Benkei and Ushiwakamaru

I wanted to ask if anyone knows of Benkei and Ushiwakamaru the two
tragic heroes of the kamakura period. The famed warriors of Kyoto, I
think they lived sometime around the Genpei War. If you know anything
please type back, thank you.

--- In samuraihistory@yahoogroups.com, "Ijin Mibu" wrote:

>
> I wanted to ask if anyone knows of Benkei and Ushiwakamaru the two
> tragic heroes of the kamakura period. The famed warriors of Kyoto, I
> think they lived sometime around the Genpei War. If you know anything
> please type back, thank you.
>

I remember hearing this story from my father. Ushiwakamaru is the birth
name of Yoshitsune Minamoto and Musashibo Benkei was a monk famous for
his skill with the naginata. If I remember correctly Benkei had vowed
to collect 1000 swords to sell and build a temple. Ushiwakamaru had run
away from his home in Kuramayama temple and learned to be a skilled
swordsman from Tengu the samurai God of the forest. When Ushiwakamaru
and Benkei met at the Gojo bridge in Kyoto Benkei tried all of his
skill against the young boy to no success. Knowing he was in the
presence of greatness he threw down his weapon and became Ushiwakamarus
most trusted companion.

I am going from memory and I'm sure the more highly educated people in
this group will send a multitude of messages correcting what I've
written. So make sure you read these corrections because as like a
baseball fan who can recite the batting average of a player in a game
played 75 years ago, these people really know their stuff.

Hirai

> >
> I remember hearing this story from my father. Ushiwakamaru is
> the birth name of Yoshitsune Minamoto and Musashibo Benkei
> was a monk famous for his skill with the naginata.

Was the birth name of Musashibo Benkei Oniwaka? And wasn't Ushiwakamaru
Shanou Yoshitsune or was it Yoshitsune Minamoto? If I am not mistaken, was
the event of Benkei's collecting swords at Gojo bridge after Heike clan
defeated Genji clan? And Yoshitsune was from Genji clan, and Benkei only
confiscated swords from the members of Heike clan.

I also heard about this but not remember from where or who. I want to hear
the complete story from Japanese history masters of this group.

> Was the birth name of Musashibo Benkei Oniwaka? And wasn't

Ushiwakamaru

> Shanou Yoshitsune or was it Yoshitsune Minamoto? If I am not

mistaken, was

> the event of Benkei's collecting swords at Gojo bridge after Heike

clan

> defeated Genji clan? And Yoshitsune was from Genji clan, and Benkei

only

> confiscated swords from the members of Heike clan.

Yoshitsune went by the adult name of Kuro (9th son) no Yoshitsune. His
birth name was Ushiwakamaru (dear young ox) and his coming of age name
was Shanao.

Benkei's collection of the Heike swords was, according to legend, prior
to the outbreak of the Gempei war, but some years after the defeat of
Yoshitomo (Yoshitsune's father) by the Taira.

--AngusH

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