Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan/Appendix

 

 

APPENDIX

A
OLD JAPANESE CALENDAR

The year was divided according to a Lunar Calendar, which was one month or so in advance of the present Solar Calendar.

Names of the Months

First month; Social month; Spring-birth month.
Second month; Clothes-again-doubled month; Little-grass-growing month.
Third month; Ever-growing month; Flowery month; Dreaming month.
Fourth month; Deutzia month; First Summer month.
Fifth month; Rice-sprout month; Tachibana month.
Sixth month; Watery month (rice-fields filled with water).
Seventh month; Rice-ear month; Literary month (people composed poems on the star festival).
Eighth month; Rice-ear-swelling month; Mid-autumn.
Ninth month; Chrysanthemum month; Long-night month.
Tenth month; Gods-absent month; Thunderless month; Little Spring.
Eleventh month; Frost month.
Twelfth month; Last month; Spring-waiting month.

 

 

B
CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF EVENTS
CONNECTED WITH THE DIARIES

974.	Izumi Shikibu, the daughter of Masamune, Governor of the Province of Echizen, born.
977.	Prince Tametaka (future lover of Izumi Shikibu) born.
978.	Prince Atsumichi (future lover of Izumi Shikibu) born. Murasaki Shikibu, daughter of Fujiwara Tametoki, born.
980.	Prince Yasuhito (afterwards the Mikado Ichijo) born.
988.	Akiko, Michinaga's first daughter, born.
990.	Sadako, daughter of Michinaga's eldest brother Michitaka, comes to the Court, and later becomes Queen to Mikado Ichijo.
991.	Sei-Shōnagon comes to Court as one of Queen Sadako's ladies.
994.	Prince Atsumichi comes of age and marries the third daughter of Michitaka.
995.	Izumi Shikibu marries Tachibana Michisada. Prince Atsumichi divorces his first wife.
996.	Prince Atsumichi marries again.
997.	Murasaki Shikibu goes to Echizen with her father who has been made Governor of the Province. Akiko joins the Court. Izumi Shikibu's first daughter born.
998.	Murasaki Shikibu returns to Kiōto.
999.	Murasaki Shikibu marries Fujiwara Nobutaka.
1000.	Akiko made second queen. Murasaki Shikibu's daughter born.
1001.	Pestilence. Murasaki Shikibu's husband dies. Conflagration of the Palace.
1002.	Murasaki Shikibu probably began the writing of the "Genji Monogatari." Sei-Shōnagon probably began the "Makura-no-Sōshi."
	In June, Prince Tametaka (Izumi Shikibu's lover; her husband, from whom she was divorced, had died earlier) dies. Izumi Shikibu begins a liaison with Prince Atsumichi.
1003.	Izumi Shikibu goes to live at the South Palace.
1004.	Izumi Shikibu leaves Prince Atsumichi's palace, and marries Fujiwara Yasumasa.
1005.	Murasaki Shikibu joins the Court. Conflagration of the Palace. Izumi Shikibu goes to the Province of Tango, her husband having been appointed Governor.
1007.	Akiko (second queen) gives birth to Prince Atsusada. Murasaki Shikibu begins to keep her diary.
1008.	Izumi Shikibu returns to become lady-in-waiting at the Court.
1009.	Fujiwara Takasué's daughter (author of Sarashina Diary) born.
1017.	Fujiwara Takasué appointed Province Governor, goes to his province with his daughter.
1021.	Takasué's daughter returns to Kiōto. Sarashina Diary begun.