In Ainu mythology, Wakka-us Kamuy is a benevolent goddess who oversees the river valleys around which Ainu communities centered and is responsible for all fresh water. She is sympathetic to humanity, and is sometimes petitioned to intercede with other
kamuy on their behalf. One such myth tells how Wakka-us Kamuy ended a famine that had broken out. Petitioned by
Okikurmi, the
culture hero and sorcerer, she invites the
kamuy of the rapids, the
kamuy of fish, the
kamuy of game, the goddess of the hunt
Hasinaw-uk Kamuy, and the overseer of the land
Kotan-kor Kamuy to a feast. She dances and sings, entertaining them, and in the course of the evening brings up the humans' plight. The fish
kamuy informs her that the humans were not killing fish in the proper ritual manner, so he has locked the salmon in his storehouse; the game
kamuy says the same of the deer. Kotan-kor Kamuy is angry as well, because the humans have not made offerings to him. Wakka-us Kamuy and the sympathetic Hasinaw-uk Kamuy, while continuing to dance, send their souls to the storehouses and let the deer and salmon loose; in order to avoid making a scene, the other
kamuy had no choice but to continue the feast. Afterward, Wakka-us Kamuy sends a dream to Okikurmi, telling him what had happened and why, and warning him to see that the rituals were carried out in proper fashion. ==See also==