The way of referring to these three items as "Sanshu no Jingi" (Three Sacred Treasures of the Imperial Family) is found in books such as "The Tale of the Heike" and "Jinno Shotoki" (A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns).
なお、これら3器を「三種の神器」と総称する用例は、『平家物語』、『神皇正統記』などに見える。