However, considering the tradition of Yoshiie's hell in Kyoto and a description of "Chuyuki" (a diary written by FUJIWARA no Munetada who lived in the same period as Yoshiie) as 'The late Yoshiie Ason had killed many innocent people as the head of warriors for a long time. His piling sins may affect on his descendants,' it is one of the aspects of Yoshiie told by a samurai in the imperial capital who joined the war with Yoshiie, so that it can be regarded as the truth.
しかしながら、京に伝えられた義家の無限地獄の伝承や、義家の同時代人藤原宗忠が、その日記『中右記』に、「故義家朝臣は年来武者の長者として多く無罪の人を殺すと云々。積悪の余り、遂に子孫に及ぶか」と記したことも合わせ考えると、義家に従って参戦した京武者から伝え聞いた義家のひとつの側面であり実話と見なしうる。