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Post by Montezuma on Sept 20, 2024 22:13:16 GMT -5
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Post by Montezuma on Sept 20, 2024 22:17:51 GMT -5
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Post by Montezuma on Sept 22, 2024 12:50:21 GMT -5
Iron age Myth and Materiality An Archaeology of Scandinavia AD 400 - 1000 is a great book exploring about cultural elements of Scandinavia from post Roman times up to the coming of Christianity. Here, the bear has been mentioned as an important figure in Norse culture and myth as evident from sagas, archaeology, divine connection shamanism and symbolism etc.
Introduction "Iron Age Myth and Materiality: an Archaeology of Scandinavia AD 400–1000 considers the relationship between myth and materiality in Scandinavia from the beginning of the post-Roman era and the European Migrations to the coming of Christianity. It pursues an interdisciplinary interpretation of text and material culture and examines how the documentation of an oral past relates to its material embodiment. While the material evidence is from the Iron Age, most Old Norse texts were written down in the thirteenth century or even later. With a time lag of 300 to 900 years from the archaeological evidence, the textual material has until recently been ruled out as a usable source for any study of the pagan past. However, Hedeager argues that this is true regarding any study of a society’s short-term history, but it should not be the crucial requirement for defining the sources relevant for studying long-term structures of the longue durée, or their potential contributions to a theoretical understanding of cultural changes and transformation. In Iron Age Scandinavia we are dealing with persistent and slow-changing structures of world views and ideologies over a wavelength of nearly a millennium. Furthermore, iconography can often date the arrival of new mythical themes, anchoring written narratives in a much older archaeological context. Old Norse myths are explored with particular attention to one of the central mythical narratives of the Old Norse canon – the mythic cycle of Odin. In addition, contemporaneous historical sources from Late Antiquity and the early European Middle Ages are examined. No other study provides such a broad ranging and authoritative study of the relationship of myth to the archaeology of Scandinavia.
Lotte Hedeager is Professor of Archaeology and Head of the Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History at the University of Oslo, Norway.
www.routledge.com/Iron-Age-Myth-and-Materiality-An-Archaeology-of-Scandinavia-AD-400-1000/Hedeager/p/book/9780415606042#:~:text=Description,until%20the%20coming%20of%20Christianity.
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Post by Montezuma on Sept 22, 2024 13:00:08 GMT -5
"Animal names appear either alone as a symbolic name (as a prefix to a name) or as a hyphenated, two- or three-part, name in combination. Bear, wolf, eagle and serpent were predominant in the names, while species such as fox, wild boar, beaver, raven, hawk, falcon and sparrow were less common. (p.80)
"The Germanic and Scandinavian hyphenated names typically contain the following species: wolf, bear, boar, dog, bull, deer/stag, buck, ram, worm (snake, dragon), marten, horse, wild animal, eagle, falcon, crow and swan. Most of these species are powerful and combative animals, although not all, and there are no obvious connections between women and, for example, swans or deer, or between men and bears (Müller 1968: 216 f.). The oldest hyphenated names contain bearwolf, eagle-wolf, or boar-wolf combinations (ibid.: 209)." (p.80)
"In Old English literature most of the clans take on animal names; for example, Beowulf, Bjørn (bear), Bera, Bjarki, Eofor (wild boar), Wulf (wolf), Hjort (deer), Svann (swan), Ottr (otter). The name ‘bear’ in particular appears be associated with great heroes (Glosecki 1989: 204). There are also warrior-names that include animals, such as ‘Battle-Bear’, ‘Battle-Wolf’, ‘Sword-Wolf’ and ‘Hird-Wolf’ (Müller 1968: 211)." (p.80)
"It is notable that certain animal names appear regularly in the compounded names, especially the wolf and permutations of wolf, bear, wild boar and eagle. Other seemingly obvious combinations are, however, unusual, such as boarbear, bear-raven, eagle-raven, boar-raven, eagle-bear and eagle-snake (Müller 1968: 209)." (p.80)
books.google.com.pk/books?id=3XCrAgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=iron+age+and+materiality+archeology+of+Scandinavia&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=iron%20age%20and%20materiality%20archeology%20of%20Scandinavia&f=false
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Post by Montezuma on Sept 22, 2024 13:06:31 GMT -5
"In the guise of an animal, the hugr reveals the moral quality of its ‘owner’, exposing his or her intentions, just like the fylgja: a powerful bear or an aggressive wolf (Raudvere 2003: 71)."
"One of many examples is to be found in Njal’s Saga (ch. 23) where the main character, Gunnar Hamundarson of Hlidarend, appears to Hoskuld in a dream as a big bear with two small bears as his followers. In the morning Hoskuld knows for sure that he has seen the fylgja of Gunnar in his dream." (p. 82 - 83)
"In contrast to the fylgja, the hamingja can also be transferred to someone outside the family when a person dies (Simek 1996: 129; Orchard 2002: 129). But there seems to be a second meaning to hamingja as well. Hamr, which also means ‘skin’ or ‘animal clothing’, can be perceived as the interim shape of a person’s hugr, obtained through hamhleypa, that is, shape changing, which often takes the disguise of an animal or a woman (Simek 1996: 129). Usually this ‘free soul’ will appear in the shape of a bird, but also as a bear, wolf or whale (Glosecki 1989: 184)". (p. 83)
"The wolf, the bear, the wild boar and the bird of prey are, as pointed out above, particularly powerful animals in Nordic nature. Although most mammals, as well as birds, can be fylgja and hamr,9 with the horse as an exception (Davidson 1978: 141), it is these particular four that are prominent because they are connected to the elite classes and as such also appear in the surviving material culture, as well as in texts including the runic stones (personal names). It is, in other words, these animals which in specific situations gave their skin or shape to humans." (p.83-84)
books.google.com.pk/books?id=3XCrAgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=iron+age+and+materiality+archeology+of+Scandinavia&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=iron%20age%20and%20materiality%20archeology%20of%20Scandinavia&f=false
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Post by Montezuma on Sept 22, 2024 13:14:59 GMT -5
"One final example is located in Annales Lundenses from c. 1250/1265. In this part of the Lund annals (describing events up to ad 856), a Danish prince actually becomes a white bear before battle (lines 36–50): (p. 84)
The Emperor Arnulf from Rome marched with God’s help against the Danes, who were making war under the leadership of three brothers: Godefrid, Sigefrid and Ivar. In accordance with God’s will, Arnulf marched against them with an army. Two of the brothers doubted whether their side would be victorious, but were comforted by the third [Ivar], which incited them to fight in a manly way without fear, and then went into his tent. However, Godefrid wanted another word before the battle, and opened the tent in order to ask his brother some questions. When he did so, he saw him in the form of a white bear, walking around the floor and scratching at the ground with his claws; in appearance and behaviour he was like a wild animal. When Ivar, who had been changed both in form and nature, saw his brother standing in the door, he said: ‘you can fight a battle, dear brother, but you will not get victory’. These princes and the other enemies of the Christians were all but annihilated by the Emperor Arnulf in a series of terrible battles.
"Wolf is also the most common animal in the compounded personal names, often in combination with bear, eagle, or wild boar, or it is attached to battle, hird, sword, etc. (p. 90)
"It should be noted that among the animal bones from the impressive ‘royal’ burial mounds from the sixth/ seventh century in Old Uppsala, traditionally ascribed to the Ynglinga kings, there were remains of bear and goshawk in addition to bones from domestic animals .
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Post by Montezuma on Sept 22, 2024 15:14:22 GMT -5
Bear
"More than any other animal, the bear is associated with shamanism through the bear-cult. Like the shaman, the bear journeys between this world and the other, when it hibernates in the winter and returns to life in the spring. The bear also has a dazed and dramatic awakening after its ecstatic sleep. The huge male is a shaman of superior power (Glosecki 1989: 198 ff.).
In traditional cultures from Lapland to Labrador the body of the bear is sacred (Davidson 1978: 130; Price 2002: 247 with references). When a bear is killed or captured, this only occurs because the bear itself allowed it to happen. It gives itself, in other words, to the hunter (Ingold 2000: 121). Among all the north Eurasian groups, the majority of rituals and the greatest number of taboos are associated with the bear and bear hunting, and these are regulated and administered by the shaman. He is the only one who can change shape between human and animal by force of will (Ingold 2000: 123). During the hunt the bear was treated like a person, and after the killing, its nose was cut off and tied to the face of the hunter, as an expression of the respect the hunter wished to show the bear. Later on the hunt was re-enacted as a full-scale drama and the hunter apologised for having slaughtered the bear – their own relative – to provide food for the tribe (Glosecki 1989: 203). In addition it was a common practice to drink the blood to obtain power and courage from the bear (Davidson 1978: 130). By giving itself to the hunter, the bear not only handed over its physical mass but also part of its skills and potential to the humans. If the hunt was performed in the right way and the dead bear and its bones were treated correctly, vitality and rebirth were ensured. In this way, man and bear are dependent on each other in a symmetrical relationship. In order to survive, the humans had to kill the animal. In an animist ontology, as for example among the Samí, the bear hunt thus has a fundamentally different meaning than that of simply providing food. The bear hunt is essential to the renewal of the World (Ingold 2000: 114).
Among the Samí, this connection between the bear and humans was traditionally expressed by addressing the bear as ‘grandfather’, and here ritualised bear hunts were held until recently. Each ceremony ended with the burial of the bear’s bones (Näsström 1996 with references)."
(p.92)
"In Scandinavia this well-known circumpolar bear cult is primarily attached to the Samí (Zachrisson and Iregren 1974). However, it is also noted in Finland, where the national epic the Kalevala (46) describes a bear ceremony in detail (Näsström 1996: 76). Correspondingly close ties between bears and humans are reflected in Old Norse literature and can be found as late as the fourteenth century ad, in Hrólf saga Kraka, where a man and a bear – in the guise of the hero Bodvar Bjarki – are tied so tightly together in mystic union that it can only be understood as a genetic affinity (Glosecki 1989: 198 ff.; Byock 1998: xxv ff.). This idea of a special connection between bear and man is reflected in folk belief. In 1555 Olaus Magnus, Father of the Church and historian, published his great work on the Norwegian peoples, Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus, in which he in deadly earnest mentions the existence of mixed marriages between bears and humans (Näsström 1996: 75)." (p. 92-93)
"The most obvious and revealing version of the human bear can be found in the word ‘berserker’, which etymologically consists of ber (bear) and serker (skin or cloth). However, Snorri, and his successors well into the nineteenth century, confused ‘ber’ with ‘berr’, that is, naked. From this they concluded wrongly that the warriors went to battle naked, without weapons (Davidson 1978; Simek 1996: 35). Instead, they are to be perceived as warriors, whose fylgja were bears, fighting in its guise, but not necessarily wearing bear fur/coats. In Old Norse literature the berserker is described as the most feared of all warriors, and they are mentioned along with ulfhe∂nar as Odin’s warriors. In his Ynglinga Saga, Snorri describes Odin’s warriors as furious dogs or wolves who bit into their shields and were strong as bears or bulls. They killed people and neither fire nor iron could harm them. According to Snorri this state is named berserkergang (to go berserk/mad/furious) (ch. 6). The berserker is best seen as a picked warrior who fights in a state of ecstasy, without knowledge of either pain or fear. The berserker controlled the most powerful and dangerous magic – shape shifting (Glosecki 1989: 205 f.; Byock 1998: xxix; Näsström 2006). However, this power to ‘go berserk’ ceased with the coming of Christianity, as is related in Eyrbygga Saga 61 (Raudvere 2003: 109)." (p.93)
books.google.com.pk/books?id=3XCrAgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=iron+age+and+materiality+archeology+of+Scandinavia&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=iron%20age%20and%20materiality%20archeology%20of%20Scandinavia&f=false
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Post by Montezuma on Sept 22, 2024 15:34:33 GMT -5
"The greatest heroes in Old Norse and Old English literature have names connected to the bear, reflecting its magical power. There is Bodvar Bjarki from Hrólf saga Kraka – his name means ‘little bear of battle’. He is the son of Bera – ‘she-bear’ – and of Bjørn – ‘he-bear’. In a noteworthy episode, a huge bear is seen fighting alongside Hrólf and his men, biting and slaying the enemy with its paws and itself invulnerable to weapons. Meanwhile, the berserk Bodvar Bjarki is asleep. When he is woken, the bear disappears (and Hrólf is slain). Certainly the bear was Bjarki’s fylgja, which disappeared when he himself turned up on the battlefield (Orchard 2002: 123)." (p. 93)
"Bjarki is the most obvious Germanic bear-son and a direct analogy to Beowulf, whose name means Bee-wolf, that it, wolf and bee, a synonym for the bear that seeks the same honey from which kings used to make their mead (Byock 1998: xxix f.). The bear was fylgja for the most powerful of shamans in the Eurasian regions, and for the greatest mythological heroes in Old Norse and Old English literature, as it was a frequent kenning for Odin (Glosecki 1989: 206)." (p. 93)
"The central and special ritual position that the bear had in Scandinavia during pre-Christian times is reflected in many ways; the bear burials, bear furs in graves, just as drilled bear claws and bear teeth are found often in very rich graves such as the Norwegian weapon grave from Snartemo of the Migration Period (Hougen 1935; Mansrud 2004, 2006). Bear claws in Norwegian graves from the Migration Period are interpreted as symbolic expressions of hamskifte related to shamanistic characteristics of an Odin cult (Krüger 1988; Fredriksen 2006). Furthermore, the elite warrior costumes from the Migration Period burials at Evebø-Eide in Norway and Högom in Sweden are interpreted as representing ‘bear-warriors’ (Bender Jørgensen 2003) (p. 93-94)
"In artistic expression the bear is pretty much non-existent: it is not an element in the animal art, it is not present on helmets, and there are no known warriors in bear guise from the Vendel Period’s rich iconography. A warrior-bear may be depicted on the Oseberg textiles (Christensen et al. 1992: 244), and on a so-called volva-stick from a female grave in Klinta on Öland, dated to the Viking Age (Price 2002: f i g. 3.67). The only iconographic reproductions of the bear come from the Torslunda helmet-plate die (see Figure 4.27), on a helmet plate from Valsgärde 7, and on a lance in Vendel grave 12 (Böhner 1991: 698). Quite coincidentally, Torslunda is situated very close to Björnhövda, that is, bear-head. Bearing in mind the significance of a slaughtered bear in shamanistic cult, then perhaps it could be argued that the name is an expression of a bear cult connected to a particular place." (p.94)
books.google.com.pk/books?id=3XCrAgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=iron+age+and+materiality+archeology+of+Scandinavia&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=iron%20age%20and%20materiality%20archeology%20of%20Scandinavia&f=false
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Post by Montezuma on Sept 22, 2024 15:51:59 GMT -5
"The die does not show the warrior in the guise of a bear, but rather in battle with two bears. On one side it looks as if he will be eaten by one of the two bears, and on the other side it looks like he has wounded one of them fatally with his sword. The bear is the largest, strongest and most taboo of all animals; it was fylgja for the most powerful shamans/sei∂-men and the wildest of warriors and it gave its name to the greatest of mythical heroes in the Nordic countries and East Anglia. It could appear in the guise of a man in the same way as the shaman could appear in the guise of a bear (Ingold 2000: 114). The ritualised enmity between shamans/warriors and the animal fylgja is a recurring theme in Eurasia, often associated with initiation rites. Among the Gothic Heruli, as well the Scythians, the slaying of a bear, a wild boar or a ‘four-legged animal’ took place as part of the rite de passage into manhood (Wolfram 1990: 107 f.)." (p. 94)
"The die could therefore be explained as reproducing the initiation rite of a great warrior, rites that transformed them into ‘berserkers’. By killing a bear, drinking its blood and eating its meat (the Christian term), the man became a part of the animal, the animal part of the man and the warrior became one with his flygja. This is the concrete physical uniting of animal and human. On the Torslunda mould the bears try to eat the man, while the man attempts to kill the bears – an identical relationship is portrayed in gold and cloisonné on the purse-lid from Sutton Hoo, but this time the composition relates to a wolf (Bruce-Mitford 1979: 110)." (p. 94) "The Hrólf saga Kraka tells how the most archetypal bear-warrior/berserk, Bodvar Bjarki, initiated a young man, Hott, to become a berserk himself (ch. 23) (Byock 1998: 51):
He [Bodvar Bjarki] picked up Hott and carried him to where the beast lay dead. Hott was trembling violently. Bodvar said, ‘Now you will drink the beast’s blood.’ For a while Hott was unwilling, although certainly he dared do nothing else. Bodvar made him drink two large mouthfuls as well as eat some of the beast’s heart. After that Bodvar seized Hott, and they fought each other for a long time. Bodvar said, ‘You have now become remarkably strong, and I expect that from this day forward you will have no fear of King Hrolf’s retainers.’ (Hrólf saga Kraka ch. 23)
Shortly after Hott became a berserk in Hrolf Kraki’s hird, from then on taking the name of Hjalti." (p. 94-95)
"Although the motif of two antithetical creatures placed symmetrically around a human being is rooted in classical art (Böhner 1991: 702 f.), it has no doubt been adapted and transformed into a meaningful expression in the iconography of the Nordic Iron Age on a par with the bracteates. Do these two portrayals express what originally had been the initiation of the bear warrior, berserker, and wolf warrior, ulfhe∂inn, respectively? Was this equivalent to a warrior, paying careful consideration to particular ritual actions, killing and eating his fylgja, the bear, wolf or wild boar, in order to be united with the animal and attain its particular traits and powers? In battle these bear, wolf and wild boar warriors were terrifying because everyone knew what violent magical powers they commanded." (p. 95)
books.google.com.pk/books?id=3XCrAgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=iron+age+and+materiality+archeology+of+Scandinavia&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=iron%20age%20and%20materiality%20archeology%20of%20Scandinavia&f=false
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Post by Montezuma on Sept 22, 2024 18:52:01 GMT -5
"The bear was a highly significant animal in the Old Norse world. It is connected to the greatest of heroes and to Odin’s own warriors. Its lack of representation in the iconography throughout the entire Iron Age and the Viking Age is therefore quite remarkable. Perhaps the only explanation is that the bear, whether in animal or human guise, was so feared and considered so taboo that it could not be depicted. (p.95)
"The wolf warrior, bear warrior and wild boar warrior represent three different forms of combat, symbolised by the three animal species. The bear represents the solitary, independent and majestic figure with huge power and noble conduct that nevertheless can in a fury destroy everything and everybody in its surroundings. Thus berserk and ulfhe∂nar represent two different ways of fighting in the Viking Age and Late Iron Age. The berserk is the individualistic warrior whose reputation was created through his impressive courage and ability to fi ght. At the same time he should never attack an un-armed or powerless enemy. Thus the berserk is seen in contrast to the ulfhe∂nar, the Viking warrior group par excellence who attacked in force to plunder and destroy. Whereas the bear was a noble enemy, the wolf was cruel and sly." (p. 95)
"Many animals were thought to have supernatural powers (such as the snake, the bear, the wolf and the boar) and many were consulted for information about the future by obtaining auspices through observing the movements of, for example, specifi c birds or a specifi c horse (e.g. Tacitus Germania 10)." (p.98)
"However, some animals such as dogs, horses, and bears were sometimes buried separately in inhumation graves like their human counterparts (Mansrud 2006). Bears were always consumed before the burial, while dogs and horses are buried whole although they are also part of social practice linked to ‘food consumption’ (Jennbert 2003: 147)." (p. 99)
books.google.com.pk/books?id=3XCrAgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=iron+age+and+materiality+archeology+of+Scandinavia&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=iron%20age%20and%20materiality%20archeology%20of%20Scandinavia&f=false
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Post by Montezuma on Sept 22, 2024 18:56:52 GMT -5
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Post by Montezuma on Sept 26, 2024 22:07:28 GMT -5
Medeina - The Baltic Bear Goddess In the baltics, especially in Lithuania, before the the rise of Christianity, Medeina was one of the most important deity in Baltic paganism associated with forest. At times of paganism, bear cult was also important baltics as well and both these figures were connected in beliefs.Abstract
"Medeina originally was a deity of forests in Lithuanian mythology, later in the 13th – 14th centuries she became also a deity of war. The fact that a deity of forests became one of the central deities in the mythology of medieval society is rather unique. Also a fact pointing to the archaism of Medeina is her connection with the bear cult. The character of Medeina seems to be a relic of beliefs of a substrate ethnic group. The name of Medeina/Medeinė is derived from Lithuanian words medis "tree" or medė "forest”; which have no reliable Indo-European etymology. The root mede “tree” / “forest” can originate from a language of the Neolithic people of the East European plain, these people spoke a language related to Yeniseian, Caucasian, and Hattic. The root mede “tree” / “forest” correlates with Proto-Northwest Caucasian form *m “pine-tree”. The name Medeina/Medeinė originally could sound like Mæde/Mædə."
Keywords: Medeina; Lithuanian mythology; bear cult
"Also an important fact pointing to the archaism of Medeina is her connection with the bear ritual.
Bear rituals and bear myths were important parts of Baltic paganism. We can read about the bear cult that existed in Lithuania in the works of chronicler Jan Długosz (15th century), historian Jan Łasicki (16th century), and The Bychowiec Chronicle (13th century).
In a Lithuanian folk tale it is said that Medeina and Lazdona both fell in love with the same guy named Kaukarius. Lazdona sang very beautifully and she became jealous since not only Medeina loved Kaukarius, but also Kaukarius loved Medeina, and that’s why Lazdona drowned Medeina in a river. Two shepherds found remains of Medeina corpse and made a harp of her bones and strings of her hairs. The harp started to play by itself and told the story of two sisters. The shepherds came to the village and told about this. Lazdona realized that reprisal awaited her and jumped off a cliff trying to make suicide, but a guy named Lauksargas saved her and she became his wife.
One day an intertribal war began and Kaukarius was mortally wounded, Lazdona bandaged his wounds and calls the witch Lauma for help. Lauma said that the skin of a freshly killed bear with blood is needed, which should be put on dying Kaukarius in order for him to survive. Lauksargas killed a bear and brought the skin. Lauma put the skin on Kaukarius and he turned into a huge and strong bear. The bear thanked Lazdona for saving him, but he said that he heard the song of the harp and would never forgive Lazdona for the death of his beloved Medeina. And he said that he was going to kill them all. Lazdona asked for mercy and asked Lauma to help her. Lauma was a witch, but she was also afraid of the bear. Lauma ordered Lazdona to give the harp to the bear, and also said that along with the harp Lazdona would lose her voice and would not be able to speak. Also Lauma said that she is going to pray to Upinis – the deity of the river for he would return Medeina back.
Lasdona gave the harp to bear, he broke it, and living Medeina appeared. Lazdona was never able to speak or sing again. And Medeina climbed on the back of the bear without fear, and they went into the forest.
This legend is pretty famous and a sculpture depicting Medeina on the bear can be seen in the center of Vilnius (fig. 1). "
"This legend somehow reminds some Ainu folk tales narrating about saving a human girl/woman by a bear. Ainu had a well-elaborated bear cult and thus such legends can be considered as relics of the bear cult.
And also there are some other relics of the bear cult in Lithuania. For instance, people from Panevėžys (fig. 2), when building a new house, first let in a bear, if the bear entered the house without resistance, it meant there were no evil spirits in the house, and then they brought a black hen, to which the bear cut off its head.
Also during the winter solstice, ancestors of the Balts disguised themselves as bears."
www.academia.edu/74239387/Medeina_Medein%C4%97_as_a_relic_of_Neolithic_beliefs
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Post by Montezuma on Oct 4, 2024 22:53:09 GMT -5
Hunting the European Sky Bears: Germanic Straw-bears and their Relatives as Transformers by Roslyn Frank"The origins of the Germanic ―Straw-bears‖ have been subject to speculation for years. In this study the Straw-bears will be contextualized along with their European relatives so that their meaning can be better appreciated within a larger framework of European ritual belief and social practice. The cosmogony in question is grounded in the belief that humans descended from bears, a belief that continued into the 20th century among Basquespeakers. The transformative aspects of the Straw-bear performances will be examined in relation to ―Good-Luck Visits‖, a performance aimed at bringing good health and prosperity to the houses visited and in which Straw-bears and their relatives have played a major role. "
"People would take me aside and tell me the following in a low voice, as if they were sharing a very important yet almost secretive piece of knowledge: ―We Basques used to believe we descended from bears.‖ The first time someone told me this, I had no idea what I should say in response. I found the statement totally amazing. Yet over and over again the same thing happened to me. People, who didn‘t know each other, who had no contact with each other, ended up telling me the same thing."
"The last statement by Petiri concerning the fact that humankind ―est fabriqué à partir de l‘ours‖ is probably a literal French translation of the Basque sentence: ―Gizona hartzak egina da.‖ The expression could also be rendered as: ―The bear created humankind‖. Or, it could be glossed as: ―Our human origins go back to the bear who created us.‖ When examined more closely, this cosmogenic belief in the bear ancestors resonates strongly with a hunter-gatherer mentality, that is, with what would be a Mesolithic or even Upper Palaeolithic mindset, and not with the agricultural world view characteristic of Neolithic agro-pastoralists. Moreover, we see that the persistence of this ursine cosmology is found not only in the folk memory of Basque speakers who are no longer emotionally committed to the tenets of the belief system, but also in the minds of individuals like Petiri and his son Dominique."
"The Bear Son tales represent one of the most common motifs found in European folklore.The significance of the widespread distribution of the motif is best understood once we recognize that we are dealing with relatively archaic materials emanating from an earlier European cosmology that linked humans directly to bears. In this regard, the Bear Son tales are one component of this cosmology, one that also includes ritual practices which, in turn, are intimately connected this earlier pan-European story of origins. "
"Evidence for the residual practice of bear ceremonialism in Europe is demonstrated in many forms, including ritual reenactments of the bear hunt and folkloric performances portraying scenes from the Bear Son saga itself.13 These social practices are particularly abundant not only in Western Europe but also in many parts of Central and Eastern Europe where dancing bears or their human counterparts are viewed similarly, i.e., as bringing good luck, health and prosperity to those visited.14 At the same time, the visits had a cleansing component for they purportedly guaranteed that evil spirits and other bad influences would be carried away. "
For further details, read the full text (pdf) given below:
www.academia.edu/473481/Hunting_the_European_Sky_Bears_German_Straw-bears_and_their_Relatives_as_Transformers
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