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Ainu Legends
The Ainu believe that the world rests on the back of a
giant trout, that otters caused human beings to be flawed,
and that seeing an owl fly across the face of the moon at
night is cause for great trepidation. Find out the basis for
such beliefs, along with what Hokkaido's Ainu have
traditionally thought about the crane, the bear, the flying
squirrel, and a host of other creatures. The excerpts below
were drawn from The Ainu and Their Folklore, by the
Rev. John Batchelor (London: The Religious Tract Society,
1901). An English missionary who lived among the Ainu for
several decades around the turn of this century, Batchelor
carefully recorded the people's folklore even as he
proselytized the Christian faith. Note that excerpts set off
by quotes are those of Batchelor's Ainu informants rather
his own writing.
Origins of the Ainu
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Ainu Legends |
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