biwa-playing minstrel; lute priest
Historical term for a blind itinerant performer who played the biwa (Japanese lute) and often dressed like a Buddhist monk. Associated with the medieval period and the spread of epic narratives such as the Heike Monogatari.
See also: 琵琶
Biwa-playing minstrels traveled around reciting the Tale of the Heike.
琵琶 is the instrument itself; 琵琶法師 refers specifically to the blind performer who played it.
Compound of 琵琶 (biwa, a Japanese lute) and 法師 (priest, monk), referring to the performers' practice of dressing like Buddhist monks.