This paper explores the role and significance of jingika (Shinto-themed poems) in classical Japanese Waka, focusing on how the divine was expressed through poetic forms. While Waka is often seen as a lyrical medium for personal emotions, it originally served ritual and religious functions, as evidenced in the Kokin Wakashū’s final book, which includes songs used in court and religious ceremonies. The study classifies divine-related Waka into two broad categories: “ritual songs” and “personal devotional songs.” It further examines jingika, kami-asobi no uta (songs of divine entertainment), sankei-ka (pilgrimage poems), and hōnō-ka (dedicatory poems) as subcategories. These classifications reflect the dual nature of Waka’s engagement with the sacred: as both a communal ritual utterance and an individual expression of faith. Particular focus is placed on the jingibu (Shinto section) of imperial anthologies, especially the Shinkokin Wakashū, where poems are organized as either jin’ei (divine utterance) or hitoyo (human voice). This distinction underscores Waka’s function not just as literature, but as a religious performance in which language itself becomes a sacred act. Reassessing jingika in this way offers insight into how Waka functioned as a form of poetic imagination and interaction with the divine, expanding our understanding of both religious practice and literary expression in the Japanese tradition.
한국일본언어문화학회 [Japanese Language & Culture Association of Korea]
설립연도
2001
분야
인문학>일본어와문학
소개
본 학회는 일본어학 및 일본문학은 물론, 일본의 정치, 경제, 문화, 사회 등의 일본학 전반에 걸친 연구 및 일본의 언어, 문화를 매체로 한 한국과의 비교 연구를 대상으로 하고 있다. 본 학회는 회원들에게 연구 발표 및 정보 교환의 기회를 부여하고 나아가 한국에서의 바람직한 일본 연구 자세를 확립하는 것을 주된 목표로 하고 있다.