Warrior Monk

Consider the image of the “warrior-monk”. How is it tied to specific weaponry? How has the image taken on a life of its own, perhaps independent of historical facts?

What separates ‘warrior-monks’ from traditional Buddhist monks? Peaceful, philosophical and gentle are the words I usually associate with a traditional Buddhist monk. Moreover, if you were to search the image of a Buddhist monk on any internet engine, your webpage would most likely be filled with pictures of gentle old men with shaven heads, wearing a traditional robes and holding pray beads, whilst meditating. With this image in mind, the spirit of a warrior appears to be contradictory, thus what did a warrior-monk look like?

According to Turnbull, there is a ‘remarkable consistency’ between the existing descriptions and illustrations of the warrior-monks, which allows the recreation of their image to be done so with accuracy. Additionally, it appears that the basic costume of Buddhist monks, the monastic robe, has not changed significantly since the time of the warrior-monks. However, the warrior-monks did contribute alterations to the traditional apparel, such as a white headcowl tied around, exposing only the face. In addition, from the depictions on scroll paintings, warrior-monks also wore a suit of armour, usually a do-maru, which was a typical suit of Japanese armour made from lacquered metal or leather scales. (Turnbull 29)

Finally, the standard image of a warrior-monk would not be complete without the naginata, a ‘fierce-looking cutting weapon’. This epitomical weapon was a form of glaive with a blade set inside a stout wooden shaft of oval cross section for ease of handling, and a pommel of iron to balance the blade, which also served as a weapon in its own right. (Turnbull 31) However, in contrast to popular beliefs, the warrior-monks did not limit their weaponry to the naginata. They also wielded swords and many were skilled archers. This is depicted in the Heike Monogatari,...