476 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1890. 



error to suppose that the Aiuos regard the bear as a god in the same 

 sense as they do the God of Fire, for example, or any of their other 

 numerous deities. The bear is called Kimui; Kamui-Kamui is an Aino 

 word having about the same meaning as the Japanese Kami, and per- 

 haps is derived from it. But the same word is used as an honorable 

 appellation for foreign visitors, upon whom we can not possibly believe 

 they would confer the attributes of a deity. 



The Ainos have good reason to respect the bear. It is a most valuable 

 animal, affording them food and clothing and a medicine, the bear-gall, 

 which is greatly prized. On the other hand, it can do them great injury, 

 as when it destructively enters their dwellings and kills their domestic 

 animals. Therefore it is natural that they should seek to propitiate 

 the bear, to confer upon him a title of great honor, and that they should 

 consider an atonement necessary for putting him to death. They place 

 the skull of the dead bear on the sacred hedge, the nusha Icamiti, 

 which is found on the east side of every house, whore it is held sacred 

 and honored as a representative of the gods under the name Kamui 

 marapto. The nusha Jcamui, god's fence, or sacred hedge, (PL cxn) 

 is where the various gods are worshiped, except the God of Fire and 

 the house-god, to which offerings are made at certain places within the 

 house. The bear feast is named iomante. This ceremony, as well as the 

 preliminary feeding and rearing of a young bear, has also the motive 

 of an atonement to the whole bear tribe for the killing of its brothers 

 and sisters. 



At the end of winter a young bear is caught, placed in a cage (PI. 

 cxiii), and reared in the village. At first it is suckled by the wife of 

 the captor, afterwards fed with fish. The bear festival usually takes 

 place iu September or October, by which time the young bear has grown 

 so large and strong as to threaten to break the cage. The Aiuos first 

 endeavor to exculpate themselves before the gods for what they are 

 about to undertake. Having rendered the bear every favor possible, 

 they can no longer keep him iu captivity; therefore it is necessary to 

 kill him. 



The man who gives the feast, assumes the expense thereof and in- 

 vites his relatives and friends. Such a festival is, considering the pov- 

 erty of the Ainos, very expensive, for enormous quantities of sake" are 

 consumed. Hence it is considered a great honor to give a bear feast. 

 At the present time the bear feasts are becoming more and more in- 

 frequent. On the east coast, so far as I traveled (from Tomakomai to 

 Volcano Bay), no bear feast had been held for several years. The same 

 remark applies to the district around Mori, on Volcano Bay. I have 

 generally seen caged bears only on the road from Urap to Oshamambe. 

 In this region I found the Ainos least affected by culture. Here, in the 

 small village of Kunnai, I spent the day, which will be the subject 

 of the following description : 



On the 10th of August of this year, about noon, I arrived at Kunnai, 



