Many successive Saiin Priestesses were well known for literary works: the first Saio Priestess, Imperial Princess Uchiko, who was a distinguished composer of Chinese style poetry; the Great Saiin Priestess, Imperial Princess Senshi, whose name appeared in "The Pillow Book" and "The Murasaki Shikibu Diary"; the Rokujo Saiin, Imperial Princess Baishi, who held many tanka poetry contests; and Imperial Princess Shikishi, who became an accomplished poet of the Shin Kokinwakashu (the New Collection of Ancient and Modern Japanese Poetry).
女流漢詩人として著名な初代有智子内親王に始まり、『枕草子』『紫式部日記』にもその名が登場する大斎院選子内親王、数多い歌合を主催した六条斎院ばい子内親王、新古今和歌集を代表する歌人式子内親王など、歴代の斎院は文雅で名を馳せた人物が多い。