Religion of the Ainu
Stories and Deities of Ainumosir
Stories and Deities of Ainumosir
"In the beginning there was a mixture of mud and water in what would become the world; no living things existed. The gods and demons and animals lived in a series of heavens above and worlds below our world. In the highest heaven there was the creator god Kamuy. His compound was protected by an immense wall with an iron gate. Kamuy decided to build the world on the back of a huge fish that took in the waters and blew them out to create the ocean tides. The creator sent a small bird, a wagtail, to make Earth habitable. Confused, the bird flew down and fluttered about and beat its wings at the mushy surface until a few dry spots emerged, forming the islands where the Ainu live now."
(Leeming, David A. Creation Myths of the World: An Encyclopedia. 2nd edition. Vol. 1 [Parts I-II]. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2010)
Moshiri-kor-Kamuy:
The bird spirit kamuy of the wagtail that came to the world and created the habitable islands that the Ainu call Moshiri.
Kanto-kor-Kamuy:
The fire spirit and ruler of all other kamuy. Kanto-kor-Kamuy serves as the connection between humans and the kamuy. She must be contacted before every ritual.
Kim-un-Kamuy:
Kamuy of the mountains and bears. seen as a benevolent Kamuy, the bear ceremony serves as a deep connection of the Ainu and Kim-un-Kamuy.
Hasinaw-uk-Kamuy:
goddess of the hunt. often depicted as a women with long hair equipped with a bow and a child on her back. She is represented by the Ainu as the Aconite plant used to poison arrows.
Nusa-kor-Kamuy:
Known as the Community founder Kamuy. He represents the dead, and plays a key role in the protection of Inau (carving sticks) carrying them from the Ainu to the Kamuy.
Kamuy-huci:
One of the most powerful Kamuy. Goddess of the hearth, and protector of the home. She is said to judge the domestic affairs of the Ainu bringing judgment to those who wrong the family and home. due to this the hearth must always remain lit in Ainu tradition.
Ae-oyna-Kamuy:
Known as the father of humanity and the teacher of domestic skills. Ae-oyna-Kamuy is a half-god and as such holds special place in Ainu oral tradition and is the center point of most stories. He is known to have a keen interest in humanity and is kicked out of heaven for "smelling too human".
Wakka-us-Kamuy:
Goddess of the river and freshwater. She is a benevolent goddess who has an interest in protecting humanity. She is often called to intervene on the humans behalf between the Kamuy. She is depicted as a long haired women who is a skilled singer and dancer.
The Iomante festival is the most prized and significant festival. A ceremony to send the spirit of the bear god back to the Kamuy Kotan or homeland of the gods. It traditionally is performed through the sacrifice of a bear cub that has been raised as an Ainu over the winter and a feast of the cub to commemorate Kim-un-Kamuy.
The Kotan festival is one of the most significant festivals in the Ainu culture. The festival is a gathering of all the families to pray to the kamuy and give thanks for the protection of the kamuy and the creation of the Ainumosir.
The Ashiri cheppu Nomi festival is held to thank the gods for a good salmon run. Often held around the spawning grounds of salmon the Ainu pray to Wakka-us-Kamuy, Kamuy-huci and Hasinaw-uk-Kamuy. After the prayer the kamuy are said to allow the Ainu to harvest the salmon after spawning. This leads to a great hunt of the salmon and a subsequent feast in thanks to the kamuy.