Kamui Kobayashi 2014 Singapore FP2.jpg
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

A ''kamuy'' ( ain, カムィ; ja, カムイ, kamui) is a spiritual or divine being in Ainu mythology, a term denoting a supernatural entity composed of or possessing spiritual energy. The Ainu people have many myths about the ''kamuy'', passed down through oral traditions and rituals. The stories of the ''kamuy'' were portrayed in chants and performances, which were often performed during sacred rituals.


Concept

In concept, ''kamuy'' are similar to the Japanese '' kami'' but this translation misses some of the nuances of the termAshkenazy, Michael. ''Handbook of Japanese Mythology''. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio, 2003. 187-188 (the missionary John Batchelor assumed that the Japanese term was of Ainu origin).John Batchelor: ''The Ainu and Their Folk-Lore'', London 1901, p. 580–582. The usage of the term is very extensive and contextual among the Ainu, and can refer to something regarded as especially positive as well as something regarded as especially strong. ''Kamuy'' can refer to spiritual beings, including animals, plants, the weather, and even human tools. Guardian angels are called Ituren-Kamui. ''Kamuy'' are numerous; some are delineated and named, such as '' Kamuy Fuchi'', the hearth goddess, while others are not. ''Kamuy'' often have very specific associations, for instance, there is a ''kamuy'' of the undertow. Batchelor compares the word with the Greek term daimon. Personified deities of Ainu mythology often have the term ''kamuy'' applied as part of their names.


Folklore


Creation Myth

The Ainu legend goes that at the beginning of the world, there was only water and earth mixed together in a sludge. Nothing existed except for the thunder demons in the clouds and the first self created kamuy. The first kamuy then sent down a bird spirit, ''moshiri-kor-kamuy,'' to make the world inhabitable. The water
wagtail Wagtails are a group of passerine birds that form the genus ''Motacilla'' in the family Motacillidae. The forest wagtail belongs to the monotypic genus ''Dendronanthus'' which is closely related to ''Motacilla'' and sometimes included therein. T ...
bird saw the swampy state of the earth and flew over the waters, and pounded down the earth with its feet and tail. After much work, areas of dry land appeared, seeming to float above the waters that surrounded them. Thus, the Ainu refer to the world as ''moshiri,'' meaning "floating earth"''.'' The wagtail is also a revered bird due to this legend.


Ape-Kamuy

Once the earth was formed, the first kamuy, otherwise known as ''kanto-kor-kamuy'', the heavenly spirit, sent other ''kamuy'' to the earth. Of these ''kamuy'' was ''ape-kamuy'' (see also ''kamuy huchi, ape huchi)'', the fire spirit. ''Ape-kamuy'' was the most important spirit, ruling over ''nusa-kor-kamuy'' (ceremonial altar spirit), ''ram-nusa-kor-kamuy'' (low ceremonial altar spirit), ''hasinaw-kor-kamuy'' (hunting spirit), and ''wakka-us-kamuy'' (water spirit). As the most important ''kamuy, ape-kamuy's'' permission/assistance is needed for prayers and ceremonies. She is the connection between humans and the other spirits and deities, and gives the prayers of the people to the proper spirits.


Oral history

The Ainu had no writing system of their own, and much of Ainu mythology was passed down as
oral history Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people wh ...
in the form of ''kamuy yukar'' (deity epics), long verses traditionally recounted by singers at a gathering. The ''kamuy yukar'' was seen as a significant form of communication between the ''kamuy'' and the humans, along with prayers and rituals. Each ''kamuy yukar'' recounts a deity's or hero's adventures, usually in the first person, and some of them are of great length, containing as many as 7,000 verses.Etter, Carl. ''Ainu Folklore: Traditions and Culture of the Vanishing Aborigines of Japan''. Chicago: Wilcox and Follett, 1949. 53 In general, however, they are considered to be shorter in length in comparison to other types of oral genres in the Ainu culture. Some ''yukar'' contradict each other, assigning the same events to different deities or heroes; this is primarily a result of the Ainu culture's organization into small, relatively isolated groups.Ashkenazy, Michael. ''Handbook of Japanese Mythology''. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio, 2003. 68 Records of these poems began to be kept only in the late 19th century, by Western missionaries and Japanese ethnographers; however, the Ainu tradition of memorizing the ''yukar'' preserved many. Though ''kamuy yukar'' is considered to be one of the oldest genres of Ainu oral performance, anthropologist
Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney ( ja, 大貫恵美子 born 1934) is a noted anthropologist and the William F. Vilas Professor of Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She is the author of fourteen single-authored books in English and ...
supposed that there are more than 20 types of genres. Originally, it seems ''kamuy yukar'' was performed solely for religious purposes by the women who took on the role of shamans. The shamans became possessed and recanted the chants, possibly explaining why ''kamuy yukar'' is performed with a first-person narrative. As time passed, ''kamuy yukar'' became less of a sacred ritual, serving as entertainment and as a way to pass down traditions and cultural stories. Today, the ''kamuy yukar'' is no longer performed in the Horobetsu tradition. The only hints of the traditional chants are in written records, including those of
Yukie Chiri was a Japanese transcriber and translator of Yukar (Ainu epic tales). Life Yukie Chiri was born into an Ainu people, Ainu family in Noboribetsu, Hokkaidō during the Meiji (era), Meiji era. At the time, increasing immigration of Japanese peopl ...
(1903-1922), a Horobetsu Ainu woman who wrote fragments of traditional chants that her grandmother performed. She compiled the historical chants from her aunt
Imekanu , also known by her Japanese name , was an Ainu missionary and epic poet. Along with her niece, Yukie Chiri, she wrote down and preserved numerous Ainu yukar she learned from her mother. Life and work Imekanu belonged to an Ainu family of Hor ...
in a book titled ''Ainu shin'yoshu''.


"Sending-Back" Rituals

The Ainu have rituals in which they "send back" the ''kamuy'' to the heavens with gifts. There are various rituals of this type, including the '' iomante,'' the bear ceremony. The rituals center around the idea of releasing the ''kamuy'' from their disguises, their ''hayopke'', that they have put on to visit the human world in order to receive gifts from the humans. The ''kamuy'' in their ''hayopke'' choose the hunter that will hunt them, giving them the flesh of the animal in turn. Once the ''hayopke'' is broken, the ''kamuy'' are free to return to their world with the gifts from the humans.


Iomante

The ''iomante'' (see also ''iyomante''), is a ritual in which the people "send-off" the guest, the bear spirit, back to its home in the heavens. A bear is raised by the ritual master's wife as a cub. When it is time for the ritual, the men create prayer sticks ''( inau)'' for the altar ''(nusa-san)'', ceremonial arrows, liquor, and gifts for the spirit in order to prepare for the ritual. Prayers are then offered to ''ape-kamuy'', and dances, songs, and ''yukar'' are performed. The main part of the ritual is performed the next day, taking place at a ritual space by the altar outside. Prayers are offered to various ''kamuy'', and then the bear is taken out of its cage with a rope around its neck. There is dancing and singing around the bear, and the bear is given food and a prayer. The men shoot the ceremonial decorated arrows at the bear, and the ritual master shoots the fatal arrow as the women cry for the bear. The bear is strangled with sticks and then taken to the altar where the people give gifts to the dead bear and pray to the ''kamuy'' again. The bear is dismembered, and the head brought inside. There is a feast with the bear's boiled flesh, with performances of ''yukar'', dances, and songs. On the third and final day of the ritual, the bear's head is skinned and decorated with ''inau'' and gifts. It is then put on a y-shaped stick and turned to face the mountains in the east. This part of the ritual is to send the bear off to the mountains. After another feast, the skull is turned back towards the village to symbolize the ''kamuy's'' return to its world. In Ainu mythology, the ''kamuy'' are believed to return home after the ritual and find their houses filled with gifts from the humans. More gifts mean more prestige and wealth in the ''kamuy's'' society, and the ''kamuy'' will gather his friends and tell them of the generosities of the humans, making the other ''kamuy'' wish to go to the human world for themselves. In this way, the humans express their gratitude for the ''kamuy'', and the ''kamuy'' will continue to bring them prosperity.


Some notable kamuy

* Ae-oina Kamuy, a
culture hero A culture hero is a mythological hero specific to some group ( cultural, ethnic, religious, etc.) who changes the world through invention or discovery. Although many culture heroes help with the creation of the world, most culture heroes are imp ...
who taught humans the domesticated and sacred arts * Apasam Kamuy, kamuy of the threshold * Cikap-kamuy/ Kotan-kor-kamuy, the god of owls and the land * Cironnup Kamuy, god of foxes * Hasinaw-uk-kamuy, goddess of the hunt * hoyau kamui, dragon god * Kamuy-huci, goddess of the hearth * Kandakoro Kamuy, the prime originator, the god of the sky * Kanna Kamuy, kamuy of thunder and lightning *
Kenas-unarpe 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 ...
, a blood-drinking monster who preys upon hunters * Kim-un-kamuy, the god of mountains and bears *
Kina-sut-kamuy Kina-sut-kamuy (キナスッカムイ) is the Ainu '' kamuy'' (''god'') of snakes in the Japanese mythology. He is a benevolent figure who is called upon for protection against various calamities. Mythology Kina-sut-kamuy is depicted as generally ...
, the god of snakes *
Kotan-kar-kamuy Kotan-kar-kamuy (コタンカㇽカムイ, lit. 'world-making-god') is the creator deity of the Ainu people. He should not be confused with god of the land Kotan-kor-kamuy, or the god of the sky Kandakoro Kamuy. According to missionary John Batche ...
, god of creation * Kunnecup-kamuy, the god of the moon *
Mosirkara Kamuy Moshirkara Kamuy is an Ainu '' kamuy'' (''god''). At the command of Kandakoro Kamuy Kanda-koro-kamuy is the Ainu ''kamuy'' (''god'') of the sky. He is the prime originator of Ainu mythology, responsible either directly or indirectly for the cre ...
, creator of the earth *
Nusa-kor-kamuy Nusa-kor-kamuy (ヌサ・コル・カムイ) is an Ainu '' kamuy'' (''god''). Called the ''community-founding kamuy'', he represents the dead and serves as a messenger to the other ''kamuy''. Mythology Nusa-kor-kamuy is the originator of ''nusa'' ...
, messenger to the gods and representative of the dead * Pauchi Kamuy, an evil spirit responsible for insanity * Repun Kamuy, the killer whale, the god of the sea *
Shiramba Kamuy Shiramba Kamuy is the Ainu ''kamuy'' (''god'') of wood, grains, and other forms of vegetation. He is therefore also the ''kamuy'' of many household tools, which contain wood. He is sometimes portrayed as the brother of Hash-inau-uk Kamuy Hasinaw- ...
, the god of wood, grains, and vegetation *
Tokapcup-kamuy Tokapcup-kamuy ( Ainu: , day-illuminating god) is the solar goddess of the Ainu people. Her husband is the moon god Kunnecup-kamuy. Kotan-kar-kamuy was given the task of illuminating the human world, as well raising the culture hero Aynurakku ...
, goddess of the sun *
Waka-ush Kamuy Wakka-us Kamuy (Ainu language, Ainu ワッカウシカムイ) is the Ainu people, Ainu ''kamuy'' (''goddess'') of fresh water. She is also known as Petorush Mat (''Watering-place Woman''). Depiction Wakka-us Kamuy is portrayed as a long-haired wom ...
, goddess of
fresh water Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...
*
Yushkep Kamuy Yushkep Kamuy is the ''kamuy'' (''goddess'') of the spiders Spiders (order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the larg ...
, the spider goddess * Sarorun Kamuy, the god of the marshes. The personification of the
red-crowned crane The red-crowned crane (''Grus japonensis''), also called the Manchurian crane or Japanese crane (; the Chinese character '丹' means 'red', '頂/顶' means 'crown' and '鶴/鹤' means 'crane'), is a large East Asian crane among the rarest cran ...
(''Grus japonensis''), which lives in the wetland habitats of east Hokkaido and southern Sakhalin. Other species of resident and migratory birds are also given the name Kamuy.


In names

''Kamuy'' can be found in proper names, especially place names in Hokkaido, such as or . is also a male proper name, and Kamui is the short word for the spelling is the same as the word ''shin'i'' that means "divine power".


Star naming

A
star A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked ...
located in the northern
constellation A constellation is an area on the celestial sphere in which a group of visible stars forms Asterism (astronomy), a perceived pattern or outline, typically representing an animal, mythological subject, or inanimate object. The origins of the e ...
of Corona Borealis (The Northern Crown) is named after it. See
HD 145457 HD 145457 is a star located in the northern constellation of Corona Borealis (The Northern Crown) at a distance of around 443  light-years from the Sun, as determined through parallax measurements. It has been formally named Kamuy b ...
.


See also

* Kami * Koshintō * Shinto


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 *Strong, Sarah Mehlhop (2011). ''Ainu spirits singing: the living world of Chiri Yukie's Ainu shinʼyōshū''. Chiri, Yukie, 1903-1922., 知里, 幸恵(1903-1922). Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. . *Batchelor, John (1894). "Items of Ainu Folk-Lore". ''The Journal of American Folklore''. 7 (24): 15. *Utagawa, Hiroshi (1992). "The 'Sending-Back' Rite in Ainu Culture". ''Japanese Journal of Religious Studies''. 19: 255–270 – via JSTOR *Phillipi, Donald L. (2015). ''Songs of gods, songs of humans''. Princeton University Press. . *Strong, Sarah M. (2009). "The Most Revered of Foxes: Knowledge of Animals and Animal Power in an Ainu Kamui Yukar". ''Asian Ethnology''. 68 (1): 27–54. *Kimura, Takeshi (1999-01-01). "Bearing the 'Bare Facts' of Ritual. A Critique Of Jonathan Z. Smith's Study of the Bear Ceremony Based On a Study of the Ainu Iyomante". ''Numen''. 46 (1): 88–114. . * {{Jmyth navbox long