[1] The epic itself tells the tale from a first-person narrative, as is usual in Ainu oral tradition, where the storyteller takes on the role of the protagonist.
Many men from different tribes and locales travel to the otter's home and attempt to capture it, under the watchful eye of a red-haired hag.
By comparing with its earlier sections, linguistic evidence seen in the last few lines suggest the beginning of a new episode in the saga.
The modern version of the Kutune Shirka was first recorded by Japanese linguistics professor Kyōsuke Kindaichi in the 1920s.
When asked about the ballad's origins, Wakarpa denied any hand in its creation and stated that he had only recited what he had heard from others before him.
[2] The first translations of the Kutune Shirka was penned by the Ainu transcriber Imekanu, also known by her Japanese name Matsu Kannari.