Kami and Buddhist Poems in Imperial Waka Anthologies

Ever since Kami Poems and Buddhist Poems were added to imperial waka anthologies as individual categories in the mid-twelfth century, they have always appeared together; the inclusion of one always involves the other, and vice versa. In many imperial anthologies, these categories include poems that are taken to be oracles from the kami or buddhas. An analysis of these oracle poems reveals the nature of the relationship between humans and divine figures at the time. These poems demonstrate the heightened popularity of poems dedicated to the various gods and buddhas, the beliefs of the emperors who ordered the compilation of these imperial waka anthologies, and the increased prominence of Shinto-Buddhist syncretism.