The Worship Of The Salmon The Divine Fish
: MISCELLANEOUS TALES.: Aino Folktales
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?"
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.
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.)
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