The Mansi deity - Shelab
Deity of the Mansi people.
The cult of the bear is the most archaic among the peoples of Eurasia and North America. In the Urals and Siberia, figurines depicting a bear in a sacrificial pose (head resting on its front paws) have been found, some of which were cast long before B.C. All the peoples of the Urals and Siberia had tabooed designations for the bear; they called it the Beast, the Master, the Grandfather, the Hairy Devil, Cheldon, the Black Malady, and so on. The Ugrians also referred to it as "Yalpyn Uy" (Sacred Beast).
Among the Ugrians, the Bear Feast in honor of the Beast or the Poluma-Torum could be either periodic (during solstices) or on the occasion of capturing a bear. In ancient times, the feast in honor of the bear lasted for 8 days, and for the she-bear - 7 days; later, accordingly, 5 days or 4 days. The bear was seen as an ancestor, gifts were brought to him, and pantomimes were performed in his honor. The largest of the festivals, where Mansi or Khanty from various regions would gather, was called "Yany Yikv" (Great Dances). Traditional Bear Feasts are still held to this day.
Here is how such a celebration took place at the end of the last century:
"Hunters with their prey approach the village. They give a signal, simultaneously shoot from their guns and shout the words: "Utschum okhov!" (five or four times depending on the gender of the captured bear. In the past, when there were no guns, the signal was given only by shouting)... In the house of the owner who caught the bear, a shelf (called uynorma) is built in the front corner... It creates a festive look, as if it were a window, and a dressed-up bear is seen through the window. His eyes are closed with a silver coin, a silver cup is attached to the end of his snout (nose and mouth area), shiny rings are put on his claws, his back is covered with a sacred silk robe (if it's a male, he is adorned with beads and a silk scarf, if it's a female)... On the table in front of the bear, a long birch-bark bowl with food is placed, divided into two parts, one intended for female guests, the other for male guests... Bread and tobacco are also placed in front of the bear (this is done because the bear used to be a human - informant's remark)."
This describes the ritual of the Sygvin Mansi. Both children and adults were supposed to participate in the celebration, as otherwise the bear might get offended. The culmination of the event was the performance of men in birch-bark masks.
(Rombandeeva E. I. History of the Mansi People (Voguls) and their Spiritual Culture. Surgut: Northern House, Northern-Siberian Publishing House)
The cult of the bear is the most archaic among the peoples of Eurasia and North America. In the Urals and Siberia, figurines depicting a bear in a sacrificial pose (head resting on its front paws) have been found, some of which were cast long before B.C. All the peoples of the Urals and Siberia had tabooed designations for the bear; they called it the Beast, the Master, the Grandfather, the Hairy Devil, Cheldon, the Black Malady, and so on. The Ugrians also referred to it as "Yalpyn Uy" (Sacred Beast).
Among the Ugrians, the Bear Feast in honor of the Beast or the Poluma-Torum could be either periodic (during solstices) or on the occasion of capturing a bear. In ancient times, the feast in honor of the bear lasted for 8 days, and for the she-bear - 7 days; later, accordingly, 5 days or 4 days. The bear was seen as an ancestor, gifts were brought to him, and pantomimes were performed in his honor. The largest of the festivals, where Mansi or Khanty from various regions would gather, was called "Yany Yikv" (Great Dances). Traditional Bear Feasts are still held to this day.
Here is how such a celebration took place at the end of the last century:
"Hunters with their prey approach the village. They give a signal, simultaneously shoot from their guns and shout the words: "Utschum okhov!" (five or four times depending on the gender of the captured bear. In the past, when there were no guns, the signal was given only by shouting)... In the house of the owner who caught the bear, a shelf (called uynorma) is built in the front corner... It creates a festive look, as if it were a window, and a dressed-up bear is seen through the window. His eyes are closed with a silver coin, a silver cup is attached to the end of his snout (nose and mouth area), shiny rings are put on his claws, his back is covered with a sacred silk robe (if it's a male, he is adorned with beads and a silk scarf, if it's a female)... On the table in front of the bear, a long birch-bark bowl with food is placed, divided into two parts, one intended for female guests, the other for male guests... Bread and tobacco are also placed in front of the bear (this is done because the bear used to be a human - informant's remark)."
This describes the ritual of the Sygvin Mansi. Both children and adults were supposed to participate in the celebration, as otherwise the bear might get offended. The culmination of the event was the performance of men in birch-bark masks.
(Rombandeeva E. I. History of the Mansi People (Voguls) and their Spiritual Culture. Surgut: Northern House, Northern-Siberian Publishing House)
