Onmyoji etc.

[Noriko]

I just finished watching the movie version and I loved every minute of it. Well, mostly the costumes, the creepy, if Power Ranger-esque, monsters, and the fact that the guy who played Abe no Seimei is a total hottie. Granted, some of the fantasy was a bit over the top, what with some of the wire-fu in the end and the spirit world was made ubiquitous than what I expected but over all, awesome!

Anyway, I was wondering then, if there were some good English language resources on what Onmyoji really did and about superstitions and magic in the Heian era and medieval Japan as a whole.

[Water_Tengu]

I know not about onmyoji, but as for superstition in general, I usually refernce to here - www.obakemono.com/

[solveig]

Noble Cousin!

Onmyoji enjoyed a much higher status than monster folkways. It enjoyed official office and was, if I recall correctly, one of the subjects taught in the university. Also, I think that it was Chinese in origin. I really should read the book that I have on onmyoji. So many worthy books, so little time to give them justice.

[Please Delete]

If I don't post something in the next 12 hours, hit me up. We have been collecting books on onmyodo and related stuff for quite some time, and I'll post some recommendations on what we've found, plus some history, if you are interested.

-Ii

[Please Delete]

Okay, here's our current Bibliography:

First off, the best stuff we've found are journal articles on places like J-Store. Unfortunately, you need an account or you need to get access to the articles through something else.

Since Onmyoji were derived from the calendrical and astronomical studies, that may be the best place to start:
Nakayama, Shigeru; A History of Japanese Astronomy: Chinese Background and Western Impact.

Of course, this gets into the taboo directions. Although it is in French, the following is a great source that should be acquired by anyone truly interested in the subject (I understand an English translation fell through for some reason):
Frank, Bernard; Kata-imi et Kata-tagae: Etude sur les interdits de direction a l'epoque Heian

For ceremonies and prayers:
Philippi, Donald L.; Norito: A translation of the Ancient Japanese Ritual Prayers.
Evans, Ann Llewellyn; Shinto Norito: A Book of Prayers.
Bock, Felicia; Engi-Shiki: Procedures of the Engi Era; Books I-V and Books VI-X.
Hsia, Emmil C.h.; Veith, Ilza; and Gertsma, Robert H.; The Essentials of Medicine in Ancient China and Japan.

Also, some good background on symbolism and superstition (though I admit I've only flipped through the second, so far):
Ooms, Herman; Imperial Politics and Symbolics in Ancient Japan: The Tenmu Dynasty, 650-800.
Tubielewicz, Jolanta; Superstitions Magic and Mantic Practices in the Heian Period.

Any collection of Japanese stories is likely to include stuff about Abe Seimei. Royall Tyler's "Japanese Tales" includes several. Then there are the period sources:

Konjaku Monogatari (Tales of a Time Now Past), 13th C
Kogoshui (Gleanings from Ancient Stories), 807 CE.
Kara Monogatari (Tales of China), Late Heian~Early Kamakura.

Of course, there are also references if you dig around in the Nihon Shoki.

There might also be stuff in the Kojiki, but that is less likely to have anything trustworthy on the actual post of Onmyoji.

Also, you should take a look at anything regarding the five elements theory, and general practices coming out of the Han Synthesis. Here are some of the works that the Japanese would have been referring to for the "science" of Onmyodo:
Shanhai-jing (The Classic of Mountains and Seas)
Huainanzi (Master Huainan)
Zhuangzi (Master Zhuang)
Just about anything about the "Yellow Emperor"
The Confucian Classics (Book of Rites, Book of Songs, Yi-jing, etc.)

We also have Koken Tennou ordering a list of works that the state considered "orthodox" books on yin-yang divination (onmyodo):

1) Shūeki (周易　Zhou-Yi or “Zhou Book of Divination”) aka Eki-kyō (易經 , Yi-Jing or “Book of Changes”). See the section above on the Yi-Jing for more information.
2) Shinsen-onmyō-sho (新撰陰陽書　 Xinxuan-yin'yang-shu or “New book of Yin and Yang”). This work is in 50 scrolls is attributed to Ryosai (呂才 Lu Cai) (600-665 CE), according to Nihonkoku-genzai-shomokuroku, but there is another work with the same name attributed to King Can (王燦) of the Later Han (25-220 CE), leaving some doubt as to the exact author.
3) Ōdai-kongi (黄帝金櫃 Huang-di Jingui or “The Gold Chest of the Yellow Emperor”). This title is typical of the vocabulary of Chinese esoteric mysticism. There are several different candidates for this particular work listed in the Nihonkoku-genzai-shomokuroku.
4) Gogyō-taigi (五行大義 Wu-Xing Dayi or “The Grand Significance of the Five Elements”). As the title states, this work described the five element theory that was solidified during the Han Synthesis.

There were also some informal books recorded:

1) Hyakki-reki (百忌暦 Bai Ji Li or “Calendar of the hundred prohibitions”). Another work attributed to Ryosai. It deals with various taboos, including figures like the spirit 'Konjin' (金神), which aren't found in the orthodox works but still form a large part of the Japanese onmyō-dō beliefs.
2) Sukuyō-gyō (宿曜經 Xiu yao jing). The full title of this work is actually Monjushiri-bosatsu gyū shosen shosetsu kikkyō-jinichi-zennaku-shukuyō-kyō (文殊師利菩薩及諸仙所説吉凶時日善悪宿曜經 or “Sutra of the favorable and unfavorable hours and days as well as the good or bad stars and celestial mansions preached by the Bodhisattva Manjusri and various saints.” This was one of the main foundations of esoteric Buddhism in Japan (Mikkyō-bu 密教部). It contained many of the Buddhist beliefs regarding astronomy, astrology, and the cosmology of the saints and spirits that dealt with the Heavens. It appears to come from a Chinese translation made in 759 CE by 'Amoghavajra' (不空　'Bu Kong' in Chinese).

If you want an introduction, I have a small paper that I did for a class on all of this that I'd be willing to provide. Just PM me with an e-mail address. It is a bit dated, and I meant to update it, but it may provide some idea of the basics.

-Ii