In front of the bellflower - In front of the bellflower

...Therefore, no one could distinguish between them and Masakado." This is how the Otogi-zoshi "Tawara Tōta Monogatari" describes his superhuman abilities, but the immortal giant had only one weak spot - his temple, which was left bare. When his concubine Kikyou betrayed him, this secret was revealed to his enemy, Tawara Tōta (Fujiwara no Hidesato), and he was tragically killed. This is a legend in the same form as Achilles in Greek mythology and Siegfried in Scandinavia, but the fact that Masakado had six body doubles suggests that this legend was developed in connection with the belief in the Big Dipper (Myoken belief).

*Some of the terminology explanations that refer to "Kikyō no Mae" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…されば何れを将門と見分けたる者は無かりけり〉。御伽草子《俵藤太物語》は，その超人ぶりをこのように描き出しているが，その不死身の巨人にも，ただ1ヵ所，こめかみだけが生身であるという弱点があり，愛妾の桔梗（ききよう）の前の裏切りによって，その秘密が敵方の俵藤太(藤原秀郷)に漏れ，あえなく討ちとられるという結末になっている。ギリシア神話のアキレウスや北欧のジークフリートと同じかたちの伝承だが，将門が影武者6人を従えていたというのは，北斗七星の信仰(妙見信仰)とのかかわりの中で，この伝説がはぐくまれてきたことを示唆している。…

※「桔梗の前」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報