The Ainu believe that the world rests on the back of a giant trout, that otters caused human beings to be flawed, and that seeing an owl fly across the face of the moon at night is cause for great ...

"Ainu Shinyoshu," or "Collection of Ainu Songs of Gods," compiled by author Chiri Yukie, has recently been translated into dozens of languages. The compilation, first published in 1923, contains ...