What Happened to the Bear Family in the Badger and the Bear

Indian languages Indian cultures Totem animals

Native American Bear Mythology

Bears figure prominently in the mythology of nearly every Native American tribe. In most Native cultures, Bear is considered a medicine being with impressive magical powers, and plays a major office in many religious ceremonies. Bears are symbols of strength and wisdom to many Native Americans, and are often associated with healing and medicine (since bears go on fighting afterward beingness seriously injured, Native Americans often believed they were capable of healing their wounds.)

Sponsored Links

Among the Pueblo tribes, bears are considered ane of the half dozen directional guardians, associated with the west and the colour bluish. The Zunis ascribe healing powers to bears and carve stone carry fetishes to protect them and bring them luck. A bear'southward hook was one of the talismans often included in medicine bundles, and warriors in some tribes wore necklaces of bear claws to bring them ability and strength. There were also many taboos regarding bears in unlike Native American tribes-- the utilise of hunting seasons (to avert killing mother bears with their cubs) was the almost common, but in some tribes, it was considered disrespectful and dangerous to insult bears, footstep on their scat, or even utter their names exterior of sure ritual contexts. Among the Innu, it was taboo for children or unmarried women to eat bear meat, and some Apache tribes did not consume bears at all.

In sociology, Bear is often portrayed either as a sort of enforcer figure who punishes disrespectful or improper beliefs among other animals and people, or equally a humorless "direct man" for weaker but cleverer trickster characters to play against. Bear personalities in these stories range from wise and noble, to morally upright simply somewhat stupid and gullible, to ambitious and intimidating, just in most cases, they do not bother people who take not done anything wrong. (In that location are a few exceptions to this-- in some tribes, such as the Cherokee, bears are sometimes portrayed equally violent enemies of humans, although they are still an of import clan animal to the Cherokees. Some tribes also tell stories about monsters resembling man-eating bears the size of elephants, which casualty on innocent people and must be slain by heroes.) The devoted maternal beliefs of female bears is ofttimes noted in folktales, with female parent bears sacrificing themselves for their cubs or adopting human children.

Bears are also one of the near important and widespread clan animals in Native American cultures. Tribes with Comport Clans include the Creek (whose Behave Clan is named Nokosalgi or Nokosvlke,) the Chippewa (whose Bear Clan and its totem are called Nooke,) Algonquian tribes such as the Mi'kmaq and Menominee, the Huron and Iroquois tribes, Plains tribes such as the Caddo and Osage, the Hopi (whose Bear Association is called Honngyam or Hona-wungwa), the Navajo and Pueblo tribes of New Mexico, and Northwest Coast tribes such every bit the Tlingit, Tsimshian, Nisgaa-Gitksan, and Salishan tribes. Deport was an of import clan crest on the Northwest Coast and can oft be establish carved on totem poles. And many eastern tribes, such as the Caddo, Lenape, and Iroquois, accept a Carry Dance among their tribal dance traditions.

Native American Bear Gods and Spirits

Aincekoko (Zuni)
Big Rump Bear (Mohican/Shawnee)
Hairless Bear (Penobscot)
Katci-to'wack'w (Cree)
Hon Kachina (Hopi)
Mashkuapeu, the Bear Principal (Innu)
Muwin (Micmac)
Naked Bear (Iroquois)
Stiff Legged Bear (Eastern tribes)

Native American Legends Well-nigh Bears

Mooin, the Bear'southward Child Legend of the Behave Clan A Conduct Tale:
    Wabanaki Indian legends of a male child adopted past a carry family unit.
Lox and Bear How Lox Beguiled The Carry:
    Wabanaki legends well-nigh the Wolverine tricking Mouin the Bear to his death.
How Wolverine Froze To Death Rabbit's Adventure with Carry:
    Native American legends from various tribes featuring Bear as a magically powerful existence who trickster characters unsuccessfully try to imitate.
Bear Medicine:
    Dene fable about a man who hibernated with a deport and received a special gift of bear-hunting medicine.
Brother Bear Legend:
    Menominee folktale about a lost man who took shelter with a carry.
The Travails of Mrs. Bear:
    Micmac Indian legend of an overly trusting Comport Woman learning to exist more than wary.
Mi'kmaq Bear Story:
    Mi'kmaq Indian myth virtually Carry'south journey to bring medicine to the people.
The Annoy and the Bear:
    Lakota Indian story nearly a bullying bear punished for turning on a badger family that had helped him in his time of demand.
How the Bear Lost His Tail:
    Ojibwe fable about Otter tricking Bear into losing his tail.
How Women Were Given Menstruation:
    Legends from the Siouan tribes and their neighbors almost a hero killing his grandmother'south lover the Carry.
They That Hunt Afterward The Conduct (A Star Story) Spirit Bear Myth:
    Fox Indian fable about a bear and iii hunters that turned into stars.
The Hunting of the Great Bear:
    A similar Iroquois legend well-nigh 4 hunters, a dog, and a bear who became a constellation.
The Legend of the Bear Cubs:
    Innu myth about two young bears escaping from a cannibal monster.
Trickster Kills The Children:
    Arapaho legend virtually an incautious bear family falling prey to the dangerous trickster Nihansan.
The Adult female and her Bear:
    Inuit legend nearly a childless woman who adopted a polar behave cub.
Mammoth or Strong-Legged Conduct:
    Academic discussion of Native American stiff-legged bear mythology.
The Hunting of Slap-up Acquit:
    Iroquois legend about the angelic hunt for the Not bad Deport.
Blue Jay And Lizard And The Grizzly-Bears:
    California Indian legend about the destruction of a family of selfish grizzly bears.
The Power Of Buffalo And Bear:
    Caddo legends nigh the origin and powers of buffalo and comport medicine.

Recommended Books of Acquit Stories from Native American Myth and Fable
Our organisation earns a commission from whatever book bought through these links

Mayuk the Grizzly Bear:
    A Northwest Coast Native American legend near Carry presented by the Sechelt Nation of Canada.
The Polar Bear Son:
    Charming moving-picture show book based on an old Inuit legend virtually a woman who adopts a little bear cub.
Carry Lore and Fable:
    Children's book presenting three illustrated Native American stories about bears.
Giving Vox to Bear: Northward American Indian Myths, Rituals, and Images of the Conduct:
    Interesting anthropology book about the importance of acquit spirits to Native American religious traditions.
Spirits of the Earth: A Guide to Native American Nature Symbols, Stories, and Ceremonies:
    Book past a Karuk elder about the meanings of Indian brute spirits, including a chapter on bears.
The Sacred Paw: The Deport in Nature, Myth, and Literature:
    Volume about the relationship between bears and humans throughout history.
Native American Beast Stories:
    A groovy drove of American Indian tales about bears and other animals, told by Abenaki storyteller Joseph Bruchac.
Native Languages of the Americas website © 1998-2020 Contacts and FAQ page

suggsbeffing.blogspot.com

Source: http://www.native-languages.org/legends-bear.htm

Share this post