"The Song The Owl God Sang" by Chiri Yukie who died at the age of nineteen

ABOUT CHIRI YUKIE

Hours before her sudden death at the age of nineteen, Chiri Yukie 知里幸恵（1903-1922）completed her only book, Ainu Shinyoushuuアイヌ神謡集, a collection of traditional chants in the Ainu language.

Her book, written in parallel Ainu and Japanese text, was the first book in or about the Ainu language to be written from the point of view of an actual Ainu speaker. It was also arguably the first ever printed literary work from a shamanistic culture.

(On the back cover)

The first record of Ainu oral literature written down by an Ainu, Chiri Yukie’s thirteen beautiful chants capture the imagination and stand as a milestone in the study of oral literature and shamanic belief.

Copyright Ⓒ 2013 by Benjamin Peterson, All rights reserved.

First edition printed 2013 Published by BJS Books.

(Japanese words and period were added in the sentence for reference.)