Benkei
Saitō Musashibō Benkei (西塔武蔵坊弁慶, 1155–1189), popularly known by the mononym Benkei, was a Japanese warrior monk (sōhei) who lived in the latter years of the Heian Period (794–1185). Benkei led a varied life, first becoming a monk, then a mountain ascetic, and then a rogue warrior. He later came to respect and serve the famous warrior Minamoto no Yoshitsune, also known as Ushiwakamaru. He is commonly depicted as a man of great strength and loyalty, and a popular subject of Japanese folklore showcased in many ancient and modern literature and productions.
The earliest records of Benkei are in the Azuma Kagami, The Tale of the Heike, and the Genpei Jōsuiki—all sources from around a century or more after Benkei's life. These sources generally only indicate Benkei was one of Yoshitsune's retainers and was a thin monk, although they do indicate Yoshitsune was aided and protected by a band of rogueish sōhei (warrior-monks) near Mount Hiei after he fled the capital—perhaps the historical core of the Benkei legend. Many of the detailed anecdotes and stories of Benkei are from the Gikeiki, an even later 14th-century work. As no contemporary records of Benkei are extant, it is difficult to know which elements of the stories are historical and which are embellished.
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