open access

https://doi.org/10.14943/101903

https://hdl.handle.net/2115/84895

An Ainu Upaskuma Text by N. A. Nevskij

英語

folklore

2022-03-20

Japan Association of Northern Language Studies

Northern Language Studies

12

211-244

This paper presents an upaskuma ‘ancestor tale’ in the Saru dialect of Ainu recorded by a Russian scholar N. A. Nevskij (1892-1937) from a female speaker Tanesanno in Otaru on February 14, 1922. After Ajnskij Fol’klor (Ainu Folklore) (1972), this is the second publication of an Ainu text from Nevkij’s archive preserved in St. Petersburg. The story reveals the origin of a mugwort doll used for exorcism to repel most powerful monsters. A similar text is published in Japanese only by Kindaichi (1931: 77), while the original Ainu text is available as a microfilm at Hokkaido Prefectural Library. There are some interesting differences in the details of those texts but Nevskij’s text is generally more detailed than Kindaichi’s. The “culture hero” Aynurakkur (=Okikurmi) was sent to the land of humans to teach them how to worship gods and held a party but forgot to invite there a Bear God. Yet, the Bear God attended the party and was noticed by Aynurakkur and his sister who were trying to find out who he was. However, the Bear God did not reveal his identity and went back home to the top of a mountain through a mugwort plant with two roots. Aynurakkur followed the Bear God in order to apologize but the Bear God took a half of mugwort and struck Aynurakkur heavily. He explained to Aynurakkur that he was an important god of mountains who should be worshipped more carefully than any other god. He also brought a mugwort and gave it to Aynurakkur saying that such an ordinary thing hand-made by humans can serve as a spear or sword and become the protective god of humans.

紀要論文

Version of Record

2185-7121

AA12516968