Biography of benkei
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A powerful man of Anecdotes and Loyalty
武蔵坊 弁慶 Musashibo Benkei
1151 ~ 1189
Childhood name: Oniwakamaru 鬼若
(Japanese historical figures change their names frequently.)
Musashibo Benkei, who is said to have been Minamoto no Yoshitsune’s trusted subordinate, has been the subject of many Kabuki plays. It has been said that Benkei was in his mother’s womb for 18 months, and when he was born, he had the body of a 2- or 3-year-old boy, his hair was shoulder length, and his teeth were well-grown. He grew up to be two meters tall and weighed 130 kilograms, and was famous for his tremendous strength. However, it is uncertain how much of his historical records are facts and how much are legends, and there is a high possibility that the stories related to Yoshitsune was also a creation of later generations.
Testing his strength from being told he was the son of an ogre
Benkei’s father, who thought Benkei was a child of an ogre due to his different appearance from a normal baby, tried to kill him, so his aunt took him in, named him Oniwaka, and raised him in Kyoto. He was then sent to Enryaku Temple on Mt. Hieizan, but he was so violent that he could not learn anything and was eventually expelled from the temple. So he shaved his
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The Legend emancipation Benkei: Say publicly Enduring Inventiveness of interpretation Japanese Warrior Monk
By Nikolas Broy
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Benkei Musashibo - The Warrior Monk
Benkei Musashibo, a legendary warrior monk of feudal Japan, is renowned for his exceptional strength and his iconic status during the Heian period and the Genpei Wars. Over centuries, his story has been immortalized in Kabuki and Noh plays, as well as depicted in various forms of Japanese art. Benkei symbolizes not only immense physical power, akin to a grizzly bear, but also a compassionate heart, embodying unwavering loyalty to his lord — a virtue deeply revered in Japanese culture.
Oniwaka - The Devil's Child
The birth and early life of Benkei are steeped in myth. One story claims his mother was the daughter of a blacksmith, while another suggests his father was the head of a temple shrine. Some legends even state he was the child of a Japanese temple god. He was said to be an extraordinary child, born not after the usual nine months but after an incredible 18 months, described as a monstrous figure with wild hair and elongated teeth.
Regardless of the varying tales surrounding his birth, Benkei was notorious for his mischievous nature, earning the moniker Oniwaka — "the devil’s child" or "young devil." He was a troublemaker from the start, and his foster parents, worn out by his antics, decided to send him to a cloister. Howev