Onmyoji

Listen to the story of a strange and mysterious man. A story of a man who floats through life as a cloud on the wind through the empty night sky. Clouds at night don’t look as if they’ve changed from moment to moment, but if you watch closely, you’ll see they change before you realize it, and though it is the same cloud, you could never prove it. This is the story of just such a man.

His name was Abe no Seimei [1], an Onmyoji [2], born around the 21st year of Engi [3] under the rule of Emperor Daigo. The years of his birth and death are unknown, but they’re unrelated to our story. It might be better not to clarify such details and get to the interesting parts of his life. There are so many I can’t decide which story to tell. I think I will let my pen run free, writing what comes naturally. That seems the most suitable way to tell the tale of such a man. 

The Heian period [4] – an era of truly dark days, a time when certain people believed in the existence of the supernatural. It was an age when a person living in the gloom of the Emperor’s city rather than the depths of the forests or faraway mountains, shared the same streets as the Oni [5] and the Mononoke [6], sometimes even sharing the same roof, even the same breath.

Onmyoji, Yin Yang Master. In plain English, they might be called a fortune teller. You could call them an illusionist, or a shaman, but none of these would be quite right. An onmyoji observes the phases of the celestial sphere and the phases of human lives. By studying the movement of the stars, you can tell the future, command illusions, and teach people lessons with spells, or even curse them to die.

Power unseen by the eye – Abe no Seimei was intimately familiar with fate, souls, youkai, and such, and even had the capability to control such spirits. An onmyoji could hold an official position in the palace, and there was even a Bureau of Divination within the inner court. Seimei himself was awarded the rank of Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade, by the Imperial Court. 

The highest rank was the Minister of State who served near the Emperor. Below him were the Left and Right Internal Ministers. The Chunagon and Dainagon [7] ranked below them. Yet despite his lower rank, it seems Seimei’s voice had a great deal of power in court, due to his innate talent.

In the ‘Konjaku Monogatari’ [8], there are some interesting stories about this Abe no Seimei. According to the text, it’s said Seimei was trained in the arts of onmyodo from an early age by his master Kamo no Tadayuki []. Even as a child Seimei revealed a glimpse of the incredibly skilled onmyoji he would eventually become. It seems he truly was a genius.

In one story from the collection, it’s said there was a night, when Seimei was young, when his Master left for Shimogyo. Shimogyo, by the way, is an area of town, south of the Imperial Palace. To get there you’d pass beneath the Suzaku Gate [10], cross the avenue to the Rasho Gate on the southern edge of the city, a distance of about 20 miles. [11]

Kamo no Tadayuki called a carriage. I’m not certain what kind it was, but it was likely an ox-driven cart. While the text doesn’t mention why he was traveling at night, it’s safe to assume he was going to visit a certain woman. Seimei was among his companions that night, walking alongside the cart while his master rode inside. He wasn’t the only one – there would have been at least two others, one to lead the ox, and one to carry the lantern. 

The text doesn’t mention his age but I imagine Seimei was in his early teens at the time. The older companions would have been wearing hitatare [12], but at his age Seimei would have been barefoot and wearing old fashioned hakama, hand-me-downs from older students. However, even when wearing second hand clothes, the brilliance of the man shone like ice in his frozen expression. 

Certainly he was handsome, but he must’ve resembled most boys his age. I imagine he was the kind of boy who from time to time would say something strange or behave as such that he seemed wise beyond his years. His teacher might have caught a glimpse of this unfathomable skill in the boy’s eyes from time to time, a skill no others seemed to have. However, you might expect the unknown from him. It was because of the incident this night while visiting the courtesan [13] that Tadayuki recognized the brilliant talent within his pupil.

Let’s return to the story.

The ox driven cart was approaching the outskirts of the city. Inside, Tadayuki was fast asleep. Seimei, walking beside the ox cart, looked ahead and saw a strange shape in the shadows. Was it not a frightening demon, stalking towards the front of the cart? Looking at his companions, it seemed as if only Seimei could see these creatures. Quickly Seimei threw open the ox-cart’s window. 

“Tadayuki-sama! [14]” He woke his master from sleep and hurriedly told him what he’d just seen. Tadayuki awoke, pushed his head out the window and sure enough, he saw the demons approaching. 

“Stop, Wateru!” He cried out to his companion who was leading the way. “Hide behind the cart! Hold your breath and don’t move! Don’t make a sound!”

Tadayuki used his skills to make the cart and his companions invisible to the demon's eyes, and the creatures passed by unawares. It was after this that Tadayuki began keeping Seimei close to his side. It’s said that Tadayuki taught Seimei everything he knew in the art of Onmyodo.

“It’s like copying the water in a bottle,” [15] the Konjaku Monogatari says. Tadayuki no Kamo was the water, and his knowledge and skill of Onmyodo passed to the bottle of Abe no Seimei. 

After his master’s death, Seimei’s mansion was located north of Tsuchimikado Road and east of West Kyogoku Road [16]. Standing at Shishenden Hall [17] in the center of the inner palace, the mansion was in the direction of the north east, the direction of the ox-tiger [18], that is, the direction of demons.

Enryakuji Temple on Mt. Hiei [19] is to the northeast of Heian-kyo, and there is a ceremonial room in  the inner palace in the far northeast, and the layout of these two locations is of course, not by chance. The layout of Heian-kyo, and the structure of the Imperial Palace, was designed as such to protect the Emperor Kanmu from the vengeful spirit of Prince Sawara, who was disinherited and died as a consequence of his involvement with the assassination of Fujiwara no Tanetsugu [20]. That’s why, after only ten years, the Emperor abandoned the capital of Nagaoka-kyo and began construction of Heian-kyo.

But those things happened before Seimei was born, and these events aren’t directly involved in this story. Let’s return to the story of Konjaku Monogatari.

Now – Seimei was in his residence that stood in the direction of demons, and an old Buddhist priest came to see him. Two children accompanied him, both around ten years of age.

“What kind of business did you have -”  Seimei began.

“I live in Harima province,” The old priest replied.

His name was Tomawari, and once he introduced himself, he began to speak. He’d always wanted to learn Onmyodo. According to what he’d heard, Seimei was the best at what he did. Even if it was only a short lesson, the priest expressed his desire to learn the laws of yin and yang from Seimei. 

‘Hah!’ Seimei laughed internally as he listened to the old priest’s words. ‘This priest is wise in Onmyodo. He must have come to test me...’ [21] Seimei realized the old monk was skilled in the arts and must have come to test his skills. That meant that most likely the two children with him were Shikigami. [22] ‘I see!’ I think Seimei must have smiled in his heart.

What is a Shikigami? They are also called Shikijin, or Shikioji in the modern schools of Onmyodo, such as the Izanami style of Shikoku [23]. They are spirits which are invisible to the ordinary eye. They aren’t that high quality spirits, rather they are somewhat crude.

‘Oho!’ He nodded. ‘Isn’t this quite good?’ Seimei was impressed, because the Shikigami the priest had brought with him could not have been summoned by an unskilled onmyoji. 

“I have heard your request. However, I have some matters I must attend to today -” Seimei asked the old priest to return once he had chosen a suitable day for it.

As he began speaking, the priest put his hands in his sleeves, and cast a small curse with hand signs. “Very well. Another day…” Then he rubbed his hands together, placed them on his forehead, and left. 

Seimei, however, did not move. There he remained with his arms crossed, admiring the sky. It wasn’t long before the priest was seen walking through the open gate. While walking down the road, the old priest peeked into places people could be hiding, such as within a carriage. He came before Seimei once again.

“Actually, the two boys who accompanied me seem to have disappeared. Will you not return them?”

“Return them?” Seimei replied with feigned ignorance. “I’ve not done anything. The temple monk knows that well - he’s been with me all this time. How could I hide two children when I’ve just been standing here.”

The old priest bowed after hearing him. “Forgive me - they are not actually children, but Shikigami who serve me. I’ve been attempting to test your power, but you are far beyond my capabilities. Please forgive me.” 

“You’re free to test me, but I’m not fooling you.” Seimei’s tone of voice suddenly changed, and a less elegant, if not vulgar, smile spread across his face. Under his breath he murmured a small spell. All of a sudden the two boys ran out into the yard, each carrying sake and snacks in either hand. “I took care of them. [24] It was quite entertaining. Please, take them back with you.”

It would have been interesting if Seimei had said something mysterious then, but if he did, it was not written in the Konjaku Monogatari. 

The two children returned to their master, who was thoroughly impressed. “It’s a simple thing to summon Shikigami for long periods of time - but hiding the Shikigami someone else has summoned is another thing entirely.” His face was red from excitement. He insisted on becoming Seimei’s disciple, writing his name on a piece of wood and presenting it to him. Writing your own name and passing it to another is a rare thing among humans who deal with the supernatural. Giving one’s name is the same as giving one’s life to the other person.

The text of the Kongaku Monogatari continues - one morning, Abe no Seimei went to visit a Buddhist high priest. Many young nobles and monks were crowded around the man. Everyone had heard the rumors about Seimei, so naturally the conversation turned towards discussing his skills.

“You can command Shikigami, but can you kill with them?” One man asked candidly.

“Don’t demand the secrets of Onmyodo so impudently.” He eyed the crowd and watched with amusement as his words spread horror through them. “No, it is not so easy to kill people.” With a smile he reassured them. “Well, there are many ways to kill -” He added casually, perhaps in a grim manner.

“Do you mean it’s easy to kill an insect?” One official asked.

“Yes, well,” As Seimei answered, five to six small creatures [26] swept into the garden.

“Can you kill one of them?”

“Yes. However, killing aside - ”

“Can you?”

“Killing it is easy, but can you revive it? Nonsensical killing is a crime.” 

“That one -!”

“I want to see!”

“Me too!”

“Me too!”

So the public gathered round him, their eyes all shining with curiosity, eager to see if the rumors of Seimei’s skills were true. If Seimei were to leave without presenting his skill, then there would be talk of how he really wasn’t as talented as everyone said. 

Seimei, scowling at the sea of faces before him, stretched out his right hand, and murmured, “Forgive me this sin,” [27]

Stepping towards the edge of the temple path, Seimei plucked a green leaf hanging from a willow tree, and casually pinched it between the tips of his pale fingers. He threw the leaf into the air with incredible speed and cast a spell. The leaf leapt into the air, and gently swooped down upon one of the creatures. It was crushed, and killed quickly, flesh and viscera scattering around.

The Konjaku Monotagari says, “The monks went pale when they saw this and were terribly afraid.”

It seems that when Seimei was alone in his mansion, he’d summon his Shikigami. When no one was there, the shutters [28] would open and close. When no one was there, the gate would open and shut. It seems that strange and wondrous things surrounded Abe no Seimei. 

If you examine other documents about Abe no Seimei, such as the story of the Buddhist priest and the small creatures, it’s surprising to people how arbitrarily he uses his techniques. It seems he enjoyed that sort of thing. Instead of putting on airs, he preferred to be like a child.

As you can imagine, this man named Abe no Seimei, while serving in the palace, became fairly used to being the topic of gossip. He would have been a handsome young man, tall, fair skinned, with bright eyes. [29] If a refined man walked by in the imperial court, the women would certainly watch and talk about him. 

He must have received at least one or two lines of amorous poetry from various noble women. High class people aren't clever, thinking of it; the first lines of their poems were blunt and futile, as if they were shouting “Hey!” at the Emperor.

Lips that express a refined smile can also, at other times, smirk in a vulgar way. To be an Onmyoji, one must understand the other side of reality, and to be employed by the palace, one must be well educated. He could recite Chinese poetry from memory, had a talent for singing, and I imagine he must have been skilled in one or two instruments, perhaps the biwa or flute. 

I think the Heian period must have been an era of elegance and darkness; and I shall tell you the story of a man who floated through that period, through the elegance and grace, the sorrow and the shadows, like a cloud floating on the wind.

chapter one notes

 [1] - Abe no Seimei - a real historical person who has been the subject of dozens of fictionalized adventures. He's known as Qingming in the Chinese version of the story [Dream of Eternity], as that's how the characters of his name are read in Chinese. 

[2] - Onmyoji - an onmyoji is a practioner of onmyodo, which adapts Chinese ideas [like the five phases, yin yang, etc] into a Japanese cosmology. It's a blend of mysticism and folk belief with science and astronomy, kind of like western alchemy.  An onmyoji is also the title of a person who is a member of the imperial court and practices these techniques.

[3] - 21st Year of Engi - period of Japanese history, which matches up to the years 903 - 923 on a western calendar. The Emperor was Daigo, or Daigoten'no. 

[4] - Heian Period - an era of Japan's history, the years 794 - 1185 CE. The capital at this time was Heian-kyo, which is modern day Kyoto. It's considered the peak of Japanese culture, a time when Chinese influence was waning and Japanese culture was taking on a bigger role in court culture, a high point for art and literature. Heian means 'peace' or 'tranquility'. There's likely some irony implied in the fact that the story is set in the 'peaceful' era but the author describes them as 'dark days'.

[5] - Oni - a kind of youkai [spirit, god, demon or magic creature] in Japanese Shinto tradition. It's a tall monstrous ogre with horns wearing a loincloth and carrying a club. It's a generally well known and average spirit, so the author is saying spirits were common in this time.

[6] - Mononoke - a broad term that covers many kinds of vengeful spirits in Shinto tradition; think Sadako from the Ring. Like the Oni, it's a general term for magical creatures, implying that many kinds of mysterious things were common in this day and age.

[7] - Chunagon and Dainagon - these were official offices in the court, chief councilors in the highest government body. Chunagon meant 'Middle Councilor' and Dainagon meant 'Greater councilor'. 

[8] The Konjaku Monogatari - translated as 'Anthology of Stories from the Past', it's a classic work of Japanese writing which includes over one thousand stories from the Heian period, many of which are based upon historical figures, though the veracity of the tales isn't certain. The stories have had a large impact on Japanese culture and been adapted and retold in various ways.

[9] Kamo no Tadayuki - another real historical person, who unfortunately doesn't seem to have his own wikipedia page. His son does though.

[10] - Suzaku Gate - or the Suzakumon, is the southern entrance to the Imperial Palace. It's named for the guardian of the south in Japanese tradition. The Rashomon is the southern entrance to Suzaku Avenue, the road that leads to Suzakumon.

[11] 20 miles - the original text read '8 li' which is a Chinese measurement, which seems to be about 20 miles.

[12] - Hitatare - the white outfit you see Seimei wearing in the films. This is implying that the older companions are fully fledged Onmyoji while Seimei is still too young to be one yet, though he then displays more talent than his elders by seeing the demons when they can't. The hakama that are mentioned are old fashioned Japanese pants.

[13] The text here uses 'hime' which means princess, but it can also be slang for 'prostitute'. Earlier in the text he refers to the woman they're visiting as a 'familiar woman'; put those together with the 'traveling at night' and I think Tadayuki is going to visit a brothel or at least a courtesan. 

[14] - Sama - an honorific used to refer to someone's superior or a powerful figure like a divinity.

[15] - It's like copying water in a bottle - This appears to be a reference to either Buddhist or Daoist texts, possibly related to a term called 'shabyo'. The idea is that the teacher passes on their knowledge to the student the way that water passes into a bottle. The original phrase: 瓶の水を写すが如し

[16] - The mansion would have been Seimei's residence on the Imperial grounds. The roads mentioned are Tsuchimikado [named for an Emperor most likely] and Nichi [or west] Kyogoku [the name of a city in Japan]. You can see a map of the palace grounds here. 

[17] - Shishenden Hall - the most important ceremonial hall in the inner palace. I'm pretty sure it was the location of the final fight in the first movie, or at least a replica was. 

[18] - Guardians of the Directions - Associating the cardinal directions with guardian spirits is a tradition that goes back to ancient China. In Japan, the four creatures are White Tiger [Byakko] in the west, Black Tortoise [Genbu] in the north, Vermillion Bird [Suzaku] in the south, and Azure Dragon [Seiryu] in the east. The ox-tiger is the term for the northeast, which is considered a 'demonic' or unlucky direction. The story is associating Seimei with the unnatural/unlucky.

[19] - Enryaku-ji - a monastery on Mt. Hiei, one of Japan's holiest mountains, which is northeast of Kyoto [called Heian-kyo here].

[20] - Fujiwara no Tanetsugu - a noble in the court who was assassinated. Prince Sawara, a member of the imperial family, was implicated in the assassination, and was disinherited and exiled as a result. He died mysteriously en route to his exile.

[21] - I’ve had a lot of trouble piecing this line together. The word he uses to refer to the priest [yakko] is derogatory, so he’s possibly insulting the man, and he calls him ‘nure’, which means wet. The sentence is: 此法師は此道に賢き奴にこそ有ぬれ, “This priest is a wise wet man on this road”, is my understanding, but as for what it means I’m still researching. 

[22] - Shikigami - magical spirits which are conjured into being by a magician/onmyoji and are tied to the summoner's life force. They are basically magical servants, but unlike the shishen in the Chinese film, they don't seem to exist outside the onmyoji's power. 

[23] - Izanami - name of a Japanese Shinto goddess. Shikoku is the fourth largest island of Japan.

[24]  - すぐそこで購わせてきた。”I immediately/at once compensated them.” I think this is implying that he gave them snacks and drinks for hanging out with him, so I said he ‘took care of them’. 

[25] - Name Plate - this is a reference to the practice of nafuda, wooden plaques which have disciples and teachers names written on them. 

[26] -  The text says the insect is a 蝦蟆, which various sites tell me means ‘shrimp toad’ which seems wrong. In the film it was a butterfly but the text seems to imply it was some kind of frog.

[27] - The literal translation is "don't let me sin" but obviously he still kills the creature, so I'm supposing it's meant to imply he's sorry for the sin he's committing.

[28] - Shutters - shitomi, old fashioned shutters on classic Japanese homes. 

[29] - I just want y’all to know that our dear author specifically states this man is a ‘beautiful handsome man’. [秀麗な美男子であったろう].

[30] - The word used here, 'uta', could mean Japanese poetry or song, but I think given context it's saying he can sing, rather than mentioning he's good at poetry twice.

[31] - Biwa - a Japanese instrument.