NOVA Online | Island of the Spirits

Bear

Ainu Legends
Bear

How it came to be that certain Ainu were descended from a bruin
"In very ancient times there lived two people who were husband and wife. The husband one day fell ill and soon after died, leaving no children, so that the poor wife was left quite alone. Now it happened to have been decreed that the woman was at some future time to bear a son. When the people saw that the time for the child to be born was nigh at hand, some said, 'Surely this woman has married again.' Others said, 'Not so, but her deceased husband has risen from among the dead.' But the woman herself said that it was all a miracle, and the following is [her] account of the matter:

"'One evening there was a sudden appearance in the hut in which I was sitting. He who came to me had the external form of a man and was dressed in black clothing. On turning in my direction he said, "O, woman, I have a word to say to you, so please pay attention. I am the god who possesses the mountains (i.e., a bear) and not a human being at all, though I have now appeared to you in the bodily form of a man. The reason of my coming is this. Your husband is dead, and you are left in a very lonesome condition. I have seen this and am come to inform you that you will bear a child. He will be my gift to you. When he is born you will no longer be lonely, and when he is grown up he will be very great, rich, and eloquent." After saying this he left me.'

"By and by this woman bore a son, who in time really became a mighty hunter as well as a great, rich, and eloquent man. He also became the father of many children. Thus it happens that many of the Ainu who dwell among the mountains are to this day said to be descended from a bear. They belong to the bear clan, and are called Kimun Kamui sanikiri—i.e., 'descendants of the bear.'"

Next: Eagle
Back to Ainu Legends

Photo: BBC

Origins of the Ainu | Ainu Legends | Find Your Way
Resources | Transcript | Site Map