Page 258 - Небесные спутники айнов. Осипова М. В., Мамчева Н. А.

Summary

The heavenly companions

of the Ainu

Introduction
The bird images are the famous and important symbols in the most cultures of the people. They are
the integral part of the people’s life. The images of the birds can be seen in the myths, legends, tales
music and dances of the Ainu. They belong to the mythological images rooted in the antiquity, but
at the same time they remain familiar to every person on Earth. Such images may have the positive
and negative connotations. The bird can be a deity, an ancestor, a demiurge, a trickster, as well as
shaman’s assistant, cultural hero, fortuneteller, etc. The contents of this book will help to carry out
the comparative analysis of the similar religious phenomenon that existed among the indigenous
peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East.

Section I. Birds in the socio-cultural

and mythological space of the Ainu
and the Far Eastern indigenous peoples

The bird images play an important role in the religious views and mythology of many peoples of
the Earth. The origin of these views is in the totemic ideas of the primitive person. The people
performed certain rituals in honor of the revered birds as part of the “bird cult”, which purpose was
the magical actions aimed at harmonizing the human relations with the surrounding world.
The images of birds with the human traits appeared in legends and tales, songs and dances. The
names of many geographical objects, places of residence or fishing grounds associated with the
presence of the birds are vivid confirmation of the veneration of these representatives of the wild life.
The presence of birds in the life of the Ainu was multifunctional. They performed utilitarian, aesthetic,
hedonistic, and even sociocultural functions. The birds play an important role in shamanic rituals as
well. The man was amazed by the birds’ inherent abilities. No one can fly like these creatures. They
can float in the air for many hours and fly at different heights. This ability gives the opportunity to
regard the birds as intermediaries between deities and people. The migration of the birds was the
subject of human admiration. Many birds have a loud, clear, and almost a pleasant voice. They are
able to decoy or call other birds, express joy or anxiety, call for help and warn of danger with their
voice. Sometimes the sounds of the birds’ voice remind the human voice and speech. One of the most
important functions of birds, connected with their ability to fly, is their assistance to the shaman as a
helper-spirits. The birds were not only helper-spirits, but also progenitors of the shaman.
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