文学作品創作の原動力としての歴史的準拠考察 - 「相撲の節会」を中心に -

Abstract

“Sumai-no-sechie(seasonal court banquets for sumo)” refers to a kind of imperial ceremonies, where the Emperor of Japan, who has watched sumo games, holds a banquet with his vassals. Among various literary works written during the Heian period, “Utsuho Monogatari” displays a number of occurrences of the word “sumo.” In particular, the volume of “Naishi-no Kami,” throughout the story, describes in detail the process of preparing for a “seasonal court banquet for sumo” as well as the ceremony itself. Sumo games themselves, however, are not depicted much; a main focus of the volume is put on the scenes where the Emperor and nobles enjoy the ceremony. The first half of the volume mainly describes the scenes of “tamai” by court ladies, whilst the latter half of the volume describes the banquet itself. It is these scenes that the volume of “Naishi-no Kami” is mainly concerned with. As for the fictitious scenes of “tamai,” they enable the author to depict the main theme of “Utsuho Monogatari,” namely platonic relationships between men and women. Furthermore, during the “seasonal court banquet for sumo,” Nakatada-no Haha plays the koto, which causes a shift in perspective from the story of “Atemiya Kyuukon Tan” back to the story of “Toshikage Ichizoku-no Kin.” In these respects, “seasonal court banquets for sumo” serve as a driving force of enriching the story. Moreover, the way in which “seasonal court banquets for sumo” are described seems to be the key to speculating the effect of “Utsuho Monogatari” on the “Tale of Genji.”