earticle

영어

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.