Aino Folk-Tales

"Aino Folk-Tales" by Basil Hall Chamberlain is a collection of traditional folk tales from the Ainu people, written in the late 19th century. This work not only presents these stories but also provides insights into the culture, beliefs, and worldview of the Aino, an indigenous group in Japan. It follows various mythic characters, animals, and gods, revealing themes of morality, nature, and the supernatural woven through their narratives. At the start of the collection, Chamberlain sets the stage by introducing the Ainos and their historical context, drawing attention to their unique traits and the gradual encroachment of Japanese culture. He then shares some brief narratives, including folktales that explain natural phenomena, illustrate moral lessons, and provide whimsical accounts of human-animal interactions. Stories about the origins of various animals, how certain natural features came to be, and moral tales like “The Kind Giver and the Grudging Giver” explore the Aino perspective on society and nature, emphasizing interpersonal relationships and moral choices. Through these tales, readers gain a deeper appreciation of Aino folklore and its significance in understanding this fascinating culture. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Basil Hall Chamberlain was a British academic and Japanologist. He was a professor of the Japanese language at Tokyo Imperial University and one of the foremost British Japanologists active in Japan during the late 19th century. He also wrote some of the earliest translations of haiku into English. He is perhaps best remembered for his informal and popular one-volume encyclopedia Things Japanese, which first appeared in 1890 and which he revised several times thereafter. His interests were diverse, and his works include an anthology of poetry in French.