CHAPTER 4: KENSEI AND THE DRAGON
Part 1:
NARRATOR: Takezo Kensei. To save Japan, this legendary swordsman faced overwhelming odds and stood victorious. Fierce beasts, massive armies, even the primal elements could not stop him. But it was in his final story, Kensei and the Dragon, that Kensei would breathe his last.
NARRATOR: It was said that before Kensei began his trials, he met a beautiful Princess. The two fell madly in love. But the Pprincess, seeing the threat of White Beard made Kensei swear to do everything in his power to save Japan.
PROFESSOR KAREN CHAMBERLIN (University of Cambridge, Literature): Well, to prepare for battle, Kensei trained under the greatest swordsmen of his time until he had bested all of his instructors. But he knew even this would not be enough.
NARRATOR: Kensei sought out the Dragon of Kiso Mountain. The dragon was rumored to possess knowledge of ancient and powerful sword skills, but he would only teach those who truly needed him. And even then, a terrible price would always be extracted.
PROFESSOR KAREN CHAMBERLIN: The Dragon agrees to help Kensei, finding his cause worthy. But in exchange, the Dragon asked Kensei to give him that which he loved most in life. Hmm. It is the classic conflict of the hero in love.
NARRATOR: Kensei was torn. He loved the Princess deeply, but he swore to her that he would do whatever he must to save Japan. Reluctantly, Kensei agreed. So the Dragon bestowed on him the full force of his sword knowledge, making him the Sword Saint.
NARRATOR: Kensei used his new-found skills to track and defeat White Beard. With the people out of harm’s way, it was safe for our hero to live as a man. Kensei sought to marry his Princess. She agreed.
PROFESSOR KAREN CHAMBERLIN: Kensei’s wedding was said to be the most beautiful in Japanese history. Cherry blossoms showered the bride and bridegroom; gifts piled higher than Mt. Fuji. All of Japan celebrated.
NARRATOR: But the couple’s joy would prove to be all too brief. With a loud thunderclap, the Dragon of Kiso Mountain suddenly appeared above the wedding. He was huge and terrible. It was said to have blotted out the sun across all of Japan. The Dragon demanded Kensei fulfill his side of the bargain. He demanded Kensei’s love. He demanded the Princess.
NARRATOR: Kensei was faced with an unthinkable choice: to honor his bargain, he would have to sacrifice the only thing he cared about. But always clever and brave, Kensei surprised the Dragon. He plunged his sword into his own chest and cut out his heart. He held out his heart to the Dragon saying, "My love is in here. Take it."
Part 2.
PROFESSOR KAREN CHAMBERLIN (University of Cambridge, Literature): Kensei died in the arms of his Princess. But he fulfilled his promise to her when he died. It is one of the best illustrations of self-sacrifice common to the classic hero myths world-wide. In some versions of the story, Kensei is rewarded for his sacrifice. They say, the Dragon, so moved by his love and honor, put Kensei’s heart back into his body and with his fiery breath, brought the samurai back to life.
NARRATOR: No one knows exactly what happened to Kensei after this. His story as history ends here. But legend has offered him several ends.
PROFESSOR KAREN CHAMBERLIN: Some claim he went on to live a long life with his Princess, surrounded by more gold than the Emperor. Other accounts suggest that, uh, Kensei and his bride departed with the dragon, never to be seen again.
NARRATOR: Another less optimistic version reveals Kensei’s death as final with the Princess mourning her lost love for every day of her very long life.
NARRATOR: Many wondered just who was Kensei’s love, this Princess. Like Kensei himself, her characterizations in the tales are numerous and conflicting. The few go so far as to credit her as the creator of the Kensei tapestries, the earliest known record of Kensei and the potential source of the rich oral traditions surrounding him.
PROFESSOR KAREN CHAMBERLIN: (chuckles) No. Not many people would agree with me about that. But, of all the many versions of the trials, none pre-dates the Kensei scroll paintings. And that makes this signature of vital importance. Yaeko, daughter of the swordmaker. If she originated the tales, she may well have been his great love. Who else would know so intimately the details of his journey?. Who else would be such a loving bard? Who else … but his Princess?
PROFESSOR DONNA DORN (University of Chicago, Japanese Studies): Well, that’s wishful academic thinking. Granted concurrent records confirm the existence of a woman named Yaeko from the village of Otsu, the only daughter of a much-admired swordsmith. But ... it confirms nothing. In such a male-dominated society, it’s difficult to believe that she genuinely accomplished any of the amazing things attributed to the Princess or that a samurai like Kensei would ever allow a woman to accompany him on these dangerous quests. But, yes, she did exist.
NARRATOR: Yaeko’s place in the Kensei tale only fortified his status as a figure of myth and legend. But with little proof and scant historical records, belief in Kensei’s actual existence grew weaker. Many believed that Japan’s greatest hero was little more than a folk tale. But recently, evidence was uncovered which would finally settle the debate once and for all.