His father was Judge Mori Yoshinari, and in total he had 5 brothers. Yoshinari, who lived in Gifu, had a possession - Kanayama-zo. Yoshitaka, an older brother, fought along with one of Oda's generals and died. Nagaeshi, the middle brother, was able to crush the rebellion that began in Ise, but fell in battle at the battle of Nagakute. Oda Nobunaga appreciated Nagaeshi and Toyotomi Hideyoshi as very talented generals. An interesting fact is that the word "wounds" means an orchid, while "maru" is just a prefix to the name, which was often added to the boys. Ranmaru is a middle name, at first his name was Naritoshi, or Naritoshi Mori, a Japanese military leader who gained considerable fame. Until now, his image is used in cosplay (photo below).
Meet Oda
When Yoshinari swore an oath to Ode, he brought his son with him. At that time, the boy was about 6 years old. According to Ranmaru's description, a very handsome young man, in addition, Oda was able to discern a lot of qualities in him. After Yoshinari also died, her mother decided to go to the monastery, but before that she asked Ode to take care of her son. The commander took the boy to him as a pupil, but even his mother, having left for the monastery, remained faithful to the clan and collected any valuable information.
Relations
No one knows for sure how this happened, but in those days there was a slightly different attitude to homosexual relations. There was a so-called shudo - that is, the path of a young man, and same-sex love was considered one of its stages, moreover, important for later life and career. Samurai likewise teaches his pupil honesty and virtue, but love for the female sex can only weaken the spirit of a warrior. That is, an adult took under the protection of a boy and had to teach him education, including shudo. Boys were brought up from an early age, but then the pupil became a warrior, this happened in the years 15-18.
Kushu (or scythe) - the so-called teenager, who was to follow all the instructions of his samurai, to serve him. In Japanese, 小 姓. In civilian life, Kushu was a kind of clerk, secretary, assistant. During the battle, he had to protect the owner in any way, so he was charged with the duty to learn different martial arts.
Career
Ranmaru Mori was a very talented person, he showed practicality and quick wits. It should be noted that Oda had a terribly heavy character, which could be replaced with the speed of lightning. Oda did not trust anyone and rarely discussed his plans with anyone. Not only that, he did not plan well in advance, he could solve everything individually and demand that his instructions be executed very quickly, right now, yesterday! If his instructions were not followed, then he could be very angry, anyone fell into the arm. However, Ranmaru acted upon his master in a favorable manner and could reassure him in time with the words spoken. Therefore, when Oda Nobunaga was very angry, it was necessary to hide either for Hideyoshi or for Ranmaru.
Since it was precisely these two who could please their master in such a way that he did not make any claims against them, for the Oda clan Ranmaru Mori was truly invaluable, he could cope with the simply terrible character of Nobunaga. No one else was able to tolerate this character, and often people were perplexed by his orders. But Mori guessed and could provide the desired and required even before Oda ordered. Also watched over various trifles. For example, Nobanuga was very fond of red wine, but to get it at that time was quite difficult, however, Ranmaru watched the replenishment of this precious drink. He made a schedule for his master, fenced beautifully, shot from a bow, rode a horse.
As already mentioned above, in those days, the page was not just an honorable duty. It was necessary to be able to clean the armor of his master, deliver him a horse, and fight for him. If the defense fell, then daima had only their scythe. With this braid was supposed to be in the service hourly, daily, he had no days off. At any moment, the master could call him, the scythe did not serve from nine to six, but at any time. That is why the boys after several days of such service could not stand, and they were kicked out.
For his services, he received an allotment in Iwamura-zo at only 17 years old, and the ruins of this place can be seen even now, they are in the city with the corresponding name, Gifu Prefecture.
Friends and foes
Ranmaru and Hideyoshi communicated with each other, although he left the lower class. This did not stop Mori from showing friendliness to him, which distinguished him from other generals who were proud of their aristocracy. He also had a pretty good relationship with other generals who appreciated his dedication to Ode and his talent to calm the commander. Despite this, Ranmaru had a rather difficult relationship with Aketi Mitsuhide, as if Mori felt a catch, and it was not in vain. It is not known exactly, but they say that there was strong hatred between the two of them.
Betrayal
The commander Oda Nobunaga went on a trip to China, but stopped to spend the night in a temple called Honnouji. Aketi Mitsuhide knew that at that very time the main part of the army was occupied in another part of the country, there were also some generals. And then he came up with an excuse, as if he was following Nobunaga’s order, after which he brought his own army to the temple. It is important to know that the commander often demonstrated his troops in Kyoto, so no one suspected such a march. They attacked the temple where Nobunagi was located, Ranmaru Mori, as well as two of his younger brothers. After the army was discarded, Aketi decided to set the temple on fire. The image below shows the grave of Ranmaru and his brothers in Gifu.
According to other sources, the temple was set on fire by Mori Ranmaru himself, following the order of his master so that no one could capture him, after which Oda committed suicide ritual suicide. Ranmaru followed him, his devotion to his master made him a revered figure in history, but it is interesting that the remains of the commander were never found, and very often historians and writers discuss this mysterious fact.
It is not known why Aketi Mitsuhide still betrayed his patron, although there is a theory that he had a personal offense, he might have been afraid that he would have to fight for his possessions with Oda.
Mentions
The image of a devoted samurai was very exciting, like Adonis in mythology, therefore, starting from the era of Edo, Ranmaru (Mori Ranmaru) - a character in various works of art. It is still used in films, anime, video games and so on. His portrait was painted by artists, as well as portrayed in kabuki plays. As an example, you can take a picture of Yushitoshi.
Pictured: Ranmaru in the middle of a fire trying to protect Nobunaga’s life during an incident in the temple. The artist is Takaoki Yoshiyuki (aka Yoshitoshi - Yoshitoshi).
Also in 1980, Akira Kurosawa created a film called "Kagemushi."
Ranmaru became a character in the Samurai Warriors series of games, which talks about the reunification period of Japan. The game was based on historical sources, as well as legends and folklore. According to the game, Ranmaru is nicknamed "Young Lion", he is 17 years old and he is a samurai, bodyguard and student of Nobunaga.
He is very strong, can do great fencing, uses a slash attack with his swords, which releases some kind of energy, usually an arc. In the game, Mori Ranmaru has a very high speed, equipped with the Steel Revenge sword. When swinging a sword, it can cause an energy wave. Also has the ability to attack darkness.
Known in the game Sengoku Basara.
This game was also developed based on the events of the Sengoku era, feudal Japan. In total there were 4 games in the series + 1 additional.
The Japanese group KAT-TUN has created a song called "1584", which reflects the situation in Honnouji.
Also in the anime "Naruto" there are series dedicated to a boy named Ramaru, the prototype is taken from this hero.
In the Pokemon Conquest game and in the Wwallflower series of manga, there is a hero Ranmaru.