Dominic Sandbrook

He's not holding them all at the same time, presumably.

No, he's not holding them all at the time.

And I like the fact he has a saw and a rake so he can do a spot of gardening or something if he's... Yeah, yeah.

Yes.

He's ready and prepared for anything.

I said he's a lawless warrior monk.

And as lawless warrior monks often do, he vows to rob a thousand men of their swords.

And so he stands on a bridge in Kyoto, the story goes,

And every samurai who tries to cross it, Benkei fights him.

And he is so invincible that he ends up with 999 swords.

So he's got one sword to go to make the thousand.

And the scene which you narrated, this is him trying to get his thousandth sword.

And his opponent is a very slight...

Elegant youth wearing a woman's cloak, who'd been playing the flute as he approached the bridge.

So, you know, kind of faint hint of the girly about him, I guess.

Well, maybe, because he turns out to be so formidable an opponent that Benkei ends up defeated.

Oh.

And we're told in the no play, he can do battle no longer.

And he submits to his opponent.

And from this point on, he is the victor's loyal follower.