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Nova Incognita's avatar

Very interesting, in Korea there is a foundation myth from ancient time about the bear wanted to be a human(웅녀), told by the divine to eat garlic and mugworth only for hundred days in a cave alone. She became a woman after that, married a son of sky God(환웅), create a first kingdom and people of it together. Is ancestral origin myth story

Mycological Memories's avatar

I never thought of how similar we are to Bears in our behaviours but now that you've pointed it out , I see it clearly - and feel it. There is something familial about watching a bear play, walk, hunt. Great post thank you!

Emil Davityan's avatar

An interesting parallel between the exit from the cave and the tomb around Easter

Radu's avatar

Check out the bear festival in Romania. https://apimagesblog.com/blog/2023/1/16/bear-costumes-dance-at-popular-romanian-festival

A light version of this (more just as a travelling circus attraction around the holidays) is somehow entertained in all the big cities. But in some places they still have the real deal.

I remember also parading a live bear lead by a ring through its nose on these occasions, bit this practice faded out with the animal abuse organizations clamping down on it.

On a lighter note I remember a firecamp song going about how a she bear stole a girl from a group of mountaineers and they haggle to get her back. I'm sure there is a deep root for this too. Lots of connections to be made.

Radu's avatar

I guess it's a case of 'I have to do my homework before commenting'. It would be strange for you NOT to know about that, now that I think about it! :))

Simon van der Els's avatar

Having recently done a guided meditation with the Bear, we had a lovely encounter with its presence. I'm currently reading a fictional works from the perspective of Neanderthalers or other non Sapiens humanoïds (the book isn't explicit) so this reads as a wonderful combination.

Chris Vail's avatar

I think bear skulls stacked in a cave would act as a bear deterrent.

Jeff Verge's avatar

Lovely. Bears are intensely magnetic creatures.

Older thread so not sure if you will see this, but considered you might like this account I have of interacting with a mama grizzly in the rocky mountains. My close encounter echoes what you point to here, much of it beyond language to even describe it. Another reason we love bears is because no one can experience an understanding and communion like this in the wild with wolves, mountain lions, elk, goats or moose etc.

Eternal beings meeting. Ancient and intensely in the moment. When I die I will remember this.

https://substack.com/@jeffverge/p-141594643

Found your post scrolling the notes. Thanks for bringing this up in my memory.