Kasen - Kasen

Following the example of Li Bai being called a "poet's immortal," Kakinomoto no Hitomaro and Yamabe no Akahito were called "waka immortals" in the preface to the Kokinshu. The preface also describes Hitomaro as a "poet's saint" and Akahito as "waka immortals," referring to outstanding poets. The six poets described in the preface to the Kokinshu as "people whose names are well known in recent times" were later referred to as the "Six Poet's Immortals." Following this example, titles such as "New Six Poet's Immortals" and "Continued Six Poet's Immortals" were born. In addition, Fujiwara no Kinto's "Thirty-six Immortal Poets" was the first to refer to the poets included in his "Thirty-six Immortal Poets," and this was followed by the "New Thirty-six," "Later Rokurokusen," "Thirty-six Immortal Poets of the Middle Ages," "Thirty-six Immortal Poets of the Court Lady," and "Thirty-six Immortal Poets of Shakya." On the other hand, "The Three Hundred and Sixty Poetry Contests" and "Time-distributed Poetry Contests" are works that combine the form of immortal poetry with the style of poetry contests. "Immortal Poetry Rakusho" and "Continued Immortal Poetry Rakusho" are reviews of excellent poets. In addition, "immortal pictures" were created in which portraits of the selected poets were accompanied by one of their poems. As the "Thirty-six Immortal Poets" became established as the general form of immortal poetry, the form of 36 long or short phrases strung together in linked verse and haikai came to be called "immortal poetry."

[Juro Sugiya]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

李白(りはく)を「詩仙」というのに倣い、『古今集』真名序(まなじょ)で柿本人麻呂(かきのもとのひとまろ)、山部赤人(やまべのあかひと)を「和歌仙」としたのに始まる。同仮名序(かなじょ)で人麻呂を「歌の聖(ひじり)」、赤人を「歌にあやしく妙(たへ)なり」とするように、傑出した歌人のことである。『古今集』序文で「近き世にその名聞えたる人」として評された6人の歌人を、のちに「六歌仙」と称した。これに倣い「新六歌仙」「続六歌仙」などが生まれた。また、藤原公任(きんとう)撰(せん)の『三十六人撰』所収歌人を「三十六歌仙」と称したのを嚆矢(こうし)として、「新三十六人」「後六六撰(のちのろくろくせん)」「中古三十六歌仙」「女房三十六歌仙」「釈教三十六歌仙」などがつくられた。一方、『三百六十番歌合(うたあわせ)』『時代不同歌合』は歌仙形式と歌合様式が結び付いたもの。『歌仙落書(らくしょ)』『続歌仙落書』は優秀歌人評である。また、これらに選ばれた歌人の肖像にその歌1首を添えた「歌仙絵」も描かれた。なお、「三十六歌仙」が歌仙一般の形式として定着したので、連歌や俳諧(はいかい)において、長句・短句を36句連ねた形式を「歌仙」というようにもなった。

［杉谷寿郎］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例