Product Description
Field recording from 1977 of the 'Iyomante' ceremony, plus commentary. The Iyomante ceremony is at the heart of Ainu spirituality, who believe that living and non-living thing are kamuy (gods visiting the earthly world) and send kamuy back to their world with prayers, gifts and invitations to return. When they hunted and killed adult bears, the Ainu raised the survining cubs for a year or two, and then would hold the Iyomante ceremony to return the souls of the cubs to the gods.