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Historical Figure

Sei Shonagon

Also Known As Possibly Kiyohara no Nagiko (a scholarly conjecture; her actual given name is unknown) Her actual given name is not recorded; Kiyohara no Nagiko is one scholarly conjecture, not a settled identification.
Writers and Artists

Sei Shonagon, who lived from around 966 to sometime between 1017 and 1025, also known as Seijo, meaning Lady Sei, was a Japanese author, poet and court lady who served Empress Teishi around the year 1000 during the middle Heian period, and who is the author of The Pillow Book, one of the classic works of Japanese court literature.

Facts
Birth Year
966 2
The cited article gives circa 966; year only, no exact date is attested.
Role
Japanese court lady, author and poet who served Empress Teishi around the year 1000 during the middle Heian period; author of The Pillow Book. 2
Classification
Gender
Female 1
Open Questions
Birthplace
Not recorded by any surviving source cited here 2
No birthplace is recorded for Sei Shonagon in the cited source; she is known to have served at the Heian court from 993, but where she was born is not stated.
Role
Role (category)
Monarch / Royalty 2
Role (category)
Writer / Scholar 2
Disputed
Death Year
1017 2
Sources place her death between 1017 and 1025; 1017 is the last historical reference to her, but no single consensus year is attested.
Connections

In Era

The Heian Period, Eras

Sei Shonagon served at the imperial court and wrote The Pillow Book during the middle Heian period, around the year 1000.

Source Wikipedia: Sei Shonagon
Sources
1. Sei Shonagon (Wikipedia)
WikipediaSei Shonagon: Gender
Quote, Sei Shonagon: Gender
She is the author of The Pillow Book .
View the Source
2. Wikipedia: Sei Shonagon
Wikipedia
  • Lead section
    c. 966-1017 or 1025
  • Early life section
    Little is known about her life except what can be found in her writing.
  • Chronology section
    1017 Last reference to Sei Shonagon.
  • Name section
    Her actual name has been a topic of debate among scholars
  • Lead section, second sentence
    was a Japanese author, poet, and court lady who served the Empress Teishi (Sadako) around the year 1000, during the middle Heian period. She is the author of The Pillow Book
View the Source
Wikidata: Sei Shonagon
Wikidata Q231603, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source

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