Benkei as portrayed in Kabuki plays.

Saito Musashibo Benkei (西塔武蔵坊弁慶, 1155-1189), popularly called "Benkei" (弁慶), was a Sohei who served Minamoto no Yoshitsune. He is regarded as a man of great strength and loyalty, one of the favourite subjects of Japanese folklore. So much of his life has been embellished and distorted by Kabuki and Noh drama, that most of it cannot be distinguished from legend. Benkei as portrayed in Kabuki plays, courtesy http://www. ... Benkei as portrayed in Kabuki plays, courtesy http://www. ... Events Frederick I Barbarossa crowned Holy Roman Emperor. ... Events January 21 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade September 3- Richard I of England is crowned as king of England. ... Sohei (僧兵), lit. ... Yoshitsune and Benkei Viewing Cherry Blossoms, by Yoshitoshi Tsukioka, 1885 Minamoto no Yoshitsune (源 義経) (1159 - May 17, 1189) was a late Heian and early Kamakura period general of the Minamoto clan of Japan. ... Japanese mythology is an extremely complex religion and system of beliefs. ... The Kabukiza in Ginza is one of Tokyos leading kabuki theaters. ... Noh performance at Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima, Hiroshima Noh or No (Japanese: 能 Nō) is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. ...

Stories about Benkei's birth vary considerably. One tells how his father was the head of a temple shrine who had raped his mother, the daughter of a blacksmith. Another sees him as the offspring of a temple god. Many give him the attributes of a demon, a monster child with wild hair and long teeth. In his youth Benkei may have been called Oniwaka (鬼若) - the "devil's child". In folklore, mythology, and religion, a demon or demoness is a supernatural being that is generally described as a malevolent spirit, but is also depicted as a force that may be conjured and insecurely controlled. ...

He joined the cloister at an early age and travelled widely among the monasteries of Japan. During this period, the Buddhist monasteries of Japan were important centres of administration and culture, but also military powers in their own right. Like many other monks, Benkei was probably trained in warfare. At the age of seventeen, he was said to have been over two metres tall. At this point he left the Buddhist church and joined the Yamabushi, a sect of wandering bandit monks, who were recognised by their black caps. Images of Benkei on Japanese prints often show him wearing this cap. Japanese Buddhist priest c. ...

Benkei is said to have posted himself at Gojo Bridge in Kyoto, where he deprived every swordholder who passed of his weapon, eventually collecting 999 swords. On his 1000th duel, Benkei was defeated by Minamoto Yoshitsune, a son of the warlord Minamoto no Yoshitomo. Henceforth, he became a retainer of Yoshitsune and fought with him in the Genpei War against the Taira clan. Yoshitsune is credited with most of the Minamoto clan's successes against the Taira, especially the final naval battle of Dannoura. After their ultimate triumph, however, Yoshitsune's elder brother Minamoto Yoritomo, turned against him. This page is about the city Kyoto. ... Minamoto no Yoshitomo (源 義朝) (1123-1160) was the head of the Minamoto clan and a general of the late Heian period of Japanese history. ... The Genpei or Gempei War (源平戦争)(1180-1185) was a war of ancient Japan, fought between the Taira and Minamoto clans. ... Taira (平) is a Japanese surname. ... The Battle of Dan-no-ura, more commonly known as Dan-no-ura no Tatakai (壇ノ浦の戦い), was a major sea battle of the Genpei War, occurring at Dan_no_ura, in the Shimonoseki Strait off the southern tip of Honshu. ... Minamoto no Yoritomo 源頼朝 (1147 - February 9, 1199) was the founder and first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan, from 1192 to 1199. ...

During the two year ordeal which followed, Benkei accompanied Yoshitsune as an outlaw. In the end they were encircled in the castle of Takadachi. Legend recounts how Benkei, pierced by arrows, fought to the bloody end, and died standing on his feet.

Undoubtedly, it is Benkei's loyalty and honour which makes him most attractive in Japanese folklore. One Kabuki play places Benkei in a moral dilemma between lying and protecting his lord in order to cross a bridge. The critical moment of the drama is its climax, where the monk realises his situation and vows to do what he must.