|
Yukar
() are Ainu sagas that form a long rich tradition of oral literature. In older periods, the epics were performed by both men and women; during the 19th and early 20th centuries, when Ainu culture was in decline, women were generally the most skillful performers. Traditional tales describe floating worlds with , or the land of the humans (as opposed to , the land of the gods), resting on the back of a fish whose movements cause earthquakes. Translation history Professor Kyōsuke Kindaichi collected and translated them into Japanese. In August 2006, the reported in its article that Japan's Agency of Cultural Affairs () would discontinue funding by fiscal year 2007 of the project to translate and transcribe the compilations of Imekanu, , which consists of 92 stories written in romaji with the tenth story lost and 49 stories left untranslated. It is said that the stoppage was because of Shigeru Kayano's death in May 2006. In 1999, a multi-national group of educators and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ainu People
The Ainu are an Indigenous peoples, indigenous ethnic group who reside in northern Japan and southeastern Russia, including Hokkaido and the Tōhoku region of Honshu, as well as the land surrounding the Sea of Okhotsk, such as Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, the Kamchatka Peninsula, and the Khabarovsk Krai. They have occupied these areas, known to them as "Ainu Mosir" (), since before the arrival of the modern Yamato people, Yamato and Treaty of Aigun, Russians. These regions are often referred to as and its inhabitants as in historical Japanese texts. Along with the Yamato and Ryukyuan people, Ryukyu ethnic groups, the Ainu people are one of the primary historic ethnic groups of Japan. Official surveys of the known Ainu population in Hokkaido received 11,450 responses in 2023, and the Ainu population in Russia was estimated at 300 in 2021. Unofficial estimates in 2002 placed the total population in Japan at 200,000 or higher, as the near-total Cultural assimilation, assimilatio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kamuy
A ''kamuy'' (; ) 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, in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ainu Culture
Ainu culture refers to the traditions of the Ainu people, dating back to around the 13th century (late Kamakura period) to the present. Today, most Ainu people live a life superficially similar to that of Yamato people, mainstream Japanese people, partly due to cultural assimilation. However, while some people conceal or downplay their Ainu identity, Ainu culture is still practiced among many groups. The Ainu way of life is called in the Ainu languages, Ainu language (literally + "customs, manners"1905, ''An Ainu-English-Japanese Dictionary'', John Batchelor, Tokyo: Methodist Publishing House. ''Puri'' entry viewable onlinhere). The unique Ainu patterns and oral literature () have been selected as features of Hokkaidō Heritage, Hokkaido Heritage. Overview The term "Ainu culture" has two meanings. One is an Cultural anthropology, anthropological perspective, referring to the cultural forms held by the Ainu people as an ethnic group, which includes both the culture held or c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kamuy
A ''kamuy'' (; ) 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, in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Imekanu
, also known by her Japanese name , was an Ainu people, Ainu missionary and epic poetry, 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 Noboribetsu, Hokkaidō, Horobetsu in Iburi Subprefecture, Hokkaidō, Japan. She began to learn her repertoire of Ainu poetry from her mother, Monashinouku, a seasoned teller of Ainu tales who spoke very little Japanese. After converting to Christianity, Imekanu worked for many years for the Anglican Church in Japan as a lay missionary under the missionary John Batchelor (missionary), John Batchelor, well known for his publications on Ainu language and culture. Batchelor introduced Imekanu to Kindaichi Kyōsuke, the most prominent Japanese scholar in this field, in 1918. After retiring from missionary work in 1926, Imekanu began to write down yukar known to her from Ainu tradition and continued to do so until her deat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kannari Matsu Notebooks
, 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 Horobetsu in Iburi Subprefecture, Hokkaidō, Japan. She began to learn her repertoire of Ainu poetry from her mother, Monashinouku, a seasoned teller of Ainu tales who spoke very little Japanese. After converting to Christianity, Imekanu worked for many years for the Anglican Church in Japan as a lay missionary under the missionary John Batchelor John Calvin Batchelor (born April 29, 1948) is an American author and the host of ''Eye on the World'' on the CBS Audio Network. His flagship station is WOR in New York City. The show is a hard-news-analysis radio program on current events, wo ..., well known for his publications on Ainu language and culture. Batchelor introduced Imekanu to Kindaichi Kyōsuke, the most prominent Japanese sch ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kutune Shirka
The ''Kutune Shirka'' ( Ainu: ), known in Japanese as or simply , is a sacred '' yukar'' epic of the native Ainu people of Japan. The Ainu title refers to a magic sword wielded by the story's protagonist. It is one of the most important, if not the most important, piece of Ainu literature. There have been several translation efforts since its compilation, into Japanese and other languages. Background Like most epics, the plot of the ''Kutune Shirka'' is long and covers many events. This ''yukar'' is approximately 10,000 words long.Shibatani, M. (1990) ''The languages of Japan''. Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN, 0-521-36918-5 The epic itself tells the tale from a first-person narrative, as is usual in Ainu oral tradition, where the storyteller takes on the role of the protagonist. Like other Ainu epics, the ''Kutune Shirka'' is recited with a rhythm of two stressed beats per line. This was enacted by the reciter, who would tap a stick every beat. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ainu Music
Ainu music is the musical tradition of the Ainu people of northern Japan. Ainu people have no indigenous system of writing, and so have traditionally inherited the folklore and the laws of their culture orally, often through music. The oral Ainu culture includes various genres, including ''upopo'' , lighthearted ballads on daily affairs and rituals often accompanied by traditional Ainu instrumentation, and ''yukar'' (mimicry), a form of rhythmic epic poetry often supported by light percussion. The contents of these ballads were historically an important source of understanding daily life as well as various traditions and habits of the Ainu people, and remain today an important part of the Ainu cultural identity and inheritance, as seen in efforts by performers such as Oki (musician), Oki, the most famous contemporary performer of Ainu music. The most useful English-language overview of Ainu music (with recordings and transcriptions) is by Chiba Nobuhiko. Traditional Ainu musi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shigeru Kayano
was a Japanese politician and a leading figure in the Ainu ethnic movement in Japan. He was one of the last speakers of the Ainu language. Early life Kayano was born in Nibutani village in Biratori, Hokkaido, Japan. His family name at birth was Kaizawa, but he was adopted out by name to his aunt's family. He was raised in poverty by his alcoholic father and devout Buddhist mother, and gained his first appreciation of Ainu culture from his grandmother, Tekatte, who would share traditional stories in Ainu with him. Cultural leader Though he did not reach a high level of formal education, he undertook an impassioned study of Ainu folklore, art, language and history. His activism helped bring about the founding of the Nibutani Ainu Culture Museum in 1972. He was an acknowledged living master of the Ainu oral tradition, an expert in its folk arts and language. He led the effort to found 15 Ainu language schools. Political leader He was the first Ainu politician to sit in t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chiri Yukie
was an Ainu transcriber and translator of Yukar (Ainu epic tales). Life Yukie Chiri was born into an Ainu family in Noboribetsu, Hokkaidō during the Meiji era. At the time, the colonial government of Hokkaido rapidly increased immigration of ethnic Japanese people to Hokkaidō, forcibly relocating many Ainu communities and depriving them of their traditional means of livelihood. The Meiji government adopted extensive policies designed to discourage or ban Ainu cultural practices while encouraging or forcing their assimilation into Japanese society. By the turn of the century, some Ainu writers came to argue that assimilation was the only viable method of survival for Ainu communities. Chiri was sent to her aunt Imekanu in Chikabumi, on the outskirts of Asahikawa, when she was six years old, presumably to lessen the financial burden on her parents. Imekanu lived with her aged mother, Monashinouku, a seasoned teller of Ainu tales who spoke very little Japanese. Chiri thus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oral Literature
Oral literature, orature, or folk literature is a genre of literature that is spoken or sung in contrast to that which is written, though much oral literature has been transcribed. There is no standard definition, as anthropologists have used varying descriptions for oral literature or folk literature. A broad conceptualization refers to it as literature characterized by oral transmission and the absence of any fixed form. It includes the stories, legends, and history passed through generations in a spoken form. Background Pre-literate societies, by definition, have no written literature, but may possess rich and varied oral traditions—such as folk epics, folk narratives (including fairy tales and fables), folk drama, proverbs and folksongs—that effectively constitute an oral literature. Even when these are collected and published by scholars such as folklorists and paremiographers, the result is still often referred to as "oral literature". The different genr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
