<
https://theconversation.com/guide-to-the-classics-the-sophisticated-aesthetics-of-sei-shonagons-the-pillow-book-212619>
"Over a thousand years ago, a gentlewoman received a precious bundle of fine
paper from her beloved Empress Teishi. She decided to write down her thoughts
and opinions on anything that “moved and fascinated” her during her service at
the Empress’s court.
This work, which collects witty repartee, poetic exchanges, anecdotes and much
more, came to be known as
Makura no sōshi, or
The Pillow Book.
Little is known of the gentlewoman, not even her real name, though she was
called Sei Shōnagon while serving at court. Sei is the Sinitic pronunciation of
the first character in her family name, Kiyohara. Shōnagon was an official post
once held by an unknown male relative of hers.
The custom of naming female court attendants with a combination of their family
name and the position of a male relative conferred on them a degree of
invisibility. But this did not stop them from passing on their voices and
stories through writing."
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
