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Post by Montezuma on Dec 4, 2022 13:20:07 GMT -5
Some more beautiful art showing bear-like figures.
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Post by Montezuma on Dec 4, 2022 13:21:17 GMT -5
Some more.....
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Post by Montezuma on Dec 4, 2022 13:21:50 GMT -5
And two more......
Note that and description of these artifact will not be shown here since its pretty length to post that all here. For that, a reader can read it through the link which i will post soon. 😀. Although some stories that came in the description would be posted here.
"The postulated imagery of the anthropomorphic bear as mythical hunter or Master of Animals carrying iguanas as its game is particularly interesting in light of a Sibundoy tale, briefly mentioned above, involving the bear and the trickster squirrel in which the wily, intelligent squirrel outwits the physically strong, but dull-witted, bear. More specifically, the squirrel tricks the bear into crushing his own testicles with a rock (McDowell 1989:55). This incident is identical to an incident in a tale of the Kuna Indians of Panama in which the protagonist is also a physically very strong but not very bright personage known as Iguana-chief who competes with an intelligent, solar-related hero, Tad Ibe. 5 These two also compete in various power struggles and competitions including a pain endurance contest in which they are to beat their testicles with stones. The intelligent Tad Ibe win.s this contest by using his wits (he pushes his testes back into his abdomen so that the rock strikes only empty skin) while Iguana-chief goes through with the contest as planned. Although Iguana-chief easily endures the physical challenge of this trial, he eventually is defeated and killed by his wily challenger, who strips him of his supernatural power and turns him into an edible iguana, condemning him henceforth to serve as food for people (Helms 1977:74-77)."
"The bear and Iguana-chief hold identical structural positions in these two episodes, both seeming to represent Nature in contrast with Culture. As such, the bear would also appear suitable as tangible embodiment of the primordial (and pre·sumably forest-dwelling, that is, natural) Master of Animals as suggested by the Sibundoy origins myth mentioned above (McDowell 1989: 119). Considered overall, and recognizing that the details of myths and stories may change over the centuries, there seems nonetheless to be suggestive evidence of an indigenous symbolism supporting an anthropomorphic, spectacled bear-cum-Master of Animals or hero-hunter carrying iguanas from his waist as the central figure on the Sitio Conte gold plaques."
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Post by Montezuma on Dec 4, 2022 13:48:12 GMT -5
"Some of the ceramic "bear" designs obviously are of female gender (figures 11.15, 11.5; see also Lothrop 1976:25, 6 lower left; Labbe 1995:Figure 107), which raises the question of whether they may depict a Panamanian variant on the very widespread myth of the Bear Mother in which a human girl becomes wife to, or is raped by, a bear and produces bearsons who are capable of human-animal transformation and become great hunters (Shepard and Sanders 1985:58-61; Urton 1985:271; see also the ancestral hunter who transforms into a bear in the Sibundoy tale mentioned above). McDowell (1989: 111-112) notes an association between a probable bear and a young man transformed into a woman, in a Sibundoy valley tale. There are also references in Colombian tribes to herbivores associated with female principles or female identification as opposed to male attributes associated with carnivorous predator animals (Labbe 1986: 124; ReichelDolmatoff 1972b:57)."
"The supernatural Great Mother of the Kuna (Muu) and of the Kogi also come to mind, especially beliefs among the latter that all animal spirits (as well as the doubles of all men) dwell at Great Mother's sacred temple mountain (that is, Great Mother as Mistress of Animals) and that the remote mountain highlands-the bleak and silent paramos-are the sacred abode of the Mother Goddess, creator of the universe and humankind and provider of good harvest, good health, and protection against evil (ReichelDolmatoff 1978c:13-25; Reichel-Dolmatoff 1974:297; Nordenskiold 1979:372-374, 385-386, 437-438). Although no explicit association is made between Great Mother and a mammalian prototype today, the bear as seasonal denizen of the paramo and more permanent occupant of the mountain forests, that is, as resident of isolated, sacred places frequented by religious specialists, conceivably could have been associated with Great Mother in more ancient times."
"Conceivably, too, all these diverse animals were considered variations on a basic theme in which the spectacled bear stood as the primary zoological prototype for an important "personage" in Code symbolism, cosmology, and art."
"The extensive archaeological area known as San Agustin, situated near the headwaters of the Magdalena River in the mountainous country (the Colombian Massif where Andean highlands and tropical lowlands meet, is famous for its freestanding stone sculptures, relief carvings on stone slabs, and other remains of a pre-Columbian society. Among the sculptures are a number of tall ( 6 to 8 feet or medium height (2 to 4 feet columnar statues depicting standing beings portrayed as "topheavy figures with oversize heads, squat bodies, contracted arms, and dwarfed legs" (Reichel-Dolmatoff 1972a:66; and illustrations. More specifically, the representations of body form portray....
"an almost straight-sided trunk, with high square shoulders, ... surmounted by an enormous head; the thin flat arms hang down or are bent stiffly at the elbows, .... The lower part of the body, the legs and feet, are barely outlined, the whole figure, because of the hunched shoulders, appearing to lean slightly forward .... It is the face, the grim mouth, and the huge eyes, in which all expressive force is concentrated. (Reichel-Dolmatoff 1972b)".
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Post by Montezuma on Dec 4, 2022 14:01:36 GMT -5
Here are statues from San Augstìn graves (Panama). According to Helms and some others, these are Spectacled bears while some say these as jaguars while the argument of these statues being bear-jaguar mixture exists too. However, according to Helms (and according to my observations) these resemble more to bears than jaguars. Again, for the description of these stone figure probably depicting Spectacled bears, see the link.
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Post by Montezuma on Dec 4, 2022 14:12:47 GMT -5
And here is the final conclusion from Mary W. Helms. Very good!
Notes
1. Urton reports that "the costumes of these ukuku dancers are virtually identical from one village to the next in the southern highlands of Peru. They consist of a tubularshaped garment with arms, which is pulled on over the head; the garment is covered with overlapping layers of black, multicolored or, in some cases, white fringe. A small doll .. ., which is itself dressed like an ukuku dancer, hangs on the front of the costume, usually on the left side of the chest; a bell or whistle hangs on the right side. The dancer wears a knitted "ski" mask that covers his head and face and has white circles around the eyes (like the spectacled bear) and a mirror over his forehead. Each dancer carries a whip of braided leather affixed to a wooden handle that is carved in spiral grooves" (1985:270).
2. Urton points out that, just as adolescents are young people on their way to becoming responsible community adults but are not yet full human beings in that respect, so bears are regarded as animals on their way to becoming human but are not truly human. That is, bears have a two-legged gait, alleged human-like mating practices, and the ability to eat wild and domestic animals and garden produce, but they are also unruly, destructive, and sexually aggressive and do not have language. In other words, bears are like adolescents (Urton 1985:272).
3. The boraro is known by many names and frequently occurs in Brazilian Indian legend. It has been described by other authors as a human-sized, reddish-haired creature that sits or stands upright, has long claws, is sometimes fanged, makes a loud shouting sound, has feet turned backward, and has an extremely bad smell. It also is said to eat palm hearts and fruits, and to have a very tough skin except around the navel. Although much of this description could fit the spectacled bear, there is speculation in some quarters that the beast may be a giant ground sloth generally thought to be long extinct (a skeleton of which was recovered some forty years ago from central Panama; see Conover 1994:20-23).
4. In earlier decades, these figures were frequently identified as "crocodile gods" or "alligator gods" (Lothrop 1937:119, 134-136; 1964:142,143; Easby and Scott 1970:Figures 236-238).
5. The bear is identified, as we have seen, with the town gobernador or political leader. Similarly, Iguana-chief is identified as a man of power.
6. Sometimes, chest markings appear to represent inner organs of the chest cavity (for example, the figures referenced in Labbe 1995) rather than external body markings. The two; of course, may easily be related.
7. The "bears" are paired with curassows in this figure (see Helms 1995:39-43, Figure 22). 8. This style of eye and nose depictions is also found on other animal forms depicted on Code ceramics, especially the serpent. Consideration of possible relationships between the themes of the serpent and bear are not pursued here.
8. This style of eye and nose depictions is also found on other animal forms depicted on Code ceramics, especially the serpent. Consideration of possible relationships between the themes of the serpent and bear are not pursued here.
9. The "footprints" in figure 11.12 are depicted in pairs, and allow an alternative identification as bivalve shells because the "digits" in each pair are asymmetrical in number, five and four, respectively, and would interdigitate well. In light of the implication discussed below that the bear may be associated with the Great Mother in Intermediate Area symbolism, it is intriguing to read that the Kogi of Colombia offer shells, including bivalves, to the Great Mother to increase fertility (Reichel-Dolmatoff 197 4:298-299).
10. The depictions of the paws on these effigy pieces appear similar to a widely used "animal limb with paw" kenning frequently found on Code ceramic plates and effigy forms that may be another referent, in kenning form, to the bear in Panamanian ceramic art. See the discussion in Helms (1995:65, 66-67).
11. Some of the animals with "sloth'' countenances also show definite tails, but in the world of myth the primordial sloth was originally well-tailed, as was the presumably extinct Pleistocene ground sloth (Conover 1994). In mythology, the sloth lost its tail due to greediness and unwillingness to share food (Pressmann 1991:84). A mythical tailed sloth may be depicted in Code art. See also note 3 regarding sloths and the boraro. It is quite conceivable that conceptual parallels existed in ancient isthmian lore linking the bear and the sloth (tree and/or ground) as primordial animals, and that such ideas still contribute to boraro themes.
12. One of the "beings" frequently portrayed on Panamanian ceramics sometimes also has flat digits on the upper limbs but claws on the lower, or vice versa (figure 11.15). Sometimes these depictions show a large-headed, stocky-bodied creature facing front; sometimes a side view of a longfaced creature with a stocky body is shown. See, for example, Lothrop (1976:45 bottom) and Labbe ( 1995:Figures 38, 109, 110). Sometimes, the contrast of the anthropomorphic versus the animal (digits versus claws) appears to be expressed by depicting limb ligatures, those representing anthropomorphic limbs, I suggest, being contained within the limb outlines while those representing animal limbs being extended beyond the limb outlines. See, for example, Lothrop (1976:25 top left).
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Post by Montezuma on Dec 4, 2022 14:18:14 GMT -5
So, in the end, we can see that the Spectacled bear is a very much revered animal in the Ancient Panamaian and Colombians. Thanks to Mary Hrlms for her exciting work and thanks God that i finally got this diamond-like file after a long searching. Hope you all like the myths and art!
I am very happy to see that newer reseaches are revealing more and great information about andean bears in culture and so does our this thread flourish with such valuable info. . Special thanks to @king Kodiak too, who helps me in enlarging photos in this thread (since art and artifact reveal great knowledge to archeologists and readers).
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Post by brobear on Dec 5, 2022 3:41:52 GMT -5
The Andean bear appears to be revered by the aboriginal people of S. America in much the same way as bears in N. America by the native tribes there and also similar as to how the bear was revered by the ancient peoples of early Europe. The association between man and bear stretches back into the last Ice Age. You have been doing some wonderful research Montezuma. We, all of us bear fans I'm sure, greatly appreciate your work.
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Post by Montezuma on Dec 5, 2022 10:13:56 GMT -5
brobear, thanks for appreciating with work and for liking all my posts in this thread. I personally have a very much interest in Native american history and culture and so i always want to see that how native american's view bears in culture. And i have obviously seen that almost every red indian people venerate the bears in north america where grizzly bears deserve a special mention. My heart is very satisfied after i filled this thread with multiple informations from experts showing that what a great role the Andean bear played in Peruvian, Bolivian, Ecuadorian, Panamian, Venenzulian, a bit part of Brazilian and Colombian cultures. I wish that bears existed in mesoamerica too; where they would be revered just like bears in south america. I am searching of these three articles regarding spectacled bear in native culture: 1. Spectacled bear and culture by Torres and Davis Alexander2. Spectacled bear and the Apolobamba, Bolivia: culture, conflict and conservation3. Spectacled bear, The Bear: The majic of bears in culturesIf anybody finds these or one of these so please let me know.
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Post by Montezuma on Jan 30, 2023 22:22:52 GMT -5
Bears in Apolobamba, Bolivia: Culture, Conservation and Confict by Paisley
kar.kent.ac.uk/86278/
Its a detailed file in regard to Spectacled bear's conservation in Apolobamba and viewing how culture and conflict effects it. In my opinion its interesting and every Andean bear lover should read this. Since its bear in culture thread so we would only focus on its culture section.
Note, reception and sometimes pic posting wouldn't be done.
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Post by Montezuma on Jan 30, 2023 22:29:56 GMT -5
"The Andean bear is the main protagonist in what is probably the most vital of Andean stories: the Bear's Son (Ukukq Churin). The vitality of this lengthy folktale is evidenced by its penetration beyond the distribution of the bear, from Venezuela to Bolivia into Argentina and Brazil (Cipolletti 1983). The pan-Andean distribution, and the Andean colour and flourish of this story, belie what many believe to be its European origin (Allen 1992; Payne 2000). It is certainly true that versions of this story appear in countries such as Germany, Holland, Scandinavia, Greece, Spain and Slavic and North American countries (Cipolletti 1983)."
"Best 1957). One of these was written in the by Fray Reynaldo de Lizarraga in Cochabamba, Bolivia: "There are bred very large bears that pursue the women and, when the women see the bears, they make no resistance" (Morote Best 1957). This idea is also supported by stories of bear-human couplings from Northeast Argentina (Cipolletti 1983)."
"Apolobamba provides a fascinating opportunity to explore the existence of bear-related myths and rituals, due to the strong traditional culture and the continuing existence of bear populations. Little is known of bear-related myths and rituals in Bolivia. Stories have been collected from the Puno district of Peru, near the Bolivian border (Morote Best 1957), and the existence of bear-related myths and rituals is suggested in several documents from Bolivia (Yanez et al. 1986; Eulert 1995; Rumiz and Salazar 1999)."
kar.kent.ac.uk/86278/
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Post by Montezuma on Jan 30, 2023 22:42:51 GMT -5
Now lets see some traditional stories told in South America having bears. (Please read the full story from the file).3.3.1.1. a.) The priest, the jukamari she-bear and Sanson
"This version of the classic Bear's Son Tale was written by an 11 year-old student based on the story recounted to her by her grandfather in the village of Quiabaya. It interweaves a biblical story into the familiar Bear's Son plot."
The Bear's Son, b.) Dona Tomasa and the man-eating jaguar Dona Tomasa and the man-eating jaguar
"A miner from Sorapata recounted this version of the Bear's Son story. Like the preceding story it is unusual in having a female bear as the protagonist. The she-bear is sympathetically depicted as protective of human life and as a caring, if domineering creature. The names Tomasito and Dona Tomasa are commonly used as names for male and female bears, respectively. The character of the hummingbird symbolises communication in many Andean traditional stories (Morote Best 1957)."
kar.kent.ac.uk/86278/
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Post by Montezuma on Jan 30, 2023 22:50:34 GMT -5
3.3.1.2 Other bear/human couples: The bear and the shepherdess
"This story was one of seven stories that, like the Bear's Son, tells of a relationship between a bear and a person. However, unlike many Bear's Son stories, the person is not forcibly kept in a cave, and the exploits of the son are not central to the story. This traditional story was written by a student from the village of Nino Corin. She was 13 years old and in her third year of secondary school. She included many explanatory notes inside parentheses."
3.3.1.3 Conflict: Senor Turelo's problem
"Many of the stories dealing with conflict between bears and people depicted the bear as a mischievous character capable of outsmarting people. The author of this interesting piece of creative writing was a student from the village of Mataru where crop raiding is a regular problem. An interesting characteristic of this story is the detailed description of bear behaviour and the management techniques used. It also demonstrates the enduring memory of the practically feudal system that was in place until 1952. The author's name was not written on the story."
kar.kent.ac.uk/86278/
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Post by Montezuma on Jan 30, 2023 23:02:21 GMT -5
3.3.1.4 Bears as superheroes: The six-headed snake
"This story is one of five focussing on bear as having super-heroic strength over other animals. The great strength of bears also appears as a lesser theme in most stories (see for example also 3.3.1.3 and 3.3.1.5). An adult campesino from Zona Villaroel of Amarete recounted this traditional story. The bear is friends with the representatives of the two large South American cat species and proves himself to be dominant in this relationship."
3.3.1.5 Killing a bear: The dancing cub
"With the exception of following story, all of stories with the theme of killing bears were factual narratives told by adults. They describe episodes of shooting a bear that was invariably hard to kill. The author of this piece of creative writing was a boy in sixth grade in primary school from the town of Charazani. He did not give his age but was probably 11-14 years old. It is a story both about people killing a bear and a bear killing people, but it is full of sympathy for the bears."
3.3.1.6 Bears as Jesters: The cross-dresser
"Stories of bears as jesters correspond closely with the character of the bear as enacted in dance (see section 3.1.4). Four stories were collected of this thematic category, three from adults and one from a student, but similar stories were heard throughout the Apolobamba including in Queara, Aguas Blancas, Laji, Sorapata and Chullina. They are funny stories and always make people laugh. These stories, which seem to represent a mass-scale collective hallucination, were reported as if they were factual narratives, but were classed as folktales. This story is related by an elderly gentleman of Amarete, who was extremely knowledgeable about bear myths and rituals."
kar.kent.ac.uk/86278/
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Post by Montezuma on Jan 30, 2023 23:14:58 GMT -5
3.3.1.7 Bears as monsters: Man-eating bear
"The author of this piece of creative writing was a boy in his seventh year of primary school. The story was accompanied by an illustration, which is shown here. It portrays a bear that kills an unspecified number of men. Another story summarised the idea of the monstrous bear thus: "The jucumari is bad. It wants to eat people. You can't approach ajucumari or it can eat you and tear you to shreds with its strength. " In this story, the bear's desire to kill is prompted by more than thirst for blood; he kills to keep his cubs safe."
3.3.1.8 Allegories: The bear and the two friends
"The three in this thematic all told by students. They are simple with a moral lesson. One told of a bear that ate too much honey and the other of a mouse that helped a bear escape from a trap set by a person. This traditional story, written by an 11 year-old from the village of Saphi, does not resolve the intention of the bear and therefore portrays it in an ambiguous light: both threatening and timid or possibly benevolent. The story was accompanied by a drawing, which is used as the illustration on the title page of this chapter."
kar.kent.ac.uk/86278/
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Post by Montezuma on Jan 30, 2023 23:23:21 GMT -5
Lets see some rituals of Spectacled bears! "A surprising ritual venerating and propitiating the spirit of the bear was documented in the south of the study area, in Amarete: the ritual treatment of Andean bear hides. The hides are kept at an altar where incense is burned and offerings such as coca leaves are left. The hides are "worshipped as you would a second Lord". If the spirit of the bear is not mollified by such offerings, he may become vengeful and bring bad fortune to the hunter and his family."
"In contrast, in the north, no ritual treatments of bear parts or other rituals specifically directed to bears were documented. However, offerings and prayers relating to bears were made. These are directed to the achachilas, the ancestors who have long-since become one with the mountain, and who are the owners of all the wild animals that live thereon. The achachilas are entreated to protect people from the bears and other animals."
In a ritual prayer to achachila, lord of the mountains and year, it is said, "You are powerful. You rule. We ask you, Owner of everything from where the sun rises (God forgive us) that you take care of our wealth, that you take protect us, that you always keep us warm and that you take care of our livestock and our crops. We ask that you restrain your chicken the condor, your house cat the puma, your dog the bear, and your puppy the fox. May the time be good to us. " After the ceremony, the sabildo, usually marked by a cairn, is left sodden with alcohol, and festooned with streamers, coca leaves and other offerings such as llama fat, sweets and shiny paper. If a spate of livestock predation or some other disaster has occurred, the achachilas may be propitiated with a dried llama foetus. Bears are, therefore, seen as one more potentially harmful aspect of the natural world from which people in the north pray to be protected."
kar.kent.ac.uk/86278/
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Post by Gorilla king on Jan 31, 2023 5:23:39 GMT -5
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Post by Montezuma on Feb 4, 2023 22:38:07 GMT -5
Two sorts of bear dances found in Apolobamba (Bolivia).
A figure showing a bear-cat mixture.
"It appeared, however, that there was a deeper explanation for the phenomenon. It became apparent that the two creatures, the puma and bear, were intimately connected if not almost combined in people's minds. One interviewee in Queara explicitly stated, "The bear and the puma (macbu trara) are the same. The bear is like the shadow of the puma. But the bear is the stronger half'. Though this was the only time I heard this explanation, the vagueness with which they were differentiated was common. People started out talking about bears and switched in mid flow to talking about pumas.
kar.kent.ac.uk/86278/
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Post by oldindigosilverback on Feb 4, 2023 22:56:25 GMT -5
/\ Reminds me of the movie snake in Eagle’s shadow but the latter is the stronger one.
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Post by Montezuma on Feb 4, 2023 23:13:59 GMT -5
"The relationship between the bear and the jaguar is somewhat different. As exemplified in the story of Dona Tomasa and the man-eating jaguar, bears are commonly associated with protecting people from jaguars. As Domingo Itusaca explained, "In the time before, when all of the animals spoke, they say the jaguar was our enemy. It was always killing people and eating them. The bear was the only one who used to defend us in that time, and the only one who could beat the jaguar. Because they say that the bear is part of the people. If it weren't for the bears, the jaguars could even today kill all of our population. " This idea arose throughout the study area, but particularly in Amarete and Sorapata."
"This study is the first to demonstrate the thriving diversity of myth and ritual associated with bears in an Andean region. Although there had been previous reports of men being called "bears" in southern Peru (Allen 1992), this study further explored the natural prominence of bears in the imaginations of young people and adults. This prominence is evidenced by the variety of stories in circulation, the use of bears in speech and metaphor, and the notable enthusiasm with which tales of bears are swapped. Contrary to what is suggested by the literature, the story of the Bear's Son is not the only story about bears in circulation. This evidence supports the theory that the bear mythic theme in South America had preColombian origins, a theory widely discounted by anthropologists. The Apolobamban variants of the Bear's Son story and the other collected stories reflect universal themes, as well as political and agricultural issues keenly felt in Apolobamba."
"The jucumari is the subject of a wide variety of myths and folktales in Apolobamba. It is perhaps the diversity of depictions of bears that is the most striking feature of this collection. Amongst the bear's incarnations are as crop-raider (Se)For Turelo's problem), as super-hero (The six-beaded snake), as jester (The cross dresser), as monster (Man-eating bear), and as source of moral wisdom (The bear and the two friends). Bears are depicted as having feelings, and sympathy with bears is common in the stories even when they are causing harm or danger to people (Dancing cub). Traditional stories of female Andean bears sequestering men have been referred to in Venezuela (Herrera et al. 1994) and Santa Cruz, Bolivia (Eulen 1995) and one story has been collected before those in the present study, amongst the Quechua of Cuzco, Peru (Robin 1997)."
"Anthropomorphism is highly prevalent; bears talk, act and think like people and in some stories can even turn into people at will."
kar.kent.ac.uk/86278/
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