One Ainu story concerns a small pot (nabe) and the kamui, or god, that is its essence. The woman who owns the pot always cleans it right after use; therefore, the kamui feels refreshed and has plenty of free time to practice his dancing for the Bear Festival. As the story illustrates, the traditional Ainu felt that the kamui were honored by attention paid to them. The reverse was true as well: Gods ignored by the people could become dangerous and, since most of the gods were not clearly visible all the time, care must be taken in observing proper behavior.

Okikurumi invited all the kamui to the feast but failed to recognize the bear kamui and did not invite him.

Kamui and humans live in nearly interchangeable worlds.  The beings in these worlds—the kamui, men, and animals (especially bears)—have similar goals and life-styles, and have correspondingly similar motifs in stories.  One cycle of stories concerns Okikurumi, the father of the Ainu, the progenitor of the people.  One of these origin myths describes the birth of Okikurumi as an interaction between man and kamui.

A man and a woman lived in the very remote past.  The man died, and the woman later gave birth to a child.  Others asked her who the father of the child was, and she answered by telling the story that one night after the death of her husband she had a dream in which someone with the shape of a man, but dressed in black garments——a sign that the shape is really a kamui——spoke to her, saying that he had something to say and that she was to listen very carefully.

After saying this, he left.

The child borne by the woman grew up to be Okikurumi.  In other myths, Okikurumi is related to other creatures, especially the bear.  One short tale describes Okikurumi’s coming to the Ainu world for the first time. Okikurumi invited all the kamui in that world to a feast, but failed to recognize the bear kamui and did not invite him.  Okikurumi made sake, and the feast was a success.  The bear came to the feast even though not invited and sat at the entrance of Okikurumi’s hut.  Okikurumi wondered who this great kamui could be as he saw him leave, and followed his tracks up a high mountain to a golden hut.