| NOTA |
(★)(This Ainu-language picture book is a collection of oral traditions handed down to, and in turn related by Nakamoto Mutsuko, an Ainu woman who lives in the city of Chitose, Hokkaido. In the Ainu language, this practice of transmitting folklore rich with practical wisdom is called upaskuma. The word may be translated as ´teachings´ or ´traditions handed down by our ancestors.´ Included in upaskuma are important traditions and personal experiences that the teller wants to be certain to pass on to her or his descendants. Unlike other Ainu oral traditions such as wepeker (folk tales), kamui yukar (songs of the gods) and yukar (epic poems), which are recited before a large circle of listeners, upaskuma were originally handed down to children and grandchildren within individual families. With the introduction of new values from the West, the old way of life became outdated, and upaskuma, by which Ainu tradition was handed down, rapidly went out of fashion. However, the wisdom and the world view of the Ainu preserved in upaskuma hold immense value to us in this day and age, providing guidance in the face of such important current issues as the nature of death, and how to interact with the elderly. The upaskuma collected here were handed down to Nakamoto Mutsuko by her mother and grandmother when she was a child. The place of humans in relation to nature, the use of medicinal herbs, the afterworld, the value of living in this world : within deceptively simple Ainu phrasing resides deep meaning. Upaskuma is an oral tradition through which one can gain an understanding of the Ainu world view from concrete daily activities. The tradition of upaskuma was once on the verge of disappering. This volume, in the form of an Ainu-language picture book, was compiled with the hope of reviving that indispensable wisdom. ◆Ms. Nakamoto Mutsuko was born in 1928 at Rankoshi in Chitose City. Her father was Nakamoto Kohei and her mother was Nakamoto Teru. She also received a lot of Aynu cultural influence from her grand mother Kanapan. In 1975 she started a workshop for reviving Aynu culture and language in her house, encouraging old Aynu men and women. In 1992 she received a Cultural Award from Chitose City.) |
BASE de DATOS, Biblioteca del Centro Cultural de la Embajada de Japon
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