The East Siberian brown bear, a subspecies of the brown bear, inhabits the territory of Siberia east of the Yenisei River. The beast surpasses its European cousins in size, but it is smaller than the Kamchatka and Ussuri brown bears. It weighs about 350 kilograms. It is about two and a half meters in length, has a shoulder height of about one and a half meters. Its muscular body, a huge head, the ability to run at speeds up to 60 kilometers per hour and curved claws more than eight centimeters in length make this bear a dangerous opponent.
Siberian bears are solitary and hibernate in winter. Many people believe that they are predators, however, they are omnivorous. Their diet mainly includes fish, especially during spawning seasons.
The Khanty people revered the bear as the son of the supreme god Torum. According to a legend, the bear’s father lowered it to the ground, instructing it to keep order and justice. Back in the early 20th century, if a Khanty person was accused of theft, they took a bear’s paw in their hands or stood in front of a bear’s skull and pronounced the magical formula, “If I took an animal from someone else’s trap, then you, the ancient inhabitant of the forest, tear me apart with these claws” (Vladislav Kulemzin and Nadezhda Lukina).
It was also believed that the bear protects family members from ailments and invisibly helps hunters to capture prey. Although the bear was revered, it was not prohibited to hunt it, on the contrary, catching a bear was considered a great success. In order to reconcile the soul of the slain animal with the hunters, the Khanty celebrated “bear feasts”.
In the olden days, such celebrations completed every successful bear hunt: the male was “honored” for at least five days, and the female and cubs for a shorter period. The holiday has become a tradition, it is held every few years.
Hunters carrying a bear’s skin (it was removed together with the head) were solemnly welcomed in the village. The animal was brought into the dwelling and its muzzle was placed on its paws. People put a hat or shawl (depending on gender) on it, as well as jewelry. Its eyes were covered with plaques made of birch bark, and treats were placed next to it. To protect oneself from the bear’s revenge, it was assured that “an arrow or a Russian bullet” killed it.
People came from all over the region for the holiday. In the evening they sang songs about the divine nature of the bear, and in the morning — praiseful and cheerful songs. This was followed by humorous performances (only men participated in them), dancing, fortune-telling and eating bear meat.
In the North, people refer to the bear with respect and even affection: Bear Father, Old Forester, Guest, and Old Prince. The female teenage bear from the museum’s collection is named Masha.
