Materials-Ucaskoma-9-11

(Once upon a time there) was a village. There bi this village, the men (of the village) are people that have
from olden time an Empty-House-Devil (in their houses). When the people was away, (he) lived (in their house) making ? fire. From the village... when in spring the masters of the house went away to the place (where they) catch fish, after (that) there came a boat from another village. To that village this boat arrived (1 - 6).
The smoke was rising from the chimney-hole of that empty house. The steersman said: "Let us land and enquire. It is evident (that) the people of the village have now gone to (their) fishing-place; there is a person who is left, because smoke rises from the house". Thus spoke the steersman. Therefore the boat landed, the steersman having landed and stood, holding (in his hand) the cord to moor the boat (7 -12). By the side of the stern (one of) the rowers landed, (and) went up (the shore), dressed in a robe of Manchurian cut, Having gone to the house, (he) entered (it). When (he) opened the door and looked in, there was a very little fire burning upon the hearth. At the same time a noise was (heard). When (he) looked in. (he saw) a man clad in a poor garment of
fish-skins, (his) face was all hair, - his hands were all hair. This... man, or what? stood at the side of the hearth (13-18).
Nevertheless the man, (who) opened the door, said: "Are (you) a man?" This devil said: "Yes (I) am a man", so said (hej. Therefore this man thought so: "that is probably an Empty-House-Devil". This man went out again. Having shut the door (he) ran. Being outside, after (he) went out. there was the noise of a man coming after. Having turned (round) for a moment and having looked, (he saw) that (he) was pursued by Empty-House-Devil (19 - 24).
Therefore being afraid (he) ran. The man cried out (to bis) companions; "Empty-House-Devil pursues me! Run away!" so said (and) (he) very swiftly ran. (He) was pursued by thisErapty-Bouse-Devil, (who) almost slashed (his) back with a sword (he had), almost touching his back (he) pursued (him). When the people remaining in the boat had seen, the steersman.
having rolled up in a coil the cord io moor the boat, leaped into it (-2b-30).
Those rowers once (or) twice pulled a stroke. The boat went seawards two fathoms length. Empty-House-Devil then ???? to the beach. This man (who was) fleeing having leaped, fell with hands stretched forwards upon the lading of the boat, near the stern. Empty House-Devil, having leaped after, fell into the water. (He) entered it (and) disappeared. Thereupon the boat setting out went far into the sea across the bay (31-37).
Until (they) came to the open sea, the man (who had been) pursued by Empty-House-Devil (kept) calling out: "Empty-House-Devil!" (He) laughed very (much), yet (still) repeated: "Empty-House Devil! Empty-House-Devil!" so said be. (The other people) admired that very (much) (38-41).
If a bad man had been (so) near Empty-House-Devil, it could not had ended so well. Such (is) the tradition about Bmpty-House-Devil. Although it is an old tradition, still it is told also by people who live now (42-45).

   The man who dictated this   legend   to   me   was   one of the most popular story-tellers on the North-East shore, beings killed in telling both common legends and heroic tales. I travelled twice with him alongshore; once in spring,   by eanoe. once in winter, by sledge. I noticed how. wherever we stopped, the village people were eager to hear him tell them some tale. But he was a man of a very nervous temperament; the slow process of dictation was, I could see, irksome to him; and I fear that this has interfered with his talent and somewhat injured certain of his narratives

1. nevan = nеаn, 'this'.
2. ohaćisuje, see 5. 34.
3. pajkara, 'the spring'; comp. of: pа, 'a year' + ikаrа, 'to do'. The Ainus count the winter and the summer months each for a year, spring beginning the and autumn the other.
4. ćex e kotan, 'the village where (people) eat fish'. The Ainus were till lately very ready to change their dwellings, and (mostly in the summer season) sought out a place where fish were abundant. The place where the Ainus live only in; the fishing season has the above name.
7. pā, 'the smoke'. Cf. 3.
8. ipiśanaxćiro, 'let us ask them'; 1 pers. plur. imp. of the verb piśi, 'to ask, to enquire'.
9. ohaćirumpe, 'a person remaining at home'; literally means, 'a remaining at home thing (pе)'; see 4. 6.
12. ćipokoxtuś, 'a cord to attach a boat'; has for roots ćip, 'the boat' and tuś, 'a cord'; koх, 'to attach'.
13. earapox korope, 'the dress according to the fashion of the northern neighbouring tribes', literally, 'a thing under from one side'. The Ainus generally follow the southern (i. e. Japanese) fashion of a robe closed (by crossing the margins) rather low on the chest; the northern tribes follow the Manchurian custom (no doubt necessitated by the cold) of closing the robe as high as possible, one side extending much further, and over the other.
15. pōn, очень маленький. Cf. 3. 17.
jakuś = ea kusu. See 5. 10.
16. kaja, 'a dress of fish-skins'. The Ainus of Saghalien borrowed the custom of making- such dresses from the tribes of the Amur river and gave them the name of kaja, (a sail), because formerly only sails were made of fish-skins.
19. ā, a particle usually placed   at the   end   of interrogative sentences.
20. ē, the women and children often say еē.
21. nanko = nankorо, 'probably, perhaps'.
24. annośpа, 'was followed'; passive of nośpа.
30. śajе-śaje-kanе, 'rolling up in a coil'; contains the root śaj. 'a round, a circle'.
31. vaxka joxtе, 'hooked the water' with the oars.
32. tem, 'length of the arms stretched out', is a measure of length amongst the Ainus.
33. pećar, see 1. 176.
34. muḱe, 'with hands stretched forwards'; the root is mu, 'to creep, to climb'.
35. jaraḱepokhi nekane ahun, 'as under the arm-pit, entered the water'. This is a locution signifying disappearance: the Ainus are used to hide things under their   arm-pits. see 5. 11.
39. jhaćisujep = ohaćisujе.

(There) was also a village; (it) was also a village with an Empty-House-Devil. The people ot that house lived in winter in a special winter village within the forest. (But) in summer (this) house was empty. In this house there lived an Empty-House-Devil. (One day there) were two sledges (carrying two men), sledges coming from the forest, (they) went
together from a winter village to summer houses. In another village were the people who carried; two sledg-es were (1-6).
Then those sledge (driving people) returned, (they) had a great load. Not (yet) arriving in that village, it was (already) dark. Losing (their) way, they came to the court of that house. (When) the leading sledge (was) beyond the house, the following sledge being a little farther from the doorway, (there) was (beard) the noise of a man going out of the house. When (they) looked, a man or what? or devii... came out (7-12).
(He) seized the arched end of the second sledge and brought (it) to a standstill. Although the man cried out to the dogs, (and) those dogs stretching out their necks pulied, the sledge could not move at all. The devil brought the sledge to a complete standstill. Therefore the following man cried towards the leading sledge: "the old woman of the hut. or the old man of the hut, wishing to force (me) to pay him a visit, has now made me quite motionless (13 19).
o'What can I do. perhaps I shall not go (on). Thus being
I will pay a visit (here)", so .said (he). The man in front answered: ':as for me, I shall not pay a visit, thou alone, if thou likest to enter, go in visiting, all right". Having said so, (be) went on (his way); to tell about the, danger did (be) go (20 - 25).
Thereupon the following man said to that devil: "Well, because thou wishest to force me. to pay thee a visit, thou hast done this, entering quickly, thou wilt perhaps kindle a fire; afterwards I (also) shall enter"; so said (he). The devil went in. That man ctied out to the leading dog, directed (it) towards the wooden rail (to which) dogs (are tied up and) having got up. (he) attached the sledge; after (this he) opened the door (and) entered (the house). At the same time the devil killed this man. Thereupon (he) went out and killed the two first dogs (26-32).

Now the man in front having arrived at the Ainu village was surrounded by the people wishing to hear the news, and told them (about) the incident. Therefore those men went to see. When they went down to the summer houses, (they) saw that the man had been evidently (already) killed long ago. After (they saw that) all the dogs were quite dead. Then they saw that only the latter part of the harnessed dogs (remained alive) (33-37).

When spring was near the people reflected: "if the devil - things being so - keeps slaying (men) till the end of angry ?". Therefore the world, will not the (dead) men be (they) sought for mighty Shamans: three, Shamans. The masters of the house, including the children, all were taken out The Shamans (only), the three Shamans were in that house. After (this they) asked for two brave men, stout-hearted men to warm the drum (38- 44).

Inside (the house) to the right was an old Shaman, a great Shaman. In the background (also) was a Shaman. To the left was a little Shaman, a young Shaman. Between the three Shamans (they) seated common folk. Although (they) were in a strange place, they (did not wish) darna.ge, and laid the firewood along the back-wall. The devil was on the right side of the hut near the corner. The devil was quite to be seen. (45 - 50).

Having felt the spirits ol the Shamans, (he) drew together (lots of) diiFerent rubbish and put (it) over himself; like great clouds of sand (in a storm) he put (it) over himself. Now the sun went down. (There) were prepared the sacred things of the Shamans. Around the seats (they had) made several little fires of fir-boughs. When the drum (in the hands of the Shamans) sounded loud, (they) put out the fires. Thereupon those three Shamans made their performance. The devil imitating (them) also cried out as a Shaman, (and) put over himself different rubbish. Taking some shoes in tatters (he) struck them together (51 - 57)

When the three Shamans continued their performance, the gods (helping the Shamans) came together, and (there) resounded above the house as it were a noise of wind. And after that, through the smoke-hole (there) entered a god (-sent) arrow. (It) whistled, (the gods) were shooting at that devil. When the people looked, (he) clapped before him with the shoes in tatters (and) kept (it) back. That (god-sent) arrow came against him. and he stopped (it). When the people looked, the arrow (sent by) the gods had stuck in those tattered shoes (58-64).

Thereupon that devil's laughing voice was (heard) thus: "ibahaha-hahai, shoot the tattered shoes, ihahaha-hahai!". (he) laughed very (much). Again the Shamans were very angry. Again they earnestly continued the Shaman performance. Again (there) entered by the hole (above the hearth) a god (-sent) arrow with a whistling (sound). When the people looked: in a wooden bowl broken in halves (which he) held clappini before himself - - (he clapped) towards the arrow (sent by) the gods - - this god (-sent) arrow shot, hit the one half oof the wooden bowl: (and there) the go:d (-sent) arrow stuck (65-71).

Thereupon that devil's laughing voice was (heard) thus: "ihahaha! they have hit a broken wooden bowl! ihahaha!" lie laughed very (much). Sleepless sat the people. Again a god (-sent) arrow entered. That devil held (two) fragments of a birch-bark-vessel, clapping (them) before him in the direction of the god (-sent) arrow. That god (-sent) arrow came against the birch-bark fragments, and that god (-sent) arrow stuck in the birch-bark fragments (72-77).

That devil laughed: "ihahaiia, birch-bark-fragments have been hit; ihahahahai!" (be) laughed very (much). Thereafter - a little time after, he covered himself (with) the most various pieces of rubbish. The (glare) of his eyes was inside the hut like bits of (glowing) charcoal. Thereafter, just at midnight, the great Shaman's gods -- one shaman's (only) --were angered, and (he) could no longer perform the Shaman rites. Now at last, in the face of the little Shaman, (did) the blood (mantle) almost coining forth, (so) angered was he (78 - 84).

The little Shaman alone performed (the rites) with energy. At last the little Shaman invoked the (helping) gods, (and) having risen, (he) performed the Shaman rites. (He) struck on the dram with a little wooden drumstick, covered with hairy (leather). As the people were looking on, from this wooden drumstick, (from) the end (thereof) (there) came out a snake. That snake fell down. After, (he) took that snake, and struck with it on the drum. That snake uttered a voice: piss; so made (it). Opening its mouth, (it) uttered a voice (85-91).

Thereupon the eyes of that devil protruded and (they) stared without blinking, very ataringly. Thereafter, through the hole (in the roof there) entered a pod (-sent) sword, fell on the neck of that devil (and) cut his neck through. (His) head rolled about, again it rose. At the same time through the (house) hole (there) entered a god (-sent) arrow. The arrow stuck in the upper part of the (body), the body quivered all (over). The body of that devil disappeared in the earth, (there) was to be seen only the trace ot the place (by which he entered it) (92 - 99).

After at day-break (they) called all the people (owners) of the house and showed (it them, there) was only blood flowing along the sleeping bench like a little stream, (but) the body was not (there). Thereupon (the owners) gave the two Shamans in payment just the fine for the two poor men slain. To the Shaman, whose gods (his patrons) had been angered, (they) gave the usual payment of a Shaman's performance. Thanks to that, the people (will be able) to live without trouble till the end of the world. If (it) were not (for) those two Shamans, (and) if that devil had lived till the end of the world, would (they) not have had (continual) trouble? (99-107).

1. Rama, The narrator began the tradition with that word, because he told it after another tale that had a similar content (see N. 9).
3. rija, 'to winter'. The same word has the same meaning in Ghilyak.
sakitа, 'in the summer'; derived from sах = sаk.
5. nusu, usually nusо, see 5. 42.
6. ikusa utarа, 'the people who carry (on sledges)'; also it means 'the ferrymen', and that seems to be the earlier meaning, because kus means 'to pass over a river'. Earlier, because the Ainus of the south do not use dog-sledges, boats are their only means of conveyance.
7. nerох, is the pl. of nеа, 'this. that'.
vеm = vеn, (bad) prefixed to other adjectives, means 'very'.
8. ośirikokunne, see 1. 315.
9. śiśturuś = śiśturajnu, see 6. 2.
utа, contr. from utarа.
makах, 3^rd pers. pl. of makan, Cf. 1. 104.
10. iśаох = isjох, see 5. 41.
13. horoka mujephi, literally: 'turned backwards (and) attached things'. This is the name of the wooden arches, about 30 inches in length, which are secured to the front and the back parts of Ainu dog-sledges.
15. ukoxheturiri, 'stretched out their necks'; comp. of: uk = uko, see 1. 39 + ох, 'a neck', + he, к + turi, 'towards' + ri.
ośirо, 'remained in place'; comp. of о, a particle used before nouns of place, + śir, 'a place', + о, 'to be in'.
18. iśikojantoneka, 'to force him to enter his house as a guest'; comp. of: i, 'him', + śi, 'himself', + kо, 'to', + jantone or jantoni or janteni, 'to be on a visit' + kа, 'to do'.
19. jośiroxka, 'retained him in place'; see 15 (in text).
24. asurane, 'to tell about a misfortune or accident', or 'to make known'.
28. eahunuvа, 'go into (the house)'; comp. of: е, sign. of 2^nd pers. + ahun, 'to enter' + uva or vа, uа, sign of the sing. imperative.
30. śetakoxni, 'a rail or horisontal pole to which dogs are tied'.
32. ukoiśjox, 'both the two first leading' (dogs); ukо, see 1. 39.
33. ankas oćasaxći, 'was surrounded by the people wishing to know news from him'; ikoćas utarа, 'the people gathering to see the newcomer'. The word seems derived from ćas. 'to run'. It is a special form of the passive.
36. eso oćisara, 'was killed'. The narrator told me this should be rendered as above. It consists of the fundamental elements, ćiś, 'to weep', + arа, 'to cause', śeoćiśara, 'to kill', see below, 39 (in text).
37. nuso pajśerе, 'the hind dogs'; see 5. 42 и 5. 49.
40. ehaukomо, 'to be angry'; according to the Ainu narrator.
tusuku, 'a Shaman'; comp. of: tusu, see 3. 5 + ku, 'a person'.
42. onnenо, 'including', from onnе, 'in, into'.
43. mankа, 'brave'; a word only used in the North; taken from the Ghilyak language: manhland.
samb́e korо, literally 'having a heart', and meaning 'bold, daring'.
tах, 'to go to search'.
kaćо, 'the drum of a Shaman'; this word, like all those expressing Shaman rites, conies from the Ghilyaks: kaś in their language.
44. śeśexkа-kuntarа, 'the people that warm'; comp. of: śeśeх or śeśe, 'warm' + kа; kuntarа is contr. from кун, changing the verb into a participle; and utarа. Before any Shaman séance, a drum made of leather stretched tight over a hoop is always warmed before the fire, in order to make it sound better. This is to be done by the ministrants who aid the Shamans in all their séances.
47. jaj ajn utara, 'common people'; as opposed to the Shamans and the brave people, first selected. Cf. 5. 1.
tojupun, 'a whirlwind of sand'; comp. of: tоj, 'the earth' + upun, see 2. 92.
53. ćup ahun, 'the sun went down'; ahun literally means 'entered'. A Shaman seance always takes place after sundown.
tusu kaś kamui, 'the sacred things used by the Shamans', as: the drum, a little cap. an "inau", etc.; kaś contr. from ikaśu, 'to help'; kamui, see 1.83.
54. unźipo, 'a little fire'; for pо, see 3. 4.
аnārexci, instead of аn-uа-rе-xći, see 5. 30.
kaćo jufḱе, 'the loud drums' - understood 'that they struck'; the Shaman begins his performance by slowly striking the drum; by and by his blows become stronger, and then really begins the conversation o the Shaman with his divine 'helpers'.
55. anuśkaxći, '(they) put out'; comp. of: an + uś, 'to go out' + kа + xći. The greater the darkness, the more power the Shaman has.
56. arevojа, 'entirely various'; comp. of: arе = аri, 'quite, entirely', + vojа, 'different'.
kopunźi, 'rubbish taken from the hearth'; (cf. komun, 5. 30). Derived from kо + unźi. As for p, I think it without etymological value.
57. arusа, 'entirely different'; comp. of: ar = аri + usа.
utontarе, хлопал ими; comp. of: u + ton = tom, see 3. 23. + tа, ударять + rе.
59. nā instead of nеа.
62. utojstajkireе instead of utonstajkireе, Cf. 57.
69. nipapo or nipopо, 'a wooden bowl'.
78. śixḱeu, or śisḱeu, 'a corner'.
usaxtах, 'bits of charcoal'; comp. of: usах, 'charcoal' + tах, 'a bit'.
82. kamui ох, 'the god was angered', and would not help the Shaman. The narrator explained to me that there was too much dust in the hut, and that was the cause which offended the Shaman's spirits, who made him unable to continue his performance ox – a special word for divine wrath.
оrovakа = оrovа, 'from'.
83–84. ḱem aśin kusu karа, 'the blood was near coming out', i. e., his face was so red that the blood seemed about to come through the skin.
85. jokiraśnokа, expressing enthusiastic frenzy.
86. śikohuki, 'to call to himself, to invoke', comp. of: śi + kо + huki.
87–88. rexni or texni, 'a drumstick'; comp. of: tех or tеk, 'a hand' + ni, 'a wood'.
92. śiśnum, 'the eyeball'; comp. of: śiś, 'an eye' + num, 'a ball'.
93. inkararaj, 'to look hard'. A similar form is nukararaj.
95. kojajetesu, 'rose'; comp. of: kо + jаj + hetusu, 'to rise'.
102. ḱevatajheе, 'a fine paid for killing a human being'; comp. of: ḱev = ḱeu, 'a dead body', + аtaj, 'the price' + he. The fine paid for a poor person, was not so high as that paid for a rich one. It consisted in articles of considerable value; as swords, silk robes, lacquered vessels.