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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 May 2025
A descendant of the Hokkaido Ainu people, Chiri Yukie (1903-1922) became versed in the oral tradition of kamuy yukar (songs of the gods) from a young age. At the encouragement of the linguist Kindaichi Kyŏsuke, she transliterated and translated these songs into Japanese. Her Ainu shin'yŏshŭ (Ainu Songs of the Gods) was published posthumously in 1923. The following translation presents the author's preface, as well as a song attributed to the owl, patron deity of the village (kotan kor kamuy). In the former, Chiri shares both her nostalgia for a lost Ainu past, and her hope that her heritage will be preserved by sharing it with a Japanese-speaking audience. In the latter, we find a depiction of Ainu ritual, one that revolves around the notion of animals as both deities and the prey of hunters - after choosing to fall to an arrow, the owl is invited to stay with the impoverished family of the boy who shot it, receiving inau (offerings) and making the household prosper once more. It is a song that speaks, not only to the profound religious significance of animal spirits in hunter-gatherer traditions like that of the Ainu, but offers a commentary on the shifting nature of social fortunes - something of which Chiri seems to have been poignantly aware. It is hard not to view, in her recounting of an ancient hunting ritual, a thinly veiled commentary on the fate of her people - though reviled by their neighbors, both once had wealth and distinction, a state to which they may yet return through the proper veneration of the deity (kamuy).
1 In bygone days, adults made small bows and arrows for young boys. While enjoying shooting for enjoyment at trees and birds, before they knew it, the boys became skilled archers. In the Ainu word akshinotponku, ak means archery, shinbot play, and ponai a little arrow.
2 shiktumorke: a look. When trying to learn a person's identity, the best way is said to be to look at the eyes. When one looks about restlessly, one is scolded.
3 achikara: it means “dirty.”
4 When birds and beasts are shot down, it is said that they take the arrows because they want the human-made arrows.
5 kotankorkamui: god of the land or the village. In the mountains, there are nupurikorkamui, the god that has the mountain (bear), nupuripakorkamui, the god who has the east side of the mountain (wolf), and so forth, and the owl is placed next to the bear and the wolf.
Kotankorkamui is not a wild, hasty type like the god of the mountains or the god of the eastern mountains. Usually, he is calm with eyes closed, and is said to open his eyes only when a serious event occurs.
6 Ceremonial whittled twig or pole, usually made of willow, with shavings left on (tr.).
7 Chiri Mashiho explains in a footnote to his translation that when the owl god was seated on the patterned mat beneath the honored window, its spirit was believed to reside between ear and ear (Shimajima wa hanazuna, p. 113).
8 There is a fire pit at the center of the house. The side against the eastern window is the seat of honor. Looked at from the seat of honor, the right is eshiso, the left, harkiso. Only men can take the seat of honor. A visitor who is humbler than the master of the house refrains from taking the seat of honor. The master of the house and his wife always take the right seats. Next in importance are the left seats, while the western seats (near the entrance) are the most humble.
9 hayokpe: armor. Whether birds or beasts, when in the mountains, though invisible to humans, they each have a house that resembles a human house and lead their lives in the same shapes as humans. When visiting a human village, they are said to appear in armor. Their corpses are their gear, and their true forms, though invisible, are said to dwell between ear and ear of the corpses.
10 Nishpa, now spelled nispa, meaning a well-to-do man, a wealthy man of high status, or master, is the antonym of wenkur, a pauper (tr.).
11 otuipe: one with a tail cut short. [Annotating the phrase wenash shiri otuiash shiri.] A dog tail so short that it looks cut off is not much respected. An unworthy human is badmouthed as wenpe, bad fellow, and otuipe, one with a tail cut short.
12 chikashnukar. When a god at some unexpected moment graces a favorite human with a great fortune, that person says in delight ikashnukar an.
13 apehuchi, the old woman of fire. The god of fire, the most important of the gods in the house, is always an old woman. When gods of the mountains, the sea and so forth visit a house as does this owl god, apehuchi takes the lead in conversing with the guests. It is also acceptable to call her kamuihuchi (divine old woman).
14 neusar, chatting. While worldly rumor is also called neusar, usually it refers to such things as kamuiyukar (songs of gods) and uwepeker (old tales).
15 ashke a uk. Ashke means fingers or hand. A uk means to take. This refers to inviting people when there is a celebration and so forth.
16 kakkokhau: cuckoo voice. Because a cuckoo's voice is beautiful and clear, one who articulates so everyone understands is likened to the bird.
17 chisekorcakui, the god who owns the house. The god of fire is like the housewife, the god of the house like the master. The god of the house is a male, and is also called chisekorekashi, the old man who owns the house.
18 nusakorkamui, the god who has the altar, an old woman. The god of the altar, too, is always female. When something bad happens she may appear before humans in the form of a snake. So, when a snake appears near the altar or near the eastern window, people say, “Perhaps the old woman of the altar went out on some business,” and they never kill that snake. It is said that if one kills it, one will pay dearly for it.
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