The Tales of Ise
One of Narihira's most famous affairs—the one that gave "The Tales of Ise" its name—was said to be with , high priestess of the Ise Grand Shrine and daughter of Emperor Montoku. "The Tales of Ise" describes the protagonist, presumed to be Narihira, visiting Ise on a hunt, and sleeping with the priestess. However, a passage in the "Kokinshū" describes the meeting ambiguously, in a manner that implies Narihira did not sleep with the priestess herself but rather another woman in her service. The 12th-century work and the 13th-century work "Kojidan" claim that the product of this union was , who was later adopted by . Japanologist Helen Craig McCullough stated there was "no evidence" the affair between Narihira and Yasuko was "more than a romantic myth".