Filial Piety
Filial piety is a main theme in this story. Even though Atusmori and his son had never met, they were brought together by a deep spiritual connection. The boy’s prayers and longing for his father was so powerful that the gods allowed Atsumori to briefly leave Hell and meet his son. The following excerpt really describes the instant connection between father and son during their meeting:
And lightly he ran,
Plucked at the warrior’s sleeve,
And though his tears might seem like the long woe
Of nightingales that weep,
Yet were they tears of meeting-joy,
Or happiness too great for human heart.
Read more about this topic: Ikuta Atsumori
Famous quotes related to filial piety:
“Filial piety moves Heaven.”
—Chinese proverb.
“There are three major offenses against filial piety of which not producing an heir is the worst.”
—Chinese proverb.
Mencius.