<論説>院政期の陰陽道

Abstract

宮廷陰陽道の爛熟時代ともいうべき院政期の陰陽道はめまぐるしい政局の推移とたび重なる天災、それに末法思想による社会不安を背景とし、院政の気まぐれで物ずきな奢侈性に影響されて極端にまで煩雑化俗信化の度を加えつつ社会の関心を高めて行った。一方、賀茂安倍両家の地位の固定化に伴い、無能な官僚陰陽師が多い中で、陰陽道的ムードの高まりから両家以外にも斯道の名士が相ついであらわれ、これに刺戟されて両家でも若干のすぐれた人材は出たのであった。同時に陰陽道関係の著作も新たに専門家や一般知識人の手で生み出され、これがまた様々の論議の種となったが、律令機構の一環としての陰陽寮は衰退の一途を辿りつつ変貌しゆき、宮廷陰陽家達はより広く一般社会を対象とした新たな活動の方向を見出さざるをえなくなったのである。

Onmyodo 陰陽道 in the Insei 院政 period, an era of overmaturity of the courtly Onmyodo, created social interest to the utmost complication and popularization under the influence of changeable and fanciful luxury in Insei, with the transition of political situation, repeated natural calamities and social uncertainty caused by the pessimism due to the Buddhistic theory of the latter days of the Law. On the other hand, on account of positional fixation of the Kamo 賀茂 and Abe 安倍 families, there were many incapable oficial fortunetellers, though not a few prominent figures in the Law appeared except the fortunetellers of the two families; then, under such impetus, a few prominent figures appeared of these two families. And then, works in Onmyodo were newly composed by the specialists or intellectuals. These works caused various discussions. As the Onmyo-ryo 陰陽寮 as a link of the Ritsuryo 律令 system became changed on the wane, the official fortunetellers were forced to seek for their new direction of activities for the wider society.