Kenas-unarpe (ケナㇱウナㇻペ) is an

Ainu Ainu or Aynu may refer to: *Ainu people, an East Asian ethnic group of Japan and the Russian Far East *Ainu languages, a family of languages **Ainu language of Hokkaido **Kuril Ainu language, extinct language of the Kuril Islands **Sakhalin Ainu la ...

'' kamuy'' (''god''). She is a blood-drinking monster who preys upon hunters. However, she is sometimes called upon to assist in childbearing.

Mythology

Kenas-unarpe is said to have emerged from the decomposing tools the gods had used in their making of the earth. She is a monster with a thirst for human blood, and a sister to various poisons and diseases. She often takes on the appearance of Hasinaw-uk-kamuy, the goddess of the hunt, in order to deceive hunters. She employs this trick to lead a hunter deep into a swamp; when he tires, she turns on him, killing him and drinking his blood. Her likeness to Hasinaw-uk-kamuy is not perfect, however, and she is forced to conceal her face with her long hair. By this, a wary hunter can recognize Kenas-unarpe and avoid this fate. Kenas-unarpe's association with blood makes her important in childbearing. She is sometimes invoked to deal with the pollution of pregnant women by blood or disease, and myths hold that she is a very powerful, though potentially dangerous, counterforce in such cases.Ashkenazy, Michael. ''Handbook of Japanese Mythology''. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio, 2003. 197

Notes

References

*Ashkenazy, Michael. ''Handbook of Japanese Mythology''. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio, 2003. *Etter, Carl. ''Ainu Folklore: Traditions and Culture of the Vanishing Aborigines of Japan''. Chicago: Wilcox and Follett, 1949. *Munro, Neil Gordon. ''Ainu Creed and Cult''. New York: Columbia University Press, 1995. Ainu kamuy Japanese goddesses {{Japan-myth-stub