Cani cutting in Japanese

For Ajni, winter was not a personification of death (as Marzanna). It was a time erstwhile ghosts (Kamuy) came down to earth as bears or salmon. Winter was a period of hunting and interacting with gods, not something to be banished.

The Ajans raised a young bear (considered as the god Kim-un Kamuy in hospitality with humans). erstwhile the animal grew up, it was ceremonially killed.

It wasn't "murder," it was "sent a guest home." They believed that they were releasing the spirit so that he could return to the planet of the gods and tell how well he was received.
In both cases, we have a physical object (cuckoo/animal) that must ‘die’ in order for the natural cycle to be preserved and for the gods to favour people in the next season.
While we drown Marzanna in the river, the Ajnews treated the water as the domain of the god Repun Kamuy (the god of the sea, frequently in the form of an orca). Water was a sacred transport way for souls, not a dump for bad charms or winters.

The ritual began at the end of the winter erstwhile the Ajans caught a young bear and locked him in a large cage in his village. They treated him well and fed him. The iyomante ceremony itself was held early in the fall. A bear dressed in robes and jewels was guided throughout the ceremonial arena, where various objects were shown to him (swords, quilts). Many dishes and beverages were prepared for the ceremony, for many people from the area came to the ceremony. During prayers and demonstrations, the bear was killed with arrows. The Ainews shot the bear with blunt arrows adorned like the inau (to avoid damaging the skin), and after a while the man in which the bear was held and who hunted him pierced his heart with an arrow. Then the animal was strangled with a beam and then peeled off the skin and cut off the head, which was put on a stake (nusa). At times, elders drank bear blood, but it was more frequently poured over sick people, believing that the spirit would let them to recover quickly. At the end of the ceremony, shots were fired to the land of the gods, thus pointing the way for the spirit bear.








Japan

Edo Era ·17 April 2025 ·

the Ainu Tribe traditionally rise brown bear cups as part of the Iomante (Iyomante) ceremonies. This ritual involves racing the cub, frequently for 1 or 2 years, as if it were a child, and then sending its spirit back to the planet of the gods in a grand ceremony. The bear is seen as a gift and its spirit is repeated as a deity.


The Ainu tribe traditionally raises young brown bear as part of the Iomante (Iyomante) ceremony. This ritual involves raising a young one, frequently for a year or two, as if it were a child, and then sending his spirit back to the planet of the gods during a large ceremony. The bear is seen as a gift, and his spirit is worshipped as a deity.

oceanicartsociety.org.au/the-ainu-bear-sending-ceremony/

Right Eye: a canyon