany

Inwardly, Ludwig would scowl the moment he’d discover that morsel of information. Outwardly, he’d only show the slightest sign of shock. It would mean he’d have to redesign all of those thorough plans he had for you, not to mention completely restyle the room he’d want to share for you.

It would be such a shame to him that he would have only found out about your actual identity hours after he had injured you, thank to one of his loyal spies that would have infiltrated your army and be prowling around your encampments. In hindsight, it would have been far more lucrative to double his efforts to capture you. Because now, with you wounded, he wouldn’t have chance to see you again in a long time.

Germany would ingrain in his men not to go around carelessly butchering and raping women and keep a closer eye on them to prevent such barbarities more than before. While the chance would be slim that you’d somehow be abused by his men, Ludwig wouldn’t be taking any risks. You are his, even if you wouldn’t accept the roll as of the present. This war would just be a means of teaching you a few valuable lessons.

Japan

The moment Kiku would make the deciding move to uncover the truth about you would be followed by a few instances of stupor. In order to escape, you’d have to use this very narrow window of time to scamper off. Although, in the long run there wouldn’t be much difference no matter what pathway you’d choose. The sadistic grin on his face that would inevitably follow would be just as chilling from a distance as it would be up close.

Your story would remind him of his own legends of women stepping on the battlefield to fight for their domain. Mentally, he would find himself comparing them to you. History may not repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme. Would your courage measure up to Tomoe Gozen? Would you turn out to just as brazen as Hangaku Gozen? Japan would all the keener on testing your limits.

Although he might elect other tactics to capture you. Seeing that you’d disguised yourself as a woman, it would mean that your own forces would most likely be unaware of your identity. Japan would ensure that your secret would reach people outside of your circle of confidents. After a humiliating process of examining you to check on the enemy’s claims, you’d be dishonourably discharged. Whether it would be because you’re a woman or because you’d lied your way into the army, the result would be the same. It would end in you being found be Japan, ready to sweep you away in your moment of weakness.

Prussia

Like his brother, Gilbert would have the truth delivered to him hours later, probably because you had been injured in one of the air-raids he had conducted. It would leave him spluttering, completely confused with him hastily going over memories at light-speed. Prussia prides himself in having fully control over most situations and the fact that you’re not a woman would mean that something vital about you would have completely escaped him. That wouldn’t sit well with him and would lead to a meticulous introspection to ensure that this mistake wouldn’t have been any sign of him growing senile.

He would be very angry with you for shamelessly lying to him and once he’d finally have you all to himself he would go out of his way to carry out a punishment you’d never forget. The nuances of his feelings would change slightly, because loving a man is different than loving a woman. And because he would have learned something entirely new and fundamental about you.

Don’t think that he’d be laxer on you just because you belong to the opposite sex. The enemy is the enemy and the worst thing one could do would be to underestimate them because of some ludicrous, narrow-minded notions. Such things cause people to lose wars. He’d be just as harsh to you as before.

The matter would inflame a whole new sort of curiosity in Prussia. He’d observe you more sharply than ever before. What other secrets would you be hiding. Had he missed something that was also essential? It would become a whole new game for Gilbert, to test your mettle and explore your character.

Romano

He would probably find out after taking a pot-shot at you from where he’d be lurking in the shadows, a sniper rifle at hand. Romano would have been waiting for the moment where he could finally capture you. Having waited until you where all alone, he wouldn’t have to worry about others interfering with what would commence. He would just have to spirit you away before you’d regenerate and wake up from the bullet to your heart. Needless to say, he wouldn’t be all sunshine and joy when he’d find out what you are. Being left out on secrets is painful and his obsession with you would only amplify that pain.

Once you’d wake up at his mercy, he’d have a stern word or two with you. Although, now that he’d know that you’re actually a woman, he’d be more mannered than usual. Even before he would have cussed less around you than by other men. Now he would be the epitome of gentlemanly charm, despite having you in chains.

Very firmly he’d be of the position that his lover doesn’t belong on the battlefield. Your protests would fall on deaf ears in his case and you being a woman would only be a reaffirmation to him that you shouldn’t fight. Additionally, he’d also use the chance to persuade you into remaining at his side. Lovino would point out that while he accepted who you are without any conditions, you had to hide a big part of your identity from your own people. So, why not stay with him, eh?

Veneziano

The news would send Veneziano in a fit of childish rage. You shouldn’t keep secrets from him! You shouldn’t be on the battlefield to begin with! You should be with him, under his control, under his jurisdiction. To him, it would be another heresy committed against him.

After a lot of tears and some tantrums and even feelings of remorse for having injured you, he would begin to plot how he could use this new-found information to his advantage. He would take to deducing other things about your personality and would build his plan on top of them, even if his presumptions would be false.

Feliciano would act upon his ideas that because you had chosen the battlefield rather than electing to pulling strings from the shadows, that you’d be a straight-forward person that could be ruthless but preferred direct confrontation over subversion. To him, you wouldn’t be so skilled at politicking and kingmaking as the ladies of court, unlike him.

Out of that reason, he would take the war to a setting that he is more familiar with: the negotiation table. Italy would use his silver tongue and skills at manipulation to ensnare you. Meanwhile, he go ahead to humiliate you in front of your countrymen, spilling your secrets and crying that war is no place for a woman. Whether or not his antics would be genuine or not is a whole other question entirely.

[reveries-and-revelations]

The Female Warrior Hangaku 1885

Lady Hangaku, a beautiful and skilled commander said to be "fearless as a man and beautiful as a flower". Hangaku, on horseback and armed with her ko-naginata, led a force of 3,000 men to defend the Tosakayama fort during the Kennin uprising.

Unfortunately for them, the enemy Hojo clan greatly outnumbered their forces with an army of 10,000 men – the fort was soon breached. Lady Hangaku was wounded by an arrow, but her ferocity in battle left her enemies so impressed that the some of the warriors she’d been fighting begged for permission to marry her. She was captured and presented to the shogun, which would have customarily resulted in her execution, but was instead allowed to marry a Minamoto clan warrior. She was known to have had at least one daughter.

Available from Majestic Prints

[babylon-crashing]

onibaba [i,i]

ACT I. SCENE I.

A semi-dark room scantily furnished. A sliding door opens and the distant chaos of a battle can be heard as two ghosts enter. The first, the soul of the legendary Hangaku Gozen, is dressed in her full samurai armor. The second, Lady Seishin, wears a kimono that might have been stylish 100 years ago and a kabuki fox mask that she never takes off. At the back of the stage is a small fire pit and a small window. Seishin stirs the embers and then stands by the window, peering anxiously out.

SEISHIN.

It is a wild night outside.

HANGAKU.

Help me off with this helmet. Is the rain still coming down?

SEISHIN.

In torrents. I cannot see the other side of the road.

HANGAKU.

That's good.

SEISHIN.

If not being able to see someone ten feet away is good, then hai. Luck is with us. Should I put the oil wick in the window?

HANGAKU.

[Sitting down next to fire with her helmet in her hands.] Why? No. Only when we hear her order a retreat. That's what she said.

SEISHIN.

But on a night like this she may have pulled the troop all the way back to Kyoto and we'll never know.

HANGAKU.

Do not be so querulous, you cranky fox.

SEISHIN.

This isn't me being cranky. Something is about to happen. Listen to the wind sobbing around the house … a lost soul that we're refusing to let enter.

HANGAKU.

Why would we do that? The wind loves us.

SEISHIN.

The wind puts up with us. Ever since--- What was that?

HANGAKU.

[Listens.] It is our message, I think. [Listens harder.] Something is coming. Douse the fire.

[The room is reduced once more to semi-darkness.]

SEISHIN.

Shouldn't we---?

[This time the sound is heard by both women. Someone or something in groaning in the dark. They stand as the door slides open and Jiutian Xuannu enters.]

XUANNU.

Cousins, why are we wasting time here? I was going to call retreat but those stupid Takahashi samurai are milling about right over there and look so smite-able.

HANGAKU.

But who is going to do the smiting? You?

XUANNU.

You look sad, cousin. We're shadows, azure-

eyed, made from lust and stardust and despise

blood and afterbirth. Fools fear our power

to peel off our pelts. Fools fear change, disguise,

the way floods deform and do not deform

dry earth. But, cousin, what use are nightmares

if you can wake up? Why try to transform

when we can slaughter? We don't need more snares

fools keep slipping free from. Call Onibaba.

She's a friend. She has farseeing vision

and short cruel knives. Fools call her, “Hag with Tusks

and Fangs Chitter-Chatting in her Vulva.”

Fools fear her carnage; her love of carrion;

how she sucks both down to their very husks.

HANGAKU.

Fetch her.  

[Jiutian Xuannu exits.]

HANGAKU [cont.]

But first, let's test her skills. Seishin, you pretend to be me.

SEISHIN.

I'm not a ghost. I think she'll notice.

[Jiutian Xuannu, Onibaba and Kijo all enter.]

SEISHIN.

Ah, Lady Onibaba. Chrysanthemum in the Legion of Flowers. Mire in the Order of Tenacity. Chalice of Malice. Fury of the Divine Crest. It is I, your Lady Hangaku!

ONIBABA.

Xuannu, I find it odd that the, “Terror of Genpei,” would be both Jiuzhou and alive.

XUANNU.

[Aside.] That was the worst Hangaku impersonation I've ever seen.

HANGAKU.

Lady Onibaba, please forgive me for being cautious. Who is this?

ONIBABA.

[Indicating Kijo.] My daughter, Lady Kijo.

HANGAKU.

[Incredulous.] You had sex?

ONIBABA.

Hai.

HANGAKU.

[Skeptical.] With a mortal?

ONIBABA.

Hai.

HANGAKU.

[Scandalized.] O my, you nanty narking chuckabog.

ONIBABA.

I don't think you brought me all this way to make snide comments about my lovers.

[A loud moaning begins from outside and the wind rattles against the hut's walls.]

ONIBABA [cont.]

The dusk wails and you pray for Onibaba

to smite souls. It's fitting that twilight

moans for us, glimpsing our hitodama,

our blue-green flames, as we pass in the night,

searching for the spot where we died; where our

blood touched the earth and our hubris melted

when we found out all our sweet truths were sour,

our faiths false. Who claims to know what's sacred?

How I don't know. But they'll kill for it.

You want me to go out and lay the Eight

Ring Curse on those men? Men who love carnage

and their samurai bushido bullshit?

I'll do it. Saints say hate cannot kill hate.

I say all we are is gristle and rage.

SEISHIN.

[Aside.] These mountain demons can be very tempting with their tongues.

ONIBABA.

Don't frown, Lady Hangaku. That was you once, too: a butcher. Now you're just dead and vague.

[The door opens and a little battlefield spirit acting as a messenger enters.]

SENJO BOZU.

[Bowing.] My sovereign. Ladies of the court. I come from the walls of Osaka. Takahashi's soldiers have stormed our outer defenses. We are now fighting in the streets.

XUANNU.

What sort of necromancers do they have that can breach our spells?

HANGAKU.

I heard that Emagami The Blight was selling herself again, but her skills are pitiful.

XUANNU.

[To Onibaba.] My lady, do you think that we should give up on Osaka, or not?

ONIBABA.

Of course not. Only cowards and monks run away.

HANGAKU.

Yattaaaa! I agree with what she says: we'll fight it out.

ONIBABA.

Glory is like the ripples on the water. You have given me the task of whipping the Takahashi then I will beat those waters until they froth.

HANGAKU.

Lady Onibaba, drive the living daylights out of Osaka. They says the root of suffering is attachment. I say we beat that koan home on the skulls of Takahashi and his men.

[All exit.]

][][

Notes:

Onibaba is, as her name states, is a red-skinned, white-haired Japanese ogre. She carries a kanabo (Iron war stick) slung over her shoulder.

Hangaku Gozen was an actual warrior and fought in the Genpei War (1180-1185 AD).

Jiutian Xuannu (Dark Lady of the Nine Heavens) is a Chinese goddess of war, lust and longevity. With long Mandarin robes and her Dadao (“Big sword”) she justifies showing up in this play by saying that she is on holiday.

Seishin kitsune is one of the names used for a fox spirit.

Senjo bozu. A spirit from the battlefield.

Jiuzhou is an ancient name for China.

Hitodama are a pair of blue flames (similar to will o' the wisps) that accompany a ghost when it manifests.

[harvestheart]

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi月岡 芳年 (1839–1892) Japanese

"The female warrior samurai Hangaku Gozen 坂額御前"  c1885 

Lady Hangaku (坂額御前, Hangaku Gozen) was a onna bugeisha warrior, one of the relatively few Japanese warrior women commonly known in history or classical literature.

(From Art me alma on Facebook)

[geosesarma-dennerle]

ryoko “lady hangaku” paulsen

the most dangerous woman of all is the one who refuses to rely on your sword to save her because she carries her own

twenty-nine // hero // chronically ill // pansexual // sailor’s mouth // super strength // superhero dad complex // girl gang // aggressive affection // trust issues // can be bribed with food // dragon lady // dog lover // will go to prison for you

[mihsignultra]

001 - Zepharma Caconal 2

002 - Zepharma Brecol Capsulle

003 - Nintendo Gamecube Bleach

004 - Chifure

005 - Sato no Osonae

006 - Sonicare

007 - Contac 600 ST

008 - Contac Sekidome ST

009 - Unilever

010 - Lux Super Rich

011 - Yubinkyoku Post Office

012 - Johnson & Johnson Acuvue

013 - Yamayoshi Chips

014 - Takeda Benza Capsulle

015 - Lion Kirei Kirei

016 - Duskin Mop

017 - Bienkaori Hair Color

018 - Meiji Dairy

019 - Meiji

020 - Meiji Cho-pan

021 - Meiji Xylish

022 - Kiri

023 - PS2 Disney Kingdom Hearts

024 - PSP

025 - PSP

026 - PSP Derby Time

027 - Tsukijiri

028 - Nintendo DS Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop

029 - Christmas Sale

030 - Book Off

031 - Yamazaki X-Mas Cake

032 - MUFG Bank

033 - Toshiba

034 - Toshiba Vodafone 803T

035 - Vodafone

036 - UC Card

037 - Sankyo Lulu A

038 - Sankyo Lulu A Capsulle

039 - Mister Donut Pockets

040 - Trite

041 - Asahi Wonda

042 - Asahi Super Dry

043 - Asahi Wonda Shot & Shot

044 - Asahi Super Dry

045 - Asahi Super Dry

046 - Promise

047 - Suntory Vitamin Water

048 - Suntory Boss Black

049 - MUFG Nicos Card

050 - Otsuka Ure Pearl

051 - Kumon

052 - Art Nature

053 - Canon Selphy

054 - Seven & i Holdings

055 - 7 Eleven

056 - Zurich

057 - Zurich

058 - Septon 

059 - Bochuriki

060 - Mondamin

061 - Tamago

062 - Earth No Mat

063 - JT

064 - JT

065 - Bathroman

066 - Aiful

067 - Aiful

068 - Kirin Fire

069 - Kirin Green Tea

070 - Kirin Gogo no Kocha

071 - Kirin Potato Kokochi

072 - Misawa Home

073 - Diga DVD Player

074 - Panasonic Camera

075 - Panasonic D-Snap

076 - Sofina Rise and Vital Rich

077 - Kao Blaune Natural

078 - Kao Wareia Clean

079 - Kao Resesh

080 - Kao Resesh

081 - Kao Humming

082 - New Naive

083 - Naive

084 - Revue Essence In

085 - Kanebo Faircrea White

086 - NTT DoCoMo Saidai Hangaku

087 - DeAgostini Ships Collection

088 - Mannan Life Fruit Jellies

089 - National Washing Machine

090 - National Pro IU

091 - National Living Showroom

092 - National Living Showroom

093 - Biore

094 - Biore

095 - NTT Communications Platinum Line

096 - NTT Communications Platinum Line

097 - NTT Communications

098 - 2nd Street

099 - Sharp Dolce

100 - Shiseido Haku

101 - Shiseido Uno

102 - Shiseido Ag+

103 - Sanikleen

104 - Nissin Cup Noodle

105 - Nissin Cup Noodle Kimchi

106 - Nissin Soup

107 - JA Kyosai

108 - JA Bank

109 - JA Kyosai

110 - Acom

111 - Acom

112 - Acom

113 - Acom

114 - Sapporo The Fruit Sparkling

115 - Sapporo Draft One

116 - Sapporo Beer

117 - KDDI au

118 - KDDI au

119 - Taisho Kanpo Ichoyaku

120 - Taisho RiUP

121 - Taisho Damarin Ace

122 - Taisho Collac II

123 - Oyatsu Company Karakari Chips

124 - House Kantomen

125 - House Natural Brown

126 - House Sawaya Katoiki

127 - House Vermont Curry

128 - House Tongari Corn

129 - Marukome Miso

130 - Dove Moisture Shampoo

131 - Nicorette Gum

132 - Sky PerfecTV!

133 - Calpis Water

134 - Eskimo Pino

135 - Yofuku no Aoyama

136 - Pepsi Twist

137 - Asahi Kasei Bell House

138 - Yebisu Bar

139 - Propia

140 - ENEOS

141 - Tama Home

142 - McDonald’s

143 - Unimat Ladies

144 - Otsuka Nature Made

145 - Sea Breeze

146 - Face Finite Crystal

147 - Glico Puchin Purin

148 - Daihatsu Boon

149 - Orico Card Upty

150 - Choya Umesh

151 - Choya Lemon Wine

152 - Sunstar Ora 2

153 - Sunstar Ora 2

154 - JRA 2005

155 - TBC

156 - Good Year

157 - Autobacs

158 - Aeon

159 - Den Code

160 - Circle K Sunkus

161 - Mazda MPV

162 - Kojima

163 - Subtle Snowboard

164 - Sakai Deliver

165 - Kowa Vantelin

166 - Nissan Kauzo

167 - Nissan Elgrand

168 - Dengeki Soko

169 - Sharp Foma

170 - BPO

[niallswork]

Inktober Day 7. Lady Hangaku, an onna-bugeisha who fought in the Genpei War; during the late Heian period of Japan. Her family fought on the side of the Taira clan against the Minamoto clan. She lead a defense at Torisakayama, commanding 3,000 against an enemy army of 10,000. Wounded by an arrow and then captured, the defense soon fell. Said to be "fearless as a man and beautiful as a flower", and to have carried a naginata spear-sword.

[theblindninja]

Lady Hangaku was a female warrior samurai, one of the relatively few Japanese warrior women commonly known in history or classical literature.

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