Inau

They were used in most Ainu religious rituals, and were also frequently made to request assistance for hunting and childbirth.

[2] To make inau, the bark of a branch is first peeled and then a knife called an "inawke-makiri" is repeatedly used to shave the wood into thin curled strips that form a tuft.

[5] With the exception of funerals, for which they were never made, inau were an important part of rituals involving kamuy.

Inau were also made to requests assistance from progressively more powerful kamuy during exorcism rituals and difficult childbirth.

Ainu bear ceremonies featured a large number of inau, of all different kinds.

Keeping them for any longer than was absolutely necessary was considered extremely dangerous, and it was thought they could cause a great deal of harm to the person who made them.