The Ideal Heian Aristocrat

Unattainable standards are not a modern creation

An ideal is defined as an example, a model considered as a standard to strive toward or something considered worthy of imitation. It is a concept or standard of perfection, existing merely as an image in the mind, or based upon a person or upon. As such, it can never be attainable in the real world. Therefore, it can only be found in stories and myths. Luckily the Heian period had both in abundance. As most of the known writers of the day were aristocratic women, tales of the era exemplified the qualities of the nobility while largely ignoring the common man. Among the gentry, the ideal image of both men and women had much to do with three factors; status, appearance, and personality. Personality having many facets by which to judge. As support for these arguments, the titles “The Girl Who Loved Insects” from The Tsutsumi Chunagon Monogatari and “The Sarashina Diary” will be used.

To fit the ideal image of an aristocrat, looking the part is of utmost importance. While both men and women have to look presentable at all times, the specifics of women’s looks are given far greater importance in these books. The main protagonist in “The Girl Who Loved Insects” was remarkable in that she refused to cater to the beauty expectations of her station. Even though nobles were to shave their eyebrows and paint in fake ones, she “would not pluck a hair out of her eyebrows”. In the story, her choice in appearance is used as shorthand for her oddness, only recognized if the usual, accepted practice is known to all. This also applies to her refusal to blacken her teeth, logically explained, but still treated as shocking within context.

An extremely interesting point about the ideal image of womanly beauty comes from The Sarashina Diary. In it, the writer proclaims herself as “ugly” but with a belief that she will become beautiful. A key component of this transformation is the hope that she will grow “long hair”. This is important because it implies that the ideal beauty had much less to do with facial features than it does in modern times. With the shaving of the eyebrows and the blackened teeth, beauty truly becomes more about appearance. It may even tie into another facet of the ideal beauty; that she is never to be seen full on. Therefore, a strong silhouette is needed and celebrated. Not needed was maneuverability, the ideal woman was not meant to be mobile and convenience was not a factor. In “Insects” a strange quirk of the main character is that she moves hairs behind her ears so as not to interfere with her activities. This small act of autonomy of her own hair is written as a sign that she doesn’t conduct herself properly.

Another important characteristic is presentation. Much distinction is placed on the clothes that are worn as it is another way to assert class and status. This is especially important in the Heian area as class distinction can be very minuscule but still distinctly defined. When describing her son, she describes him as “with a sword at his side, wore purple trousers of a twill weave, with a hunting cloak of the bush clover color combination over a crimson robe that had been filled to a glossy sheen”. The writer of the Sarashina Diary spends more time describing exactly what he’s wearing than any type of physical marker. Similarly, when describing the Insect girl’s unkempt garbs, it is still understood that these are finely made and brightly colored robes that she is not taking care of. This insistence on detailing fashions more than people showcases how important clothes were at the time. As everyone in court were trying to behave as the same sort of idealised archetype, garments became one of the only ways of setting yourself apart. Hence in the Heian period, beauty was style.

Even though appearance is a cornerstone of the ideal aristocrat, even more intrinsic is the behaviors that are expected. The personality traits and talents expected of the perfect Heian noble are varied and almost impossible to be found in one person. Amiability is expected especially for men as they should be genial and able to get along with multiple wives and mistresses. For both genders, a quick and ready wit is also needed. Allusions to shared literary works or experiences are often included, such as between the Diary writer and her step-mother’s. However, as there is a separation between the two sexes, it can be supplied by servants as was shown in the insect story. The Vice-Director actually only communicated with the insect girl once, but since a final note was sent in her stead, he got to feel as if his witty rejoinder had hit its mark, when in fact he had hit empty air. When writing, the ideal person should also have beautiful penmanship, which is why the the writer of the Sarashina Diary was gifted with the daughter of the provisional major counselor writing’s to practice from. Insect girl’s knowledge of only katakana was used to show her youth and immaturity and attempt to explain her abnormal attitude.

Also, sophisticated people were trained in playing some sort of instrument, such as the biwa, which is used as a show of refinement. Both men and women were expected to at the very least be able to appreciate the nuances of talented playing in a way that commoners were not. The monk offering to play for the two attendants is one of many signs that he himself almost meets the ideal. Another one being that as a monk, he is spiritually wise and observant. Taking notice of the natural world they inhabit and being able to communicate their observations to others was a popular pastime and was a staple of the poetry developed in this time. Rooted in Buddhist ideas about the fragility and ephemerality of life, a monk would be naturally inclined to this sort of thinking. Buddhist sensibilities also influenced everything from when it was auspicious to take trips, to how one thought about the meaning of the seasons.

Status was the most important thing during the Heian era. At its most basic, it was what separated aristocrats from commoners. Within the nobility it provided a definite structure so that everyone knew where they stood, a Confucian stalwart. Since proximity to the capital signified importance and involvement in Heian society, most women dreamed of being married to a higher ranking man if they weren’t themselves high class. A man who had lost status was viewed with pity. Showing sophistication and elegance at court was the goal of all young women hoping to better their and their families’ prospects.

Both stories mention commoners, but rarely in specific or even positive terms. They are mostly there just to fulfill a need or as a warning about the dangers outside of the city. For the girl that loved insects, the commoner boys were necessary for acquiring bugs for her, but even with all her progressive thinking, she still didn’t consider them peers. A claim that is supported with two points; first, she refused to call them by their given names, instead opting to give them insect monikers , and secondly, she had no qualms with letting them see her face, even though she retreated at the thought of the Vice-Director doing the same. In The Sarashina Diary, a group of entertainers are mentioned on her journey as a child and the emphasis is placed on how uncommon they are. Her caravan marvels at the very concept of commoners with actual talent and beautiful long hair and immediately tells them they are too good to be considered as one. Instead of accepting that the common folk could have some measure of sophistication, they try to make an additional distinction. Another mention is when they sleep overnight at an inn and are instructed to be careful because they are staying at a den of thieves. The insidiousness of those without status stands out without much to offset it. Another way the nobility had of ignoring the commoner is with their servants. The author of the text is an aristocrat herself, albeit one of lesser rank. She is tasked with serving the royal princess and the same holds true for her peers. From this it seems that the further away you were from any actual interaction with the serfs, the better your status.

The Ideal person of the Heian period was essentially lacking any individualism. Artifice was demanded in both appearance and behavior. One’s personality had as much to do with clothing as with actions. Commoners were not seen often by design and prevailed upon without much consideration for themselves. Using these two works featuring people who didn’t fit or attain the ideal image themselves showed how striving for an unattainable goal can temper appreciation of real life. The Sarashina Diary writer had a much better life than many others but couldn’t appreciate it because she had filled her head with stories of “Shining Genji“ and “Ukifune”. The Insect girl had to constantly contend with those around her trying to shape her into a proper lady, even behind her back as with the servants trying to get her courted unknowingly. In both these stories the ideal image is a pressure under which there is no escape.