The Worship of the Salmon, the Divine Fish

A certain Aino went out in a boat to catch fish in the sea. While he was there, a great wind arose, so that he drifted about for six nights. Just as he was like to die, land came in sight. Being borne on to the beach by the waves, he quietly stepped ashore, where he found a pleasant rivulet. Having walked up the bank of this rivulet for some distance, he saw a populous place. Near the place were crowds of people, both men and women. Going on to it, and entering the house of the chief, he found an old man of very divine aspect. That old man said to him: "Stay with us a night, and we will send you home to your country to-morrow. Do you consent?"

あるアイヌが海で魚を捕りに舟で出かけた。そこにいるあいだに大風が起こり、男は六晩も漂った。死にそうになったちょうどそのとき、陸が見えてきた。波に浜へ運ばれて、男はそっと岸へ上がり、そこで気持ちのよい小川を見つけた。この小川の岸をしばらく上っていくと、人の多い場所が見えた。その近くには男も女も大勢の人々がいた。そこへ行って首長の家に入ると、たいそう神々しい姿の老人がいた。老人は男に言った。「一晩わしらのところに泊まるがよい。明日お前の国へ送り返してやろう。承知するか」

So the Aino spent the night with the old chief. When next day came, the old chief spoke thus: "Some of my people, both men and women, are going to your country for purposes of trade. So, if you will be led by them, you will be able to go home. When they take you with them in the boat, you must lie down, and not look about you, but completely hide your head. If you do that, you may return. If you look, my people will be angry. Mind you do not look." Thus spoke the old chief.

そこでアイヌは年老いた首長のもとで一夜を過ごした。次の日になると、年老いた首長はこう言った。「わしの民の男と女が何人か、交易のためにお前の国へ行く。だから彼らに連れていってもらえば、家へ帰れる。舟に乗せてもらったら、横になっていて、あたりを見まわしてはならぬ。頭をすっかり隠しておくのだ。そうすれば帰れる。見れば、わしの民が怒るぞ。見ないように気をつけよ」年老いた首長はこう言った。

Well, there was a whole fleet of boats, inside of which crowds of people, both men and women, took passage. There were as many as five score boats, which all started off together. The Aino lay down inside one of them and hid his head, while the others made the boats go to the music of a pretty song. He liked this much. After awhile, they reached the land. When they had done so, the Aino, peeping a little, saw that there was a river, and that they were drawing water with dippers from the mouth of the river, and sipping it. They said to each other: "How good this water is!" Half the fleet went up the river. But the boat in which the Aino was went on its voyage, and at last reached his native place, whereupon the sailors threw the Aino into the water. He thought he had been dreaming. Afterwards he came to himself. The boat and its sailors had disappeared--whither he could not tell. But he went to his house, and, falling asleep, dreamt a dream. He dreamt that the same old chief appeared to him and said: "I am no human being. I am the chief of the salmon, the divine fish. As you seemed in danger of dying in the waves, I drew you to me and saved your life. You thought you only stayed with me one night. But in truth that night was a whole year. When it was ended, I sent you back to your native place. So I shall be truly grateful if henceforth you will offer rice-beer to me, set up the divine symbols in my honour, and worship me with the words 'I make a libation to the chief of the salmon, the divine fish.' If you do not worship me, you will become a poor man. Remember this well!" Such were the words which the divine old man spoke to him in his dream.--(Translated literally. Told by Ishanashte, 17th July, 1886.)

さて、舟は大船団で、そのなかに男も女も大勢の人々が乗り込んだ。舟は百艘もあって、みな一緒に出発した。アイヌはその一艘のなかに横になって頭を隠し、ほかの者たちはきれいな歌の調子に合わせて舟を漕いだ。男はそれがたいそう気に入った。しばらくすると陸に着いた。着くと、アイヌが少しのぞいてみると、川があって、人々が川の口から柄杓で水を汲んですすっていた。人々は互いに言い合った。「この水はなんとうまいのだろう」船団の半分は川を上っていった。けれどもアイヌの乗った舟は航海を続け、とうとう男の生まれ故郷に着いた。すると舟乗りたちはアイヌを水に投げ込んだ。男は夢を見ていたのだと思った。そのあと我に返った。舟も舟乗りも消えていた——どこへ行ったのかはわからなかった。けれども男は家へ帰り、眠り込んで夢を見た。あの年老いた首長が現れて、こう言う夢だった。「わしは人間ではない。神なる魚、鮭の首長だ。お前が波に呑まれて死にそうだったので、わしのもとへ引き寄せて命を救ってやったのだ。お前はわしのもとに一晩いただけだと思っていたが、本当はその一晩はまる一年だった。それが終わったので、お前を生まれ故郷へ送り返したのだ。だからこれからは、わしに酒を捧げ、わしのためにイナウ(神に捧げる削り掛け)を立て、『神なる魚、鮭の首長に献酒いたします』と唱えて拝んでくれれば、まことにありがたく思う。わしを拝まなければ、お前は貧しい男になるだろう。よく覚えておけ」神々しい老人は、夢のなかで男にこう言ったのだった。——(逐語訳。語り手イシャナシテ、1886年7月17日)