Northern and Southern Courts Period Names (1336-1392)

The “Northern and Southern Courts period” referred to here designates the span of time extending from the first year of the Kenmu era (1334) to the ninth year of the Genchū era (1392)—the point at which the two rival courts, the Southern and the Northern, were nominally unified. Of course, this serves merely as a rough guideline; broadly speaking, it may be regarded as corresponding to the latter two-thirds of the 14th century. Although this was a relatively brief era, lasting less than sixty years, it is deemed historically significant because the massive upheavals that shook the entire nation of Japan triggered transformative changes across every sphere—political, economic, and social alike.

Turning our attention to women’s history, while the shift was not particularly pronounced within the aristocratic court society, the social status of women in both the warrior class and among the common people underwent a marked decline from the late Kamakura period through the Nanboku-chō period. Around the time the Jōei Shikimoku (Code of Jōei) was enacted—that is, during the first half of the 13th century—daughters were still entitled to receive permanent grants of inheritance from their parents or husbands, and they possessed the freedom to dispose of such assets at their own discretion.

However, with the advent of the 14th century, restrictions came to be imposed upon women’s ability to dispose of property. Since daughters would eventually marry into other families, allocating property to them effectively resulted in a diminution of the original family’s landholdings. To prevent this depletion of assets, it became common practice to attach specific conditions to any property granted to a daughter: such assets were designated as an ichigo-bun (a lifetime portion), meaning they were to be held only for the duration of her life and subsequently bequeathed to the legitimate heir of her birth family upon her death.

ここでいう「南北朝時代」とは、建武元年(-三三四）から南・北両朝がいちおう合一した元中九年(一三九二）までの期間を指している。むろんこれは、単なる目安にすぎず、おおまかにいえば、それは一四世紀の後の三分の二に該当するとみてよかろう。これは六0年たらずの短い時代ではあるけれども、日本国中を揺がした大きな動乱は、政治、経済、社会などあらゆる分野で変革を誘起した点で重視されるのである。

女性史に眼を向けると、公家社会ではさほど顕著ではなかったが、武家社会や民衆においては、鎌倉時代の末葉から南北朝時代にかけて、女性の社会的地位は、いちじるしく低下した。『貞永式目』が制定された時分、すなわち一三世紀の前半には、女子はまだ親ないし夫の遺産の永代譲与にあずかり、それを任意に処分することができた。

しかし一四世紀にはいると、女子の財産処分には制約が課されるにいたった。女子は他家に嫁ぐから、財産を女子に分与すると、その家の所領が減少することとなる。それを防ぐたいちごぶんめに、女子に贈与された分財は、一期分とされ、その没後は実家の嫡子に遺贈するよう条件づけることが一般化したのである。

As used here, the term “commoners” (heimin 庶民) serves as a counterpoint to the court nobility; it encompasses a broad spectrum of people ranging from lower-ranking government officials and members of the warrior class all the way down to farmers. As noted previously, while a great number of historical documents from this era have survived to the present day—befitting, as it were, a time of civil strife—military-related records predominate overwhelmingly. Such documents include reports of meritorious service, letters of commendation, attendance rosters, mobilization orders, administrative directives, official mandates, battle reports, and letters of confirmation. Consequently, those types of documents that would be most useful for identifying women’s names—such as deeds of conveyance, donation charters, and land sale certificates—are relatively scarce.

If one currently searches for and examines old documents bearing era names from the Northern and Southern Courts period, one can identify a considerable number of female names—albeit a relatively small quantity overall. When these names are presented in accordance with the classification system used for female names of the Kamakura period, they appear as follows.

ここでいう「庶民」とは、宮廷貴族に対する言葉であって、下級の官人層、武家から農民にいたるまでの人びとを包括している。前にも触れたとおり、この時代の古文書は多く伝存しているが、さすがに乱世だけあって、軍忠状、感状、着到状、軍勢催促状、施行状、下知状、注進状、安堵状等々、軍事関係の文書が圧倒的に多く、女性名を知るうえで好都合な譲状、寄進状、田地売券の類は、割合に少ないのである。

いま南北朝時代の年号を帯びた古文書について捜し求めると、少ないながら相当な数の女性名を知ることができる。これらを鎌倉時代の女性名の分類に準じてかかげてみると、左のようである。

Female names of the uji-no-nyo or uji-no-ko type date back to the late Heian period; however, their prevalence increased during this era compared to the subsequent Kamakura period. Generally, these names are read as … Uji-no-nyo, though instances where they are read as … Uji-no-me can also be observed. When signing documents such as bills of sale, deeds of donation, or deeds of conveyance—even if they were literate—women who lacked a formal personal name (azana) often inscribed themselves as … uji-no-nyo or uji-no-ko, thereby utilizing these designations as a substitute for a proper name. While such names are remarkably devoid of individuality, they serve as an indication that the social sphere in which these women existed was circumscribed, and that their ties to their natal families remained exceptionally strong.

Translator’s note: -Me is the older reading for the “woman” kanji 女. During the Kamakura period (1185-1333), the pronunciation changed to -nyo.

氏女・氏子型の女性名は、平安時代後期いらいのものであるが、この時代には鎌倉時代より増加している。一般にこれは、「…… うぢのによ」と訓むが、「…… うぢのめ」と訓む例も見受けられる。売券、寄進状、譲状などに記名する際、字はあっても、正式の謡をもたぬ女性は、しばしば「……氏女」、「氏子」と書き、これを謹の代用としたのであった。これはすこぶる没個性的な名であるが、その女性の存在する社会が狭溢であったこと、実家との連繋が強靱であったことを指証している。

The prevalence of names belonging to this type is on the decline. Concurrently, a trend is observable wherein the suffix “-junyo”—as seen in names such as “Aijunyo 愛寿女,” “Enjunyo 延寿女,” and “Fukujunyo 福寿女”—is being dropped, giving rise to simpler female names like Ai 愛, En 延, and Fuku 福.

この型の名は、減少している。とともに、「愛寿女」、「延寿女」、「福寿女」等々の「寿女」が脱落し、あい、えん、ふくといった女性名が現
われる傾向がみられる。

The use of Buddhist-style female names has declined significantly. However, the “Ō-style” (King-style) and “Yasha-style” names—both derived from the Myōō (Wisdom King) category within Buddhism—have seen a dramatic surge in popularity. Although the specific name “Kesanyo 袈裟女” is rarely encountered, when viewed in light of the fact that “Kesa-style” female names appear with great frequency in later periods, it is presumed that this style was merely lying dormant during this era, resulting in a scarcity of recorded examples.

仏教型の女性名は、いちじるしく減少している。ただ仏教の明王型から出た「王型」、「夜叉型」は激増している。「袈裟女」はほとんどみられないが、のちに「袈裟型」の女性名が頻出する点から考慮するならば、この時代には「袈裟型」は潜行しており、用例が少なかったものとみなされる。