Gokeshidai (The Ritual Protocol Of The Oe House) (江家次第)
"Gokeshidai" is a collection of the books on "yusoku kojitsu" (court rules of ceremony and etiquette), written in the later Heian period. The writer was OE no Masafusa. Gokeshidai was the work in 21 volumes, and 19 of them are still existent today. It is highly valued as the compilation of various kinds of "chogi" (ceremony at Imperial Court) held in those days. It is often abbreviated to "Goshidai," and it is also called "Gosochishidai," "Gochunagonshidai," "Masafusakyoshidai," or "Gosho."
Summary
It is unclear exactly when Gokeshidai began to be compiled. Some historical sources, including "Chugaisho" (a collection of sayings of FUJIWARA no Tadazane), say that Masafusa began to compile under the order from FUJIWARA no Moromichi. And OE no Masafusa seems to have continued writing until 1111, when he died. After his death, the books were revised and supplemented. In all, the work was in 21 volumes, but Vol. 6 and Vol. 21 were lost and are nonexistent today.
Gokeshidai has been highly valued as the books on yusoku kojitsu, and there exist two commentaries about it, that is, "Goshidaisho" by Kaneyoshi ICHIJO and "Gokeshidai hisho" by Tsumioki OZAKI.
The catalogue of Gokeshidai shows all titles of all 21 volumes, so the contents of the missing volume 6 and 21 are known.
Contents
Vol. 1 - Vol. 11
Conventional chogi held annually
Vol. 12
Special Shinto rituals
Vol. 13
Special Buddhist rituals
Vol. 14 - Vol. 17
Special chogi (the missing volume 16 is about "gyoko" [Emperor's going out])
Vol. 18
Government affairs
Vol. 19
Arrow-shooting, traditional horse racing, and miscellaneous affairs in court
Vol. 20
The liege homage
Vol. 21
The ritual at an unfortunate incident, such as the demise of the emperor (a missing volume)
Manuscripts
There exist several kinds of Gokeshidai's manuscripts, such as that of Nobutane NAKAMIKADO's handwriting (in six volumes, owned by Tenri Library), and that of Chikanaga KANROJI's (in four volumes, formerly owned by "Kajuji-ryu" [the Kajuji line] and now owned by Kyoto University). Moreover, there exists an unknown person's transcription (but its second volume turns out to have been the transcription of Michihiro KUGA), and this manuscript in eight volumes was written in the Muromachi period, and is now owned by "Sonkeikaku-bunko" [a library of the Kaga Maeda family]).