I got this softcover from Barnes and Noble; it's a collection of legends from the Ainu, an indigenous people of Japan and eastern Russia. These were all new to me, and while they have some elements in common with folk tales from many cultures, there's a unique sensibility here. I appreciated the author/translator's notes on the process of translation.

Of the tales themselves, there are examples of creatures paying the ultimate price for being rude to a god-in-disguise, of demons trying to hunt down the most powerful gods, and of people learning how to properly honor the spirits of the animals they hunt. Indeed, a theme of respect and gratitude balances the often-grisly details of the punishments meted out to the miscreants!

I'm adding this to the Indigenous Peoples bookbox. Hope someone enjoys it!

I’m hooked-have to select this from the box~~

These Ainu legends/chants were totally new to me as well, and I am thankful to the translator for both the introductory notes and footnotes, without which I fear I would have been quite lost.
These tales “… Paint a vivid picture of the final balance and commerce between the two worlds. If one wishes to have fish to eat, it seems, one must remember to look beyond the fish to the kamiya (spirit) within it.” This seems to me to be at once similar and very different from the native American offerings and gratitude to the relation who gives its life to feed the people.


********************************************
Additional info found online:

Among the vanishing cultures of the world, the Ainu of north-east Asia stand out for the startling richness of their oral literature.

These thirteen beautiful Ainu chants were collected by Chiri Yukie in 1922 -- the first Ainu literature to be written down by an Ainu. This book presents new English translations of Chiri's remarkable work.

Originally written in yukar form, a type of chant used by female storytellers among the Ainu villages of Hokkaido, these stories tell of the relationship between mankind and the world of spirits. Each yukar is narrated by a spirit -- fox, whale, frog, or even shellfish. Most important is the owl god, Kotankor Kamui, whose two long songs describe the covenant between humans and the spirits who provide them with food. Other tales focus on the balance of nature, on the respect due between animal spirits and people, and on the strength of Okikirmui, the human hero.

The Ainu oral tradition was in danger of dying in the early 20th century, when the teenaged Chiri Yukie resolved to begin writing down these chants. Descended from a line of female storytellers, she devised a way of representing Ainu language in the Roman alphabet, and made Japanese translations of the most important tales.

Although she died at 19, the thirteen tales she had written down went on to become a sensation. Her clear and beautiful yet intricate and emotive Japanese translations brought Ainu culture to a wide audience in Japan and created a movement to record and preserve Ainu belief in a living state. In many ways, the idea of trying to learn from and preserve tribal wisdom goes back to Chiri's book.

Chiri's work includes the best-known passages of Ainu literature: Chiri's original introduction, an elegy to the vanishing Ainu way of life, and the tale 'Silver drops fall around, golden drops fall around'.

This translation tries to preserve the rich texture of Chiri's versions in English, while remaining absolutely true to the details of the original. A clear introduction to Chiri, her book, and its language is provided, giving the reader a vivid insight into this startlingly sophisticated spiritual tradition.

Preparing to send off in the NativeAmerican/First Nations/ Indigenous Peoples bookbox.

I am a bit surprised to see a copy of this book already in the box already, as I have one set aside to put into the box. Something by Sherman Alexie or Louise Erdrich I can expect, but I won't imagine many copies of this going around.

Actually my copy was set aside for the BC Con, where thin volumes are great for carrying overseas, but the last two BC Cons didn't happen, so the book is still with me. I will swap the books out, so both get to travel a bit.

My review of this book:

Ainu is an indigenous tribe living in Northern Japan, whose culture and language is different from that of Japan and Siberia. This volume is a collection of folktales, the first book written in Ainu by an Ainu speaker.

The folktales give us a glimpse into a culture that was fading, even as the author wrote them a century ago. I find the stories unique in that they are often told from the POV of a dead narrator.

Taking this lovely book to share with my fellow BCers.

Picked up from the book buffet. Thank you!

I really enjoyed these stories. My fave was The Song That the Frog Sang. It made me laugh a lot. Will probably save this for a bookbox.

And off it goes in the Random Book Box. Happy reading!

Returned in the Random Bookbox when it reached home again.

Now this short volume I will definitely read before it travels again (probably in another bookbox!). I do love authentic folktales having been brought up on them from an early age.