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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



libations of sake) at the time of worsliip. Miss Bird (volume ii, 

 p. 86) gives an illustration of tliem and calls them " Aino gods." 

 I think this is a mistake, just as it would be a mistake to call the 

 images, relics, etc., in a Romish church " gods " in the sense of 

 being possessed of absolute power in themselves. One large inao 

 is always placed at the eastern end of the hut for the sun-god, and 

 many of them are hung all round the inside of the hut ; gener- 

 ally one or more are stuck into the fireplace ; and there is always 

 at least one at every spring of water. At least one will be placed 

 at the head of a man's grave ; and several will be stuck into the 

 ground at the rude wicket on which are impaled the skulls of 

 bears — these animals occupying a somewhat anomalous place in 

 Ainu philosophy ; at one time feared and worshiped, at another 

 killed and eaten. 



Although the Ainu ideas of a future existence are very hazy, 

 yet they consider that the spirits of men are well-disj)osed toward 

 the living, and may be relied upon to bring good fortune to the 

 village and the inhabitants thereof ; hence they have no fear of the 

 spirits of men ; but it is very different with those of old women- 

 They are considered to be very malignant — witches, in fact — who 

 are seeking some means of working mischief. Formerly this 

 prejudice was more deeply rooted than at present, and, in order to 

 prevent the spirits of old women bewitching the place and the 

 people, their houses were burned down as soon as ever the corpse 

 was taken away for burial. This was done in order that the spirit 

 might have no abiding-place, and, while engaged in hunting for 

 its home, would be diverted from its malicious plans. This notion 

 corresponds with the superstitions of barbarous nations in other 

 parts of the world. 



There does not seem to have ever been any superstition con- 

 nected with the fireplace, as to the manner of procuring the flame 

 when first kindling a fire in a new house, nor as to the necessity 

 of always keeping the fire alight to ward off misfortune. Char- 

 coal is not used, and as the wood is generally in small pieces, the 

 fire is easily extinguished, but this does not bring any bad luck. 

 The use of the Japanese hibachi (brazier) and small fire-pots is 

 becoming popular, but this is such a purely exotic custom as not 

 to deserve mention. Formerly the Ainu used the fire-drill, in all 

 essentials similar to that of the Esquimaux of North America ; but 

 for many years matches (at first imported from America and Eu- 

 rope, but now manufactured in enormous quantities in Japan) 

 have been so cheap that even the Ainu can use them. 



The Ainu bear-feast has been so often described, and the 

 prominent features thereof so well portrayed by others, that I will 

 not attempt to do more than mention one or two points which 

 have not, I think, been given already, only repeating that the 



