The Plot and Motif Composition of Ainu and Nivkhi ‘Bear’ Mythology: Their Universal and Local Features

This article examines the plot and motif composition of ‘bear’ folklore texts among the indigenous peoples of the Pacific coast–the Ainu and the Nivkhi–in the context of their bear cult, known in ethnography as the “bear festival of the Amur-Sakhalin type.” Both domestic and foreign scientific literature have made a few attempts to systematize the plots of such texts, and a thorough analysis has not yet been conducted. The author presents various perspectives and defines the genres of oral folklore samples of the Ainu and Nivkhi to which ‘bear’ texts belong. For the first time in domestic ethnographic studies, using typological, cultural-historical, and comparative ethnographic methods, as well as comparative analysis, a comprehensive contextual study of ‘bear’ myths and tales published in Russian, Japanese, and English has been carried out, and ‘wandering plots’ of ‘bear’ texts in the folklore of the Ainu and Nivkhi peoples are identified. Using S. Thompson’s index of folklore motifs, the author identified and systematized universal motifs and plots of Ainu and Nivkhi’ bear’ epic works, shaped by the proximity of their territories, shared economic types, close ethnic contacts, and common views on the image of the bear. Local motifs and plots specific to a particular territory and ethno-linguistic field were also identified, as well as motifs and plots not included in the index, which demonstrate the uniqueness of each people’s folklore heritage and confirm the national specificity of the works. The percentage ratio of these motifs and plots in the total number of ‘bear’ motifs and plots was determined, with universal plots predominating. However, the untranslated and unpublished corpus of Ainu and Nivkhi’ bear’ texts suggests that further research is possible. The results can serve as material for further comparative analysis of ‘bear’ texts from different genres among the Paleo-Asian peoples of the North Pacific. This analysis, from an ethnographic perspective, will contribute to identifying features of the archaic views of Paleo-Asians not only in the Amur-Sakhalin region but also in Northeast Asia.

Ainu, Nivkhi, ‘bear’ folklore, plot, motif, ‘wandering plot,’ local, universal features