Because aristocrats had a preoccupation with aestheticism, they embraced affairs. This paper argues that affairs were themselves aesthetic acts that is, they were occasions of aesthetic expression. Heian society was intensely aesthetic – a great emphasis was placed on pathos, beauty and aesthetic acts such as composing poetry. This exploration involves looking at the marriage institution, perceptions of sexuality, belief systems and, importantly, aestheticism. This article addresses this gap in scholarship by exploring why affairs were so prevalent during the Heian period. If an appreciation of marriage institutions is necessary for us to understand Heian society, then an appreciation of affairs is likewise necessary.įew historians have addressed the subject of affairs, though they are central to the most notable texts from the period. As historian Ivan Morris points out, the most prevalent relationships between men and women were extramarital affairs. In the Heian period, however, there was an even more dominant strand in the fabric of society than marriage that impinged on the relationships between aristocratic men and women. According to historian William McCullough, a society cannot be understood without an appreciation of its marriage institutions, for marriage institutions are a dominant strand in the fabric of any society.
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