The Ainu did not have a written language until the modern period; therefore, they did not have any written histories. There are various kinds of songs, myths, stories, and knowledge of rituals among Ainu people and all of them have been handed down from generation to generation as part of an oral tradition.
One of the most famous stories for Ainu is “Yukar”, an Ainu epic. It is a full-length, heroic epic about a man who uses magic. Yukar is one of the most representative epics of the Ainu culture, like the Odyssesy of Greek and Roman cultures. The story has undergone some changes among the Ainu people, after many recitiations over several hundred years, but most of story is the same, with some minor name changes.
The origins of the Ainu language are unknown. One theory is that the Ainu language is a derivative from an old Asiatic language, but most linguists disagree with this theory. Presently, the number of native Ainu speakers are decreasing. Instead, most Ainu are speaking Japanese. To avoid losing the Ainu oral tradition, the stories, myths, songs and knowledge are being written down.
Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not claim expertise on the Ainu.
Please send questions, comments, and corrections to emuseum@mnsu.edu and include the URL.
If you are Ainu, your feedback is much appreciated.
Written by Yukihiko Kambe
Sources:
Microsoft Encarta. Encyclopedia 99 Japanese Edition
Asahi Keyword 99 Asahi-Shinbunsha, Chuoku. Tokyo 1999