Bear worship (also known as arctolatry) is a form of animal worship and is the religious practice of worshipping bears. Bears are often viewed as ancestors or spiritual messengers by those who practice arctolatry. The practice can involve both the reverence and ritual slaughter of bears. Archaeologists have debated the advent of the ceremonial treatment of bear remains, but some evidence suggests the practice may date back to the Middle Paleolithic in Neanderthal populations. Bear worship is a common practice across many circumpolar northern cultures. The practice is associated with bear remains and can be traced back geographically to North Eurasian populations, including the Ainu, Nivkh, Sámi, Finno-Ugric, and other Siberian peoples.
Background
Linguistics Bear worship is sometimes referred to as "arctolatry." The term arctolatry combines two distinct linguistic roots. The prefix "arcto-" comes from the Ancient Greek word "arktos," meaning "bear," which itself shares a root with the Proto-Indo-European word for bear. The suffix "-latry" comes from the Greek word "latreia," meaning "worship" or "service," stemming from latris, meaning "servant" or "worshipper."
Possible earliest sites
The existence of an ancient bear cult among Neanderthals in Western Eurasia during the Middle Paleolithic has been a subject of debate in the archaeological community. Some archaeologists suggest that the bear was considered a primeval god and the she-bear a mother goddess. Some archaeologists have suggested that Neanderthals worshipped the cave bear (Ursus spelaeus). Ancient bear bones have been discovered in several caves. The earliest representation of bears in a cave was found in the Eastern Pyrenees.
During excavations, some on-site archaeologists try to determine whether the bones were arranged in a way that could only have resulted from direct intervention rather than natural deposition. Some archaeologists, such as Roger Constant, consider this evidence of a bear cult that originated during the Paleolithic period. Constant has defended the idea of a bear cult and played a role in the reintroduction of live bears near a discovery site.
Assessing evidence
The existence of an ancient bear cult among Neanderthals in Western Eurasia in the Middle Paleolithic has been a subject of conjecture due to contentious archaeological findings. Evidence suggests that Neanderthals could have worshipped the cave bear (Ursus spelaeus), and bear bones have been discovered in several cave sites across Western Eurasia. It was not just the presence of these bones, but their peculiar arrangement that intrigued archaeologists. During excavations, on-site archaeologists determine if the bones were arranged in such a way that could only have resulted from direct intervention rather than natural deposition processes.
While these findings have been taken to indicate an ancient bear cult, other interpretations of the remains have led some to conclude that the presence of bear bones in these contexts is a natural phenomenon. Ina Wunn, based on the information archaeologists have about early hominins, contends that if Neandertals did worship bears, there would be evidence of it in their settlements and camps. However, most bear remains have been found in caves. Many archaeologists now theorise that, since most bear species hibernate in caves during the winter, the presence of bear remains is not unusual in this context. Bears that lived inside these caves may have perished from natural causes such as illness or starvation. Wunn argues that the placement of these remains is due to natural, post-deposition events such as wind, sediment, or water. Therefore, in Wunn's view, the assortment of bones remaining in the caves does not stem from human activities, and there is no clear evidence of a bear cult during the Middle Paleolithic era.
Emil Bächler, a proponent of the bear-cult hypothesis, found bear remains in Switzerland and at Mornova Cave () in Slovenia. Alongside Bächler's discovery, André Leroi-Gourhan found bear skulls arranged in a circle in Saône-et-Loire. Some archaeologists, such as Bächler, have used these excavations to support the idea of an ancient bear cult, suggesting that the bones were intentionally arranged as part of a ceremony because they were arranged in ways that they believed were not naturally possible.
Process
While each culture has its own practices around bear worship, a ceremony can begin years before the bear is sacrificed. It may start when male hunters find a bear den, kill the mother bear, and capture a bear cub. People then raise the cub as if it were one of their own children. Raising a bear takes one to five years, depending on its age at sexual maturity and sex. Generally, female bears are raised for a shorter time than male bears.
Families raise bears in captivity with their animals and children. They usually care for a bear cub until it grows too large, before sacrificing it.
Before the sacrifice, villagers entertain the bear to ensure a good sendoff. They splash water on each other, wrestle, hold dog races, and play games. The goal is to make the bear’s send-off enjoyable. This is believed to bring good fortune from the spirits after the bear’s sacrifice.
In Ulch bear ceremonies, two men guide the bear on chains around an ice hole, and it is a sign of good luck if it drinks. The men then walk to the killing site, which is called "arachu," while women play rhythms on a hollow log and dance. After sacrificing a bear, each male hunter must touch its skin. This act is thought to bring the blessing of the taiga for a successful hunting season.
In some societies, the bear is taken around the village for final goodbyes before being led to a nearby forest location for the sacrifice, typically within a mile of the village. During the sacrifice, it is important to respect the bear. Disrespectful actions include being barefoot or using a gun. Instead, the bear should be killed with a bow and arrow, a knife, or a spear. It is also important to use careful language. Phrases such as “I obtained a child” may be used in some cultures to refer to the sacrifice, as some groups believe direct language can offend both the bear and the gods overseeing the environment.
The ceremony involves sacrificing the bear by injuring its heart. Then, the people skin, cook, and feast on the bear meat. After the sacrifice, celebrations include children's plays, women playing instruments, and performances of dances, myths, and songs for the bear ceremony. Some scholarly records show that families often use the bear head as a protective ornament in their homes.
Cultural traditions Greek culture
The bear in Greek mythology was aligned with the goddess Artemis. Artemis is the daughter of Zeus, king of Olympus, and Leto, goddess of night and day. She reigns over forests and mountains, with powers over wild animals and the hunt. In the testimony of Pausanias, during his stay in Patras, he described the annual festival of the sanctuary of Artemis Laphria, where bear cubs were burned alive on the sacred altar.
In Greek mythology, the goddess Artemis is linked to the story of Iphigenia, the daughter of Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae. The story begins when Agamemnon kills a deer that belongs to Artemis. As a result, the seer Calchas tells the king that he must sacrifice his daughter to please the goddess. At the last moment, Artemis steps in to save Iphigenia and replaces her with a bear.
There is another story about an Athenian girl who was playing with a bear at the sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia. She accidentally provoked the bear and got scratched. In revenge, her brothers killed the bear, angering Artemis. To punish Athens, the goddess sent a plague. To then stop the plague, the Oracle of Delphi advised that all girls aged five to ten take part in a ritual at the sanctuary. This ritual involved "acting the bear" to calm Artemis. Over time, it became a tradition that no girl could marry without first serving as a "bear" or "Arktoi" for the goddess.
There is also the story of the nymph Callisto, who, according to legend, was transformed into the constellation Ursa Major. Callisto was the daughter of Lycaon, king of Pelagonia, later Arcadia. A woman of great beauty, she dedicated herself to Artemis, took a vow of chastity, and assisted the goddess when she went hunting. But Zeus fell in love with her and adopted the appearance of Artemis to possess her. Callisto decided to hide her condition from the goddess, who discovered the deception one day while they were bathing in the river. Artemis transformed her into a she-bear, and in this state she gave birth to a boy named Arcas, interpreted as "bear-man." Her son became king of Arcadia. One day, while out hunting, he encountered his mother, a she-bear, who stopped upon seeing her son. Just as he was about to kill her, Zeus intervened, preventing matricide. Swept up by a strong wind, they were sent to the sky, transforming them into two constellations: Callisto into the Ursa Major and Arcas into Ursa Minor.
Another myth is that of King Iasus of Arcadia, or the land of bears. A descendant of Arcas, where men fought wearing bear skins, Iasus had a daughter, Atalanta, whom he abandoned on Mount Parthenius because he only wanted male offspring. The girl survived, suckled by a she-bear. When she grew up, hunters found her and gave her a strict upbringing. Atalanta returned to her father and agreed to marry the suitor who won a race. The winner was Hippomenes, aided by Aphrodite, and he won the kingdom of Arcadia. Hippomenes forgot to thank Aphrodite, and the goddess transformed the couple into lions.
Priam, king of Troy, had a son with his wife Hecuba. She dreamed she would give birth to a torch that would set the city on fire, interpreted as the destruction of the kingdom. Her son, named Paris, was given to a servant who abandoned him on Mount Ida, where he was suckled by a she-bear. Shepherds found him and raised him. Once returned to Troy, he sailed to the Peloponnese where he fell in love with Helen. Her abduction provoked the Trojan War.
Roman culture In classical Rome, the Roman interpretation of Artemis was the goddess Diana, often depicted with a bow or deer. Other gods linked to Diana include the Celtic Arduina, accompanied by a boar, venerated in the Ardennes, Andarta, and Artio of the Helvetii. These goddesses were sometimes considered to have bear-like traits.
Pyrenees regional culture
There are annual bear festivals held in various towns and communes across the Pyrenees region of Spain and France. Every year, towns and communities in the Pyrenees hold bear festivals. There are six main bear dances in the Pyrenees, as described by Eloi Ysàs. The festivals where these dances are performed can be found: three in Northern Catalonia—the Bear Festivals of Vallespir, in the towns of Prats de Mollo, Arles, and Saint-Laurent-de-Cerdans, two in the Central Pyrenees,
In Prats de Mollo, the bear festival or bear dance is celebrated on Candlemas on February 2. It is a ritual in which men dressed as bears brandish sticks that frighten people through the streets. Previously, the festival centred on the "bears" attacking women and trying to blacken their chests (with soot), which was scandalous for observers seeing it for the first time from outside. There is also a similar festival in the town of Sant Llorenç de Cerdans..
The Arles version includes a female character named Rosetta who was kidnapped by the bear. Rosetta was usually performed by a man or boy dressed as a girl. The bear would take Rosetta to a hut in the town square, where she would eat sausages, cake, and drink white wine. The event would end with the bear being shaved and killed. Andorra also has festivals honoring the she-bear.