An author and poet of Japan's Heian period, she immersed herself in Chinese classics poetry (which were studied exclusively by males at the time). Many tales... [Read more]
Japanese: Fairouz Ai
An author and poet of Japan's Heian period, she immersed herself in Chinese classics poetry (which were studied exclusively by males at the time). Many tales tell of her arguing down men with her vast knowledge, making her one of the more unconventional female figures of her time. Even in excerpts from "The Diary of Lady Murasaki," it's clear that Murasaki Shikibu saw Sei Shounagon as a force to be reckoned with.
She served as a lady-in-waiting to Consort Teishi during the latter half of her twenties. The young Teishi was very affectionate to Shounagon, even though Shounagon was significantly older, and Shounagon reciprocated by loyally serving the beautiful, intelligent consort. While in court, Shounagon recorded her own observations and musings on court life, and these were later gathered into a collection. This is considered Japan's first essay anthology, "The Pillow Book."
She's always in a good mood...or that's how it seems, though she gets sulky at the drop of a hat. The people around her are sometimes at the mercy of her catlike nature, but she is essentially a party-loving Servant who prioritizes all things fun. Sei was a woman well ahead of her time...a girl who's slayin' it and loves anything she finds charming (emotionally triggering).
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Her drastic change of appearance does leave open the question of where her distinguished, courtly air as a poet went, but her transformation probably resulted from her strong affinity for modern youth. As biographical information supports that Shounagon was keenly aware of her age during her time in Teishi's court, her being summoned in the form of a high school girl hardly seems unnatural.
She gets along with Chaldea's Murasaki Shikibu. (Well, she thinks she does.)
