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. In general, however, they are considered to be shorter in length in comparison to other types of oral genres in the Ainu culture. 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. The kamuy yukar was seen as a significant form of communication between the kamuy and the humans, along with prayers and rituals. The Ainu had no writing system of their own, and much of Ainu mythology was passed down as oral history in the form of kamuy yukar (deity epics), long verses traditionally recounted by singers at a gathering. She is the connection between humans and the other spirits and deities, and gives the prayers of the people to the proper spirits. As the most important kamuy, ape-kamuy's permission/assistance is needed for prayers and ceremonies. 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). Of these kamuy was ape-kamuy (see also kamuy huchi, ape huchi), the fire spirit. Once the earth was formed, the first kamuy, otherwise known as kanto-kor-kamuy, the heavenly spirit, sent other kamuy to the earth. The wagtail is also a revered bird due to this legend. ![]() Thus, the Ainu refer to the world as moshiri, meaning "floating earth". After much work, areas of dry land appeared, seeming to float above the waters that surrounded them. The water wagtail bird saw the swampy state of the earth and flew over the waters, and pounded down the earth with its feet and tail. The first kamuy then sent down a bird spirit, moshiri-kor-kamuy, to make the world inhabitable. Nothing existed except for the thunder demons in the clouds and the first self created kamuy. The Ainu legend goes that at the beginning of the world, there was only water and earth mixed together in a sludge. Personified deities of Ainu mythology often have the term kamuy applied as part of their names. Batchelor compares the word with the Greek term daimon. Kamuy often have very specific associations, for instance, there is a kamuy of the undertow. Kamuy are numerous some are delineated and named, such as Kamuy Fuchi, the hearth goddess, while others are not. Kamuy can refer to spiritual beings, including animals, plants, the weather, and even human tools. 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. In concept, kamuy are similar to the Japanese kami but this translation misses some of the nuances of the term (the missionary John Batchelor assumed that the Japanese term was of Ainu origin). The stories of the kamuy were portrayed in chants and performances, which were often performed during sacred rituals. The Ainu people have many myths about the kamuy, passed down through oral traditions and rituals. ![]() For other uses, see Kamui (disambiguation).Ī kamuy ( Ainu: カムィ Japanese: カムイ, romanized: kamui) is a spiritual or divine being in Ainu mythology, a term denoting a supernatural entity composed of or possessing spiritual energy.
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