Etymology
Biwa hoshi (琵琶法師) literally means "lute priest". Hoshi (法師) is derived from buppo no kyoshi, which translates as a teacher who explains Buddhist precepts. The two characters 法 and 師 mean Buddhist doctrine and teacher. It referred to blind priests who played the heike-biwa to accompany their songs about legends, wars, histories, and mythologies. Eventually, 法師 referred to non-blind and blind performers and was also used as a suffix to a series of other types of people (e.g. 田楽法師 (dancing musicians)、散楽法師 (Chinese-style entertainer)、絵取り法師 (outcast artists), and 三条法師 (men from Sanjo/men from temporary quarters). Biwa hoshi are referred to in Japanese iconography that dates back to the late Heian period (794-1185 C.E.). They are also referred to in the Shin-sarugaku-ki, written by Fujiwara Akihira (989-1066).
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