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Article: Yamato-takeru: an 'Arthurian' hero in Japanese tradition.
- Article from:
- Asian Folklore Studies
- Article date:
- October 1, 1995
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1995 Asian Folklore Studies. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Of all the heroes in Japanese legendry, none is more "Arthurian" than Yamato-takeru, "The Brave of Yamato." Indeed, the tales of Yamato-takeru's strength, courage, leadership, feats of arms, love affairs, magical sword, and untimely death all bear a remarkable resemblance to the legends surrounding the life and death of King Arthur, as related in Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur (BAINES 1962) and a host of other medieval British and continental texts. In the present paper I propose that the legends of these two heroes, as well as those of Lancelot du Lac and Batraz (a hero celebrated by the Ossetians of the north-central Caucasus), all derive from the same ancient ...