Benkei
Warrior monk and loyal retainer of Minamoto no Yoshitsune.
Kikuchi Yosai (1788-1878) · via Wikipedia: Benkei · Public domain
He is known for his legendary strength and for becoming the retainer of Minamoto no Yoshitsune.[1] During the latter part of the Heian Period (794–1185), a Japanese warrior monk (sōhei) known as Benkei was active.[2]
Quick Facts
- Born
- 1155
- Died
- 1189
- Field
- Warrior monk (sōhei)
- Nationality
- Japanese
Facts from the source article.
Life and work
Benkei was trained in the naginata, as monasteries were military powers.[3] He iconically carried seven weapons on his back, including a broad axe, rake, sickle, mallet, saw, staff, and glaive.[4] According to the Kyoto Project account, Benkei wandered Kyoto nightly to collect 1,000 swords from samurai.[1] The duel moved to Gojo Bridge, where the smaller Yoshitsune defeated Benkei with quick movements.[5][1]
Benkei later lost a second duel at Kiyomizu Temple and then became Yoshitsune’s lifetime servant.[5][1] According to accounts, when Benkei was seventeen years old, his height reached 2 meters.[6] He departed from the monasteries to become a yamabushi (a mountain ascetic), and a black cap, characteristic of that group, was commonly worn by him.[6] Having already taken 999 swords, Benkei encountered a boy playing a flute at Gojotenjin Shrine and then sought to take the boy's gilded sword.[5][1]
Benkei lived as an outlaw alongside Yoshitsune from 1185 until his own death in 1189.[7]
What the cited sources add
The Kyoto Project account states that Benkei was a monk with Herculean strength.[1] It specifies that the first meeting occurred at Gojotenjin shrine in southern Kyoto.[1] The account notes that Yoshitsune moved so lightly that Benkei was no match for him.[1]
References
- Matsumoto; Nasu, "The Legend of Yoshitsune Minamoto", The Kyoto Project, June 29, 2012. facts only, no text reused. thekyotoproject.org
- Wikipedia, "Benkei" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Sanseidō, 10 March 2025; NHK Publishing, 24 May 2016 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Benkei" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Adolphson, Mikael S. 2007. The Teeth and Claws of the Buddha: Monastic Warriors and Sōhei in Japanese History, pp. 7-12. Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Benkei" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Ashkenazi, "Handbook of Japanese Mythology", ABC-CLIO, 2003, p. 124–125 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Benkei" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Matsumoto; Nasu, "The Legend of Yoshitsune Minamoto", The Kyoto Project, June 29, 2012; Matsumoto; Nasu, "The Legend of Yoshitsune Minamoto", The Kyoto Project, June 29, 2012; Kitagawa, Hiroshi et al. (1975). The Tale of the Heike, pp. 535, 540, 654, 656, 669. (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Benkei" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Yoshikawa, "The Heike Story: A Modern Translation of the Classic Tale of Love and War", New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1956 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Benkei" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Sansom, "A History of Japan to 1334", Stanford University Press, 1958, p. 317, 326 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Benkei (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Rulers & Leaders
Elsewhere in Historical Figures
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced