Introduction

Introduction
by Courtney Gentry

My Storybook will compose of Ainu folk-tales with an aetiological focus—how things came to be! For example, one of the folk-tales attempts to explain how the owl got its thick cap of erect feathers. The rat is to blame…the owl was tricked by the rat to slide down the tree and hit a very sharp object after the rat stole the owl’s food. Of course, this makes the owl very mad and he goes off on a killing rampage but the rat offers him the gift of a thick cap of erect feathers and the owl spares his life. This also explains the enmity between owls and rats.

Most of the characters in this aetiological story collection are animals—owls, dogs, cocks, foxes and so forth. Human characters are present, along with gods/goddesses. I will be using Basil Hall Chamberlain’s translations as my source of the folk-tales. Chamberlain has translated many of those folk-tales and written some down from memory after interviewing native Ainu people. His work was published in 1888 and reflects his experience as a Professor of Philology at Tokyo University in Japan. Prior to his work, there were no written records of the Ainu folk-tales…these were recited from memory!

Why do a Storybook on the Ainu stories? These people intrigued me because I had never heard about them before, and I really enjoyed reading their folk-tales. According to Wikipedia.org, the Ainu are an ethnic minority group indigenous to Hokkaido, the northern part of Honshu in Japan, Kuril Islands, much of Sakhalin, and the southernmost third of the Kamchatka peninsula.

Map of Japan with Hokkaido highlighted (in dark green)

Honshu highlighted in dark yellow

Kuril Islands and Kamchatka Peninsula

I thought this would be a fantastic group of people to study because I have some Japanese blood, and they could be possible ancestors of mine…or even yours! Some research has held that it is possible that the Ainu were one of the very first people in North America! There are skeletal and cultural evidence about the Kennewick man supporting this theory.

True population figures are not available (due to many Ainu hiding their origins to avoid racism), but it is very likely that there are over 150,000 Ainu today. The Ainu language is seen as a language isolate. In their own language, “Ainu” translates as “human.” However, they prefer to be called “Utari,” which translates as “comrade.” Both definitions are used to describe this group. They also have their own culture like any other group and religion (animism and the Russian Orthodox Church).

Flag of the Ainu People

I hope you'll enjoy my Storybook! Thanks for visiting my page.

Story #1: A Thunderstorm, a Flea and a Louse
Story #2: Why the Rooster Cannot Fly
Story #3: The Stolen Charm
Story #4: The Punishment of Curiosity

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