Meaning "lute priest", Biwa Hoshi were traveling performers in Japanese history. They earned their income by reciting vocal literature while playing biwa music. Often blind, they adopted the shaved heads and robes common to Buddhist monks. It likely originated from China and India, where these kind of performers were once common in the past. They became famous for narrating. Before the narrated literature, they were entertainers and ritual performers. They took on a broad range of roles, including poetry and song, plague prevention, and spiritual purification. Japanese folklore connects them to ghosts through their pacifying of wronged spirits.