However, it isn't clear how accurately this Kumeuta reflects the history or whether "Emishi" in this poem means the same "蝦夷" that appeared in later history; instead, there are various theories about the characteristics as an ethnic group of an occupied zone of "蝦夷" in ancient times, but no one knows for sure.
しかし、この来目歌がどの程度史実を反映するものかどうかは判然とせず、またここで登場する「えみし」が後の「蝦夷」を意味するかどうかも判然としないため、古い時代の蝦夷の民族的性格や居住範囲については諸説があり確かなことはわかっていない。