"Heike Monogatari" (The Tale of the Heike), which was said to be written soon after the death of Yoshitsune, describes him as an indirect form as 'Kuro (Yoshitsune) a faire-faced and short man, but can be easily recognized for his buckteeth,' by a samurai warrior of the Taira clan, TAIRA no Moritsugu.
義経の死後まもない時代に成立したとされる『平家物語』では、平氏の武士・平盛嗣が「九朗は色白うせいちいさきが、むかばのことにさしいでてしるかんなるぞ」（九朗は色白で背の低い男だが、前歯がとくに差し出ていてはっきりわかるというぞ）と伝聞の形で述べている。