Ainu Rituals

The Ainu culture is very rich in rituals, partially due to the fact that the Ainu people used to put a lot of emphasis on the religious aspect, notably “animism”. Animism is a religious movement that believes that every living creature, including plants, and every natural element possess an immortal soul.

In order to thank to gods, but also to send back the souls of the different gods – Kamuy in the Ainu language – to the godly realm so that they can reincarnate again, people used to organize animal-sacrificing rituals. The most “popular” or known sacrificing ritual was the ‘Iomante’, also written as ‘Iyomate’. The popularity of this one even caused the Ainu people to get called the “Cult of the Bear”.

Praying to Kamuy

Aside from the ‘Iomante’, praying also formed a big part in the Ainu religion. Praying to the gods was something that was done on a daily basis. People used to pray for various occasions, like a request, or to thank the gods, or even for the safety of the community as a whole. In order to perform a prayer, people needed utensils.

Most of the time, people would use a sacred stick, made out of willow or giant dogwood tree. It could be used as an offering, but it was also used to protect houses and exorcize evil Kamuy.

When people wanted to offer liquids to the gods, they would use a spatula-like stick. The tip would be dipped into a liquor, and droplets would be sprinkled on the fire – lit just for the gods - and sacred stick.¹

The bowls and spatula’s they used for the prayers were often lacquered, and different from their daily life utensils.

Kamuy Yukar are traditional Ainu prayers, songs, and chants that are performed during various rituals and ceremonies. They serve as a means of connecting with the divine and expressing reverence for nature and the spiritual world.

Next to the ‘Iomante’ ritual, Ainu people used to perform lots of other rituals and prayers. Here a few examples:

Salmon welcoming prayer

Ainu people would pray for good catch of salmon at the beginning of the fishing season, and would offer their gratitude at the end of the season.²

Ward off Epidemic Kamuy

If an epidemic was near, or already rampant, people usually would pray that the Epidemic Kamuy stays away, and would hang herbs with a strong odor at the entrance of a garden, doors and windows.³

Ancestor

It was usual to pray for their ancestors. At that time, they would first lit a fire and pray to the Fire Kamuy, and would throw crushed and broken snacks and fruits into the fire, so that it could go to the posthumous world where their ancestor were staying.⁴

Iomante-Ritual

Often organized during the winter, the ‘Iomante’ – often called the bear-sacrificing ritual – had for goal to help bring back the soul of the most powerful god back to the godly realm. This would give the possibility to the god to reincarnate as a bear again. Ainu people did this in order to thank the god for providing food and coat, which was very essential for their survival.

It is usually tough to find berries and whatnot to eat during the winter, so Ainu people often resorted to hunting, especially bears. They would place a trap in front of a cave, and wait until the bear got trapped, killing it afterwards. If there was a cub as well, the people would bring it back to the village, and then raising it like it was their own. Mothers even provided their own breastmilk to the cubs. When the cub grew, they would give it luxurious food as it was a “god”.⁵

After the cub became an adult bear, it would be ready for the ‘Iomante’. The bear would be brought to the sacrificing place, while everyone dances and sings. Men would place the head between to logs, and then kill the bear by suffocating it. The head would be cut off and placed on a spear where everyone would continue celebrating. The rest of the body would be used for its flesh and coat.⁶

Rituals and prayers in ‘Golden Kamuy’

‘Golden Kamuy’ is one of the only manga’s that include a lot of elements from the Ainu culture and religion. It also is one of the only manga’s to depict those elements very well. We thus wanted to compare both real ‘Iomante’ and the ‘Iomante’ in the manga.

As the writers clearly were very meticulous in order for them to be close to the ‘real’ ritual, they did indeed really depict it as it really was. The manga doesn’t really have one particular scene that only revolves around the ‘Iomante’, it was more widespread around the different seasons, as they celebrated it multiple times.

Iomante Ritual

Asipra, one of the protagonists and Ainu girl, explains to another protagonist – but also to the audience – what is happening. The whole ritual was clearly explained, and is, compared to reality, pretty accurate. We did notice a small ‘difference’, if we may call it that way. It was never explained nor mentioned how the bear would be sacrificed, nor was it showed. Of course, the (target) audience of the manga is mostly young people, so it is pretty justified from the writers to not include that part into the manga, as it would be very graphic, and, especially if it has to be sold all around the country, and even overseas.

Of course, this is not the only ritual to be shown in the manga. A lot of smaller ones were included as well, for example saying “Hinna Hinna” as they eat to show appreciation for the food, or “Citatap” while mincing meat.

Kamuy Yukar

In Golden Kamuy, the Kamuy Yukar are depicted as sacred songs or chants sung by Ainu characters to communicate with the gods or spirits and seek their blessings, which is pretty accurate.

In overall, the ritual aspect of the Ainu culture is depicted pretty accurately in the manga. It is indeed not easy to write a story about a population whose culture was not well preserved and is disappearing slowly, and especially with the lack of sources, which would also be very accurate. However, like any fictional representation of real-life cultures, there are both instances of accurate portrayal and some misrepresentations.

Good and / accurate Representation

"Golden Kamuy" incorporates a lot of words from the Ainu language, lots of cultural practices and beliefs into its story, showcasing aspects of Ainu culture such as tattooing, clothing, hunting techniques, and food. It pays attention to detail in depicting Ainu villages, landscapes, and environments, providing a rich backdrop that reflects the cultural context of the Ainu people.

The manga also gives a respectful depiction of Ainu characters, portraying Ainu characters with depth and complexity, giving them agency, personalities, and individual storylines rather than reducing them to stereotypes.

Misrepresentation

Although the manga generally avoids outright stereotypes, some characters may still fall into clichéd roles or tropes commonly seen in fiction, potentially oversimplifying the diversity within the Ainu community.

While it attempts to incorporate Ainu rituals and traditions, there may be inaccuracies or fictionalized elements in how these are depicted for the sake of the story or dramatic effect. As with any fictional work, it provides a specific perspective on Ainu culture through the lens of its story and characters, which may not fully capture the complexity and diversity of Ainu society.

Overall, while "Golden Kamuy" makes an effort to represent Ainu culture respectfully, it's essential to approach any fictional depiction with a critical eye and recognize that it may not always align perfectly with the realities of Ainu life and traditions

References

Afbeelding 1 : https://www.akarenga-h.jp/en/hokkaido/ainu/a-03/

Afbeelding 2 : https://www.akarenga-h.jp/en/hokkaido/ainu/a-03/

Afbeelding 4 : https://www.akarenga-h.jp/en/hokkaido/ainu/a-03/

Afbeelding 5 : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iomante

Afbeelding 6 : https://discoverjapannow.wordpress.com/tag/iomante/

Afbeelding 7 : https://mangafire.to/manga/golden-kamuy2.xvp23

Afbeelding 8 : https://www.reddit.com/r/HistoryPorn/comments/tt55s6/meeting_of_ainu_people_indigenous_people_from/?rdt=58079

Afbeelding 9 : https://mangafire.to/manga/golden-kamuy2.xvp23