A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

Overview

In Ishanashte’s rescue story, the oak-god supplies a horse described as pure gold, with a golden saddle and other trappings. It flies into the sky as soon as the searching husband mounts it. There he rides through a great city singing until its inhabitants’ complaints persuade the chief heavenly god to promise the return of his missing wife. The man then flies back to the oak, where the tree deity explains how this distraction will permit her release from an underworld demon.

After returning the wife, the oak-god gives the couple the animal on condition that they make no more heavenly journeys but breed from it on earth. It gives birth to two horses, whose descendants multiply until horses fill Ainu land. The source thus gives the animal a reproductive role without describing its sex earlier or naming a mate. It does not mention wings, a mechanical construction or a transformation from metal into flesh. This origin tale is separate from Penri’s account of a horse that replaces a human husband in the following numbered story.

Golden body and equipmentFlight to heaven and returnBirth of two horses
01

Origins & earliest records

Ainu oral narrative in Chamberlain’s historical English collection

02

Records & interpretation

Complete numbered tale, ending, attached notes, title and collection introductions read; teller and recording method retained.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    Aino Folk-Tales

    Basil Hall Chamberlain, collector and English translator; narrative by Ishanashte · 1888

    xvii, The Man who lost his Wife, pp.21–22; Ishanashte, 21 July1886; written down from memory. Folk-Lore Society XXII. Page markers from the English transcription, not independent scan collation.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

Primary records and illustrations

Complete English narrative and edition context read

Aino Folk-Tales

Basil Hall Chamberlain; Folk-Lore Society XXII,1888; introductionEdwardB.Tylor. xvii, The Man who lost his Wife, pp.21–22

Complete cache chamberlain-aino-17.txt; master chamberlain-aino.html/.txt. Ishanashte, 21 July1886; written down from memory. Actual Ainu original not collated. Source-specific divine or transformed identity; no genericJapanese/Chinese identification. Preface distinguishes male named informants, memory and literal methods, and separately expurgated illustrated adaptations.

Inspect the digitized plate · Source collection manifest

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Historical English record of a named Ainu tellingChamberlain, Aino Folk-Tales — xvii, The Man who lost his Wife, pp.21–22Research access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

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