Eight Dogs - Discoveries

Japanese: 八犬士 - はっけんし

The eight protagonists of Nanso Satomi Hakkenden (The Legend of the Eight Dogs), a long fantasy novel from the Edo period written by Kyokutei Bakin. They are fictional characters created by Bakin based on the Eight Dog Warriors, whose names appear in Shogenjiko Setsuyoshu (a dictionary from the Edo period). They are Inue Shinbei Masashi, Inuzuka Shinno Moritaka, Inukawa Shosuke Yoshito, Inuyama Dosetsu Tadatomo, Inukai Genyashindo, Inuda Kobungo Yasuyori, Inusaka Keno Tanetomo, and Inumura Osumi Masanori. The basic setting for the Dog Warriors is that they have the character for "inu" (dog) as their surname, a sacred jewel engraved with one of the characters from the Eight Virtues of Bushido (the eight virtues of benevolence and righteousness): benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, faith, loyalty, filial piety, and fraternity, and a peony-shaped birthmark somewhere on their body.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

江戸時代の長編伝奇小説《南総里見八犬伝》(曲亭馬琴著)の8人の主人公たちをいう。《書言字考節用集》(江戸時代の辞書)に名の見える〈八犬士〉をもとに，馬琴によって創造された架空の人物である。犬江親兵衛仁（まさし），犬塚信乃戍孝（もりたか），犬川荘助義任（よしとう），犬山道節忠与（ただとも），犬飼現八信道，犬田小文吾悌順（やすより），犬坂毛野胤智（たねとも），犬村大角礼儀（まさのり）らがそれで，〈犬〉の字を姓とし，仁，義，礼，智，信，忠，孝，悌の仁義八行(武士道の8徳目)の1字を刻んだ聖玉を持ち，身体のどこかに牡丹型のあざがある，というのが犬士たちの基本設定である。

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

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