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Flying Squirrel
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Ainu Legends
Flying Squirrel
Why
women should eat this animal without knowing they're eating it
"The Flying Squirrel was made by God and sent down to this world. The meaning
of the name At kamui is 'prolific one,' and the reason for this name
being given it is said to be as follows: This bird [sic] is exceedingly
prolific, and the young it bears are very numerous indeed. One bird has been
known sometimes to bear as many as thirty young at once. Therefore it is called
At kamui, i.e., 'the Divine prolific one.'
"When a woman has no children, her husband should go to the mountain and hunt
for one of these birds. Should he be successful in killing one, he should carry
it home secretly. Upon arrival he should cut the flesh up into small pieces,
boil it, and when cooked, carefully place it upon a tray. He should then offer
inao to the head and skin [inao are ceremonial totems made of whittled
willow sticks], and pray thus: 'O thou very prolific one, I have sacrificed
thee for one reason only, and that is, that I may use thy flesh as a medicine
for procuring children. Henceforth please cause my wife to bear me a child.'
"After this prayer has been said, he should take the meat, tell his wife that
it is the flesh of some kind of bird (by no means letting her know that it is a
flying squirrel), and give it her to eat. If this be properly done, the woman
will be certain to bear some very fine children."
Next: Crane
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Photo: Corbis/Joe McDonald
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© | Updated November 2000
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