Mythologis
The Ainu Mythology Book: The Kamuy, the Bear Spirit, and the Sacred World of Hokkaido

Ainu Mythology

The Ainu Mythology Book: The Kamuy, the Bear Spirit, and the Sacred World of Hokkaido

The Kamuy, the Bear Spirit, and Hokkaido

The beliefs of the indigenous people of northern Japan: a world where everything (fire, water, owl, and bear) is a kamuy, a god wearing a disguise, who visits the human world as a guest and must be sent home with honor. Preserved in the great epic songs, the yukar.

150 pagesPDFEnglishMythologis Library

$14.99

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Inside this book

What you will read

  • 11 chapters, primary sources
  • Instant PDF download
  • Original ink illustrations
  • Inline citations to the yukar and field records
  • Designed for print quality
See all chapters  +
  1. 01The People the World Almost Forgot
  2. 02The Kamuy: Gods in Disguise
  3. 03Kamuy Huci, the Goddess of the Hearth Fire
  4. 04Kim-un Kamuy, the Bear God of the Mountains
  5. 05The Iyomante: Sending the Bear Spirit Home
  6. 06The Owl God and the Guardians of the Village
  7. 07The Repun Kamuy and the Gods of the Sea
  8. 08Aynurakkur: The Culture Hero
  9. 09The Yukar: The Great Epic Songs
  10. 10The Demons, the Sickness, and the Inau Offerings
  11. 11A Faith Almost Erased, and Its Return

About this book

About this Ainu mythology guide

The beliefs of the indigenous people of northern Japan: a world where the bear, the fire, and the owl are gods in disguise, preserved in the great epic songs.

The Ainu, the indigenous people of Hokkaido and the northern islands, see a world thick with gods. The fire on the hearth is a goddess. The owl that guards the village is a god. And the bear is the mountain god himself, who has put on a bear's body and come down to the human world as an honored guest, bringing the gift of meat and fur, and who must, in the great ceremony of the Iyomante, be sent reverently home. To be a kamuy is simply to wear a disguise.

This book opens that world. Eleven chapters cover the nature of the kamuy, the hearth goddess, the bear god and the Iyomante, the owl guardian and the sea gods, the culture hero who taught the Ainu to live, and the yukar, the long epic songs that carried the whole religion. The last chapter follows the Ainu through near-erasure to revival. Every chapter cites its sources.

Delivered as a print-quality PDF within 24 hours of purchase.

What you will discover inside

  • The kamuy: gods who wear the bodies of bears, owls, and fire as a disguise
  • Why the bear is honored, then sent home with reverence in the Iyomante
  • Kamuy Huci, the goddess of the hearth, who never leaves the house
  • The yukar, the great epic songs that carried the faith for centuries
  • Aynurakkur, the culture hero who taught the Ainu how to live
  • How a religion almost erased by Japan is being spoken again

Ainu mythology book at a glance

TraditionAinu mythology
Chapters11 chapters
Length150 pages
SourcesDrawn from the primary sources, cited inline
Reading levelBeginner-friendly. Every name and place is explained from scratch
FormatPrint-quality PDF
DeliveryPDF within 24 hours

Formats and editions

EditionWhat you getPrice
Instant PDFPrint-quality download, readable on any device. PDF within 24 hours.$7.99
PaperbackA paperback edition is on the way. Sign up on this page to hear when it lands on Amazon.Coming soon

About the author

Guillaume Henry, founder of Mythologis

Guillaume Henry

Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Mythologis

Guillaume Henry founded Mythologis to make the world's mythologies readable without losing what makes them strange. Every Mythologis book draws on the primary sources first, cross-references multiple translations, and avoids inventing details that aren't in the originals.

More about the author

Keep exploring Ainu mythology

Prefer to read before you buy? These free, fully sourced guides cover the same gods, myths and sources you will meet in the book.

Read the complete Ainu mythology guide

Questions about the Ainu mythology book

When will I receive my PDF?

Within 24 hours of purchase. Your download link arrives in your inbox automatically.

Is this book respectful of the Ainu, an indigenous people?

Yes. The Ainu are a living indigenous people who were long suppressed by the Japanese state and recognized only recently. The book treats their beliefs with respect, relies on records the Ainu themselves helped create, and is honest about the history of erasure and the ongoing revival.

Is this book based on primary sources?

Yes. It draws on the Ainu yukar (epic songs), Yukie Chiri’s landmark Ainu Shin’yōshū (Collection of Ainu Divine Songs), and the field records of John Batchelor and Bronisław Piłsudski, with references to the standard editions.

How long is the book?

Eleven chapters, around 150 pages depending on the final layout. Designed to be read in evenings or in one long sitting.

Is this book for beginners or specialists?

Beginners welcome. The book explains every name, place, and concept from scratch. Specialists will find the source citations useful for further reading.

Will there be a paperback on Amazon?

The PDF is available immediately. A KDP paperback edition follows once the book has been validated by readers.

What formats is this book available in?

Every title is available as an instant PDF, downloaded the moment you buy it: the link appears on the confirmation page and lands in your inbox. Selected titles also have a paperback edition on Amazon. Where the paperback is not out yet, you can sign up to be notified the day it does.

What is the return policy?

The PDF is delivered instantly by Mythologis. If a download ever fails or a file looks wrong, get in touch and we will make it right. Paperbacks bought on Amazon are handled under Amazon's own returns and refund policy.

Can I order from outside the United States?

Yes. The PDF is a digital download, so it works instantly anywhere in the world, with nothing to ship. Where a paperback edition exists, it is sold across Amazon's international marketplaces, with shipping rates and delivery times depending on your country.

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