Worship of bears and bear sacrifice is an ancient practice, going back to early humans. Twenty thousand years ago, in the boreal forests and snowbound north, bears were feared and revered as the greatest of Gods. An alpha predator, the Bear held dominion over the realm of mortals and the lore of the mystic.
See also:
Bear worship appears in several cultures of the northern latitudes including the Sami of Scandinavia, Nivkh of Northeast Asia, Ainu of Northern Japan, Basques of the Pyrenees, Germanic cultures, the Slavs and Finns. The Bear is a powerful force in the myths of North American indigenous people and has a strong position in Celtic lore.
Possessing superhuman strength, a towering height and deadly natural weapons of teeth and claws, the Bear inspires awe and respect. Its roar resounds like thunder through the hills. Claw marks on trees can be up to 12 feet high.
Bears are loving and attentive mothers. Teachers and guides, they show their cubs the skills to survive. They're protective, devoted and sensitive parents, but don't get them mad.
See also:
Mother Bear keeps a close watch on her cubs. She has one to four, who will stay with her about two years. They're in danger from dominant male bears who want to kill them, thus start the female's estrus. The female has to protect her children and fend off aggressive males who might be bigger and stronger, so her ferocity must overpower theirs.
Yet by nature the bear has a gentle side. Despite its massive size its lips are so sensitive the bear can pick wild grapes off the bunch one by one, and raspberries from the prickly bushes.
See also:
The Bear uses tools such as rocks and can flex its paws into scoops for digging in narrow spaces. It sorts through pebbles with a claw. It has some geometry skills. Facial expressions include smile and laugh, a throwback to the bear's dog-like ancestor. When not being fierce, the bear is often observed creating its own toys with sticks and rocks.
Bears can remember a person who has been cruel to them even after many years. Bears have been known to stalk hunters who wounded them. They remember harm, but also remember kindness.
See also:
In the 2nd century AD, the Greek astronomer Ptolemy named constellations Ursa Major (Great Bear) and Ursa Minor (Little Bear). In myth and lore the Bear connects to the cosmic power of the skies and stars as well as rhythms of the Earth. The Bear spirit can represent a child of Mother Earth and the Sky Father.
Bear is part of the creation myths of many cultures. In the folklore of Finland the bear Otso is sacred king of animals and leader of the forest, deeply feared and respected by old tribes of Finland. Calling a bear by its true name was believed to summon the bear.
See also:
In the Pyrenees regions of Spain, Festa de l'ós or Festival of the Bear is held on Candelmas, February 2. Men of the town dress up as bears and mock attack the people of the town, especially the women, whose breasts they tried to blacken with soot.
In Andorra, in another valley of the Pyrenees, dedicates certain festivals to the she-bear. These include the Ball de l'ossa (she-bear's dance) and Última ossa (the last she-bear).
See also:
In Korean creation myth, Bear Woman gave birth to the founder of the first Korean kingdom. In Korea the Bear represents motherhood and patience.
Haida, Blackfoot and other indigenous North American mythologies tell stories of Bear Woman. She might be a spirit who protects nature. She might be a shape-shifter with a Bear's skin; or she might be a human woman with a Bear lover.
The intelligence of Bears, their massive size and strength, and their custom of hibernation, their appearance like silent shadows in the woods, going into the ground to re-emerge in spring, created the mythology of the Bear. For early humans the Bear was King of the Gods.
See also:
People had to respect the great Bear. They couldn't out-run it. They couldn't play dead. They couldn't climb a tree, because even the bulkiest brown bear has surprising strength and speed and can also climb trees. And if they hurt the Bear, it would never forget.
As time went on, people got better weapons. Respect and beliefs were last generation's mythology. Like many Gods the Bear toppled from the pedestal, and the people put it in chains and made it dance.
At least until the 20th century, Bears were used as ritual sacrifice to embody the spiritual power of the Creation or Fertility God. The sacrifice was eaten at a ritual banquet, so people could consume the flesh of the god and thereby grow stronger.
See also:
The mystic and spiritual qualities of the Bear flow throughout the ages. Bears seem to vanish into nothing, like spirits. Bear creates its vast environment as it pleases. It can be a destructive energy, an element of chaos tearing down trees who happen to grow in the wrong place, or ripping apart stumps to get the ant eggs.
As totem or animal spirit guide the Bear embodies ferocity, passion, depth of emotion, inner strength, victory, dominance, mystery, fertility, intelligence, power and wisdom. This animal spirit comes from a deep and primal place.
See also: