What bear means religiously and mythically is very important to understand Siberian culture, because bear is very core in Siberian rite and myth.
Siberian Manchu-Tungusic bear myth should be classified as follows: Ⅰ. myth telling about marriage raw...
What bear means religiously and mythically is very important to understand Siberian culture, because bear is very core in Siberian rite and myth.
Siberian Manchu-Tungusic bear myth should be classified as follows: Ⅰ. myth telling about marriage raw, Ⅱ. myth explaining making rite, Ⅲ. myth explaining birth of spirit, Ⅳ. myth telling origin of tribe, Ⅴ. myth explaining bear worship, Ⅵ. myth explaining appearance of human or animal, Ⅶ. myth explaining natural phenomenon.
As ‘Bear Festival’ that was performed in the whole Siberia shows Siberia Manchu-Tungusic bear myth are formed on the base of bear worship. In animism, bear was worshipped as spirit of nature like ‘lord of forest’ or ‘people of forest’. In totemism, bear was worshipped as totem of their tribe such as ‘first forefather’ or ‘first mother’. And in shamanism, bear was worshipped helping spirit or protecting spirit of shaman. Like those bear worships were the matrix of making Siberia Manchu-Tungusic bear myth.