The bear is a very famous animal. His image has been with us since early childhood in the form of a plush toy and the hero of many folk tales, cartoons, and proverbs. It is very popular in Slavic culture.
Despite his apparent clumsiness, he is very strong, runs quite quickly, deftly climbs trees and catches fish from reservoirs. It is an omnivore that feeds on fruits, berries, insects, rodents and even carrion. But it is known precisely for its passion for honey, which to some extent explains why the bear was called a bear. Many believe that this owner of the forest got his name because he eats honey. Whether this is true or not, we will find out in the article about the origin of the name of the bear.
Versions of the origin of the name
Why was the bear called a bear? There are several options to explain the name. And some of them indicate the obvious composition of the word. Its first part - “honey” - does not require decoding, and the second - “after all” - comes from the word “to know”, that is, “to know”. This combination occurs in different peoples and in various variations. For example, among the Ukrainians, they call the bear “witch”.
For a long time there was a belief among people that a bear in the forest always follows the scent of a person. People in the forest very often find hollows with honey from wild bees; such finds are usually accidental, so people leave them to return tomorrow with the necessary tools. But when they returned the next day, they found nothing, since the bear that followed them immediately plundered the hive and feasted on the honey. This is where the name comes from, that this is an animal that knows where the honey is.
According to the second version, "bear" is a distortion of more early name animal - "honey badger". They called him that so as not to pronounce his real nickname, which for many peoples was taboo and was not even allowed to be mentioned. For example, the Slavs had a belief that animals, if you called them by name, would hear and definitely come, which is why the names of dangerous animals were forbidden to be pronounced out loud. Because of this, by the way, many animals have lost their original names, and now we know them only those that were substitutes for the real ones.
There is an assumption that the most ancient name bears - “orktos”, which was borrowed from the Greeks. But we are unlikely to be able to find out how true this version is.
IN foreign languages it is called “bar” or “ber”, and in Russian the animal’s home is called den, ber’s lair. Apparently, this is exactly what our ancestors called it, but in colloquial speech used the word substitute "bear". Because of superstitions, hunters even now in the forest do not pronounce his name, but call him the owner of the forest.
In search of the truth, why the bear was called a bear
The word itself appeared in Rus' around the 11th century, but in fact it is one of the many nicknames for the clubfoot. Many peoples who live in the areas inhabited by this predator treat it with great respect, sometimes even as a deity. The ban on naming this animal out loud took place back in the Vedic tradition and was passed down from generation to generation, so “bear” has a lot of substitution words.
For example, in Dahl’s dictionary there are 37 of them: lomaka, forester, chiropractor, shaggy, Toptygin, clubfoot bear, mikush, Potapych and many others. It’s interesting that people called the bear mother, mother, or called her human names Aksinya, Matryona.
Linguists are still trying to figure out the real name of the bear. They turn to Latin and Sanskrit. Thus, in Sanskrit the bear was called “bhruka,” where “bhr” means “to scold or grumble.” In foreign languages, the name has not changed much and the root “ber” has been preserved. It should be noted that in the Russian language, some researchers consider the connection of the word “den” with the pro-Germanic “bero”, which means “brown”.
Scientist Afanasyev A.N., as a result of his research, came to the conclusion that the name of this animal is associated with the attitude towards it. For example, in Latin there is the word “ursus”, from which the French “ours” and Italian “orso” were formed, and in the Old Russian language there is “urs”. All these roots mean "destructive powers."
Many linguists are confident that the most ancient name for the bear was “rus”, which arose when the syllables “urs” were rearranged and replaced, that is, it was modified into “rus”; this phenomenon can be observed even at a later stage of language development, for example, bear - witch. From “rus” came the name of the country - Rus', in which the bear was worshiped. But this is all just a hypothesis, one of many.
National symbol
A bear in our country, especially in Siberia, is more than an animal, it is national symbol. The ancient tribes that lived in Siberia called it the Great Kam. In Korean, by the way, a bear is called “kom”. From the Tungusic language “kam” is translated as “shaman” or “spirit”, and among the Ainu it is believed that a hunter is hidden under the skin of a bear.
Before the spread of Christianity, all Vedic peoples celebrated a day dedicated to the Great Kam. It's the spring holiday when he wakes up after hibernation and leaves the den. In order to appease him, they brought pancakes for him. This is where the saying “first pancake comes to Kamu” came from, but over time it took on a different meaning.
Kamov's day, although it was pagan, became the prototype of the Christian holiday - Maslenitsa.
For the Eastern Slavs, the holiday “awakening the bear” is also typical; it was celebrated on March 24. They celebrated it by dancing in skins or sheepskin coats.
What was the name of a bear in Rus'?
From time immemorial, the bear in Rus' had many names: ber, bersek, owner, knight, Mikhail Potapych, bear, witch, Kam. And on many ancient European maps Northern part Rus' is called Biarmia. “Biar” is a bear, “ma” is land, therefore, Biarmia is Bear land.
The bear was a symbol of strength, it was a totem animal of many Slavic tribes, it was the hero of many fairy tales and folk epics. His image is found on many coats of arms of ancient Russian cities.
Anthropologists believe that the cult of the bear was widespread from the Urals to the Elbe. In Northern European culture, he is the king of beasts.
Children are named after him, for example, Mikhail. In ancient times, children were also named Bear (hence the origin of the surname Medvedev).
Polar bear names
What do they call polar bear in the north? Local peoples they called him very unusual name- Oshkuy. In Chukotka it was common to call it “umka”, and the famous cartoon has quite ethnographic roots.
Instead of a conclusion
So why was the bear called a bear? Exists great amount names of this amazing and majestic animal, which was greatly revered in ancient times Slavic tribes, and which still remains a symbol of the nation. The bear knows where the honey is. It is with this image of a sweet tooth that we all associate this animal since childhood.
The word “bear” appeared in Rus' no earlier than the 11th century, but in fact it is one of the many nicknames for the most powerful forest dweller. Many peoples living in the regions inhabited by the bear treated him as a deity, identifying the beast with their totemic ancestor. The taboo on pronouncing the real name is associated not only with the recognition of the sacredness of the animal, but also with the danger that emanated from it. This prohibition took place back in Vedic culture and was passed down from century to century, so even the euphemism “bear” received many substitutions. Only in Dahl's dictionary you can find 37 names: forester, lomaka, chiropractor, clubfoot, shaggy, Potapych, Toptygin, bear, pchelukh and many others. The bear was often called the uterus, mother, sword, or was given human names: Matryona, Aksinya.
In search of the real name of the bear
Linguistic scientists are scratching their heads trying to figure out the answer to the real bear. To do this, they turn, first of all, to the earliest languages: Sanskrit and Latin. In Sanskrit, the bear was called bhruka, where bhr translates as “grumble, scold.” In many, the name has not changed much: in - - bear, in - - Bär, in Denmark and Sweden - bjrn. It must be said that the root “ber” in Russian “” is not at all borrowed from Romance. This is what the ancient Slavs called the bear. Sometimes a connection with the Proto-Germanic bero - brown is considered.
Authoritative scientist A.N. Afanasyev, in the course of his research, came to the conclusion that the name of the bear among many peoples is associated with the attitude towards it not only as a wild beast with a terrible roar, but with destructive tendencies. In Sanskrit this understanding corresponds to ksha - literally “tormentor”, and in Latin - ursus. Hence in - ours, in Italian - orso, in the Russian parent language - urs, rus.
Some linguists hypothesize that perhaps the most archaic name for a bear was “rus”, which arose from the rearrangement of sounds or syllables, because this can be observed even at a later stage of language development (bear - witch). It is not difficult to guess that “Rus” is derived from here - a country where the sacred bear is worshiped. However, all this is just one of the many versions of scientists. It must be said that the understanding of the name of the animal as being in charge of honey is erroneous, since the verb “to know” means “to eat, to eat.”
Is the first pancake really lumpy?
A bear in Russia, and especially in Siberia, is more than a bear. It is a national symbol of power and greatness. Ancient pagan tribes living in Siberia called the bear nothing more than Great Kam. A similar thing can be found in Korean, where “kom” is a bear. Translation from Tunguska “kam” - shaman and from Ainu - spirit only confirm the attitude towards the bear as a deity. Moreover, the Ainu believed that the spirit of a hunter was hidden under the skin of a bear.
Before Christianity, all the peoples of Vedic culture celebrated Kama Day. This ancient holiday commemorated the arrival of spring, when the Great Kam emerges from his den. To appease the owner of the taiga, it was necessary to carry pancakes for him. This does not mean that the pancakes were brought directly to the den, but they were left somewhere on the outskirts of the forest thicket. Therefore, the very first pancake went to the Kams. Over time, this saying acquired a different meaning, which is quite understandable, since the first pancake is indeed not always successful.
In fact, Kamov's day, although it was pagan holiday, was the prototype of Christian Maslenitsa. The holiday of the “awakening bear” - Komoeditsa is also typical for the East, which was usually celebrated on March 24. The echoes of the primitive archaic are so strong that in Belarus, right up to mid-19th centuries it was celebrated on this day, even if it included fasting. The celebration was certainly accompanied by dancing in a bearskin or something similar - a sheepskin coat turned inside out.
The image of a bear in Russian folk tales is often different from the bear living in nature. If you study the literature about animals and their habits, the bear will appear as powerful, strong and smart predator, master of the taiga, king of the Russian forests, clumsy in appearance, but that’s only in appearance. When meeting a person one on one, a bear will never attack first unless he or his offspring are in danger.
In fairy tales, on the contrary, the bear is often described with diametrical opposite side, although in each fairy tale he appears differently and is also called differently.
Bear in Russian folk tales
Images of a bear from folk tales
Based on how the bear is called in the fairy tale, such a character will appear before us - positive, negative, stupid, trusting, kind or sympathetic.
- Bear names: Misha, Mishutka, Mishka, Mishenka.
- First and middle name: Mikhailo Potapych, Mikhailo Ivanovich.
- Respectful nickname: Father Bear.
- Mocking nicknames: Toptygin, Kosolapy.
One of the first known Russian-Slavic fairy tales about a bear is the fairy tale “The Linden Leg Bear.” In this story, the bear is described as an evil predatory animal that takes revenge on its offender, a peasant, by depriving him of his life. The tale is instructive in the sense that a powerful animal must be respected and revered, otherwise you can lose the most precious thing in life.
Other fairy tales, such as “Tops and Roots”, “Masha and the Bear” talk about laziness, stupidity and the same inherent strength of the beast. The bear is lazy, but tries to get his share or forces others to work for him without lifting a finger. The stupidity of the character lies in the fact that he is easily deceived, having certain skills and knowledge.
A gullible, stupid bear, who is easily deceived by others, in the fairy tales “Beasts in the Pit”, “The Fox and the Bear”, “The Bear and the Mosquito” and even “Kolobok”, known to everyone from childhood. Not only that in them fairy tale hero loses what he has acquired, after which he admits his guilt, although this is not so, he also loses his life due to illiteracy. This character trait of the animal is also described in the fairy tale “Teremok” - here the bear, in addition, demonstrates its considerable strength and clumsiness.
An amazing combination of the qualities of strength and cowardice is shown in the fairy tale “The Hare's Hut”, when a strong, powerful beast at first glance turns out to be a real coward, incapable of a worthy act.
But there are Russian folk works where people show respect for the mighty beast, and there are quite a few of them too. “The Bear and the Dog”, “The Frog Princess”, “Daughter and Stepdaughter” and many others. In these fairy tales, our bear is strong, kind and sympathetic. He will always come to the aid of a person or another animal. The bear here does not remain to watch from the sidelines the torment of his neighbor, but, using force, given by nature, will solve the problem, help you overcome all difficulties and take the weak under your wing.
About our smaller brothers
Answers to pages 16 - 17
Konstantin Ushinsky
Rogue cat
Once upon a time there lived a cat, a goat and a ram in the same yard. They lived together: a tuft of hay and that in half; and if a pitchfork hits the side, it will hit Vaska the cat alone. He is such a thief and robber: wherever something bad lies, he looks there. Here comes one purring little cat, a gray forehead; He goes and cries so pitifully.
They ask the cat, goat and ram:
- Kitty, little gray pubis! Why are you crying, jumping on three legs?
Vasya answers them:
- How can I not cry! The woman beat me and beat me; She tore out my ears, broke my legs, and even had a stranglehold on me.
- Why did such trouble come to you? - the goat and the ram ask.
- Eh-eh! For accidentally licking the sour cream!
“The thief’s share of the flour,” says the goat, “don’t steal the sour cream!”
Here the cat is crying again:
- The woman beat me, beat me; she beat me and said: my son-in-law will come to me, where will I get sour cream? Inevitably, you will have to slaughter a goat or a ram.
Here a goat and a ram roared:
- Oh, you gray cat, your stupid forehead! Why did you ruin us?
They began to judge and decide how to get rid of the great misfortune, and decided right there: all three of them should run away. They waited until the landlady did not close the gate, and left.
II
The cat, the goat and the ram ran for a long time through the valleys, over the mountains, over the shifting sands; they landed and decided to spend the night in a mown meadow; and in that meadow there are stacks like cities.
The night was dark and cold: where could I get fire? And the purring cat had already taken out birch bark, wrapped the goat’s horns and ordered him to collide head-on with the ram. A goat and a ram bumped into each other, sparks flew from their eyes: the birch bark began to burn.
“Okay,” said the gray cat, “now let’s warm up!” - and without thinking for long, he lit a whole haystack on fire.
Before they had time to warm up enough, an uninvited guest came to them - a gray peasant, Mikhailo Potapych Toptygin.
“Let me in,” he says, “brothers, to warm up and rest; I can't do something.
- Welcome, gray little man! - says the cat. - Where are you going from?
“I went to the beekeeping,” says the bear, “to check on the bees, but I got into a fight with the men, which is why I pretended to be ill.”
III
So they all began to while away the night together: the goat and the ram were by the fire, the little purr climbed onto a haystack, and the bear hid under the haystack.
The bear fell asleep; the goat and the ram are dozing; Only the purr does not sleep and sees everything. And he sees: seven gray wolves are walking, one is white, and straight towards the fire.
- Fu-fu! What kind of people are these! - speaks White Wolf goat and ram. - Let's try the force.
Here a goat and a ram bleated out of fear; and the gray forehead of the cat made the following speech:
- Oh, you, white wolf, prince of wolves! Don't anger our elder: God have mercy, he is angry! How divergent it is - no one will be happy! But you don’t see his beard: that’s where all his strength lies; He kills all the animals with his beard, and only removes the skin with his horns. Better come and ask with honor: we want to play with your little brother who sleeps under the haystack.
The wolves on that goat bowed; They surrounded Misha and started flirting. So Misha steadied himself and steadied himself, and as soon as there was enough for each paw of the wolf, they sang Lazarus. The wolves emerged from under the stack barely alive and, with their tails between their legs, “God bless your legs!”
The goat and the ram, while the bear was dealing with the wolves, picked up the purr on their back and quickly went home! “It’s enough, they say, to wander around without a path, we won’t get into such trouble.”
The old man and the old woman were very happy that the goat and ram returned home; and the purring cat was also torn out for trickery.
1. What is the name of the cat in the fairy tale? Write it down.
Little rogue, purring little cat, gray forehead, little cat, little gray forehead.
2. How can you say it differently? Write it down.
To judge and to rank - to reason.
Sing Lazarus - complain, cry.
Rogue - sly, deceiver.
3. Collect the riddle ⇒ and guess. Write down the answer.
He sleeps in a den ⇒
in winter
Under the huge ⇒
pine,
And when will he come ⇒
spring,
Wakes up from sleep. (Bear)
4. Who came to visit the cat, the goat and the ram? Write down the “first name”, “patronymic” and “last name” of the guest.
Mikhailo Potapych Toptygin.
5. Make a plan for the fairy tale (write it down or draw it). Prepare a retelling.
1. Escape of a cat, goat and ram.
2. Guest, Mikhailo Potapych Toptygin.
3. The bear's reprisal against the wolves.
6 ∗ . Complete the sentence with words from the text. How did you react to the return of the goat, ram and cat? Emphasize.
A fairy tale is a lie, but there is a hint in it, he says folk wisdom. Who do the characters in Russian fairy tales allude to? Do they have real prototypes?
In fairy tales of all peoples of the world, you can often find stories related to cats. Be it small domestic animals or their wild counterparts. They played all roles - from companions of witches and sorcerers, to intelligent and kind creatures.
Our Slavic folklore also contains many similar tales. Usually the cat is represented as a guardian hearth and home and comfort, an assistant to the brownie and a talisman for the family. The cat was considered a wise creature, capable of communicating with otherworldly forces. God Veles himself patronized these animals. The shaggy cat was his sacred totem and companion.
However, there was another, dark side to the role of cats in culture. The famous fairy tale character Cat Bayun became famous not only as the owner of a magical and healing voice. In some fairy tales he appears to us huge and strong, treacherous and evil creature, ready to deal with anyone who cannot cope with his witchcraft. The heroes of many epics go in search of a scary cat. But only the most courageous and cunning manage to catch the sorcerer cat. 
Can we say that the mythical Cat Bayun really existed? Did he have a real prototype and what kind of “healing” animal do our ancestors talk about? Or maybe he is a collective image of several animals?
In search of a real prototype
Search for a prototype fairy tale character similar to a riddle game. All descriptions of the hero are questions that need to be answered. To identify the animal or animals that claim to be the man-eating cat, consider the image of Bayun created in fairy tales.This character lived in a dead forest, where besides him there was no other living creature. Sometimes he was placed in the Far Far Away Kingdom, located thirty lands away, and was called the master of this territory.
You could see him sitting on a high, sometimes iron, pole.
Bayun had enormous size and a magical voice that could be heard far away. Only a fellow from the weakest ten could overcome him. This speaks of the remarkable strength of the beast.
The tales of Kot Bayun were considered healing, having the ability to save a person from any disease.
But Bayun’s most striking property, perhaps, was cannibalism. 
In Russian fairy tales, the “far-off kingdom of thirty lands” was a name for lands that could be reached by passing three dozen lands. That is, these are very distant, almost inaccessible territories. What are these places? The countries surrounding Russian possessions from the north, south and west were familiar to the Russians. With them they had long had trade, political and cultural relations. Only the lands beyond the possessions of the Pechenegs were unexplored. Then maybe it was Siberia and the Far East?
Quite possible. Russians first began to penetrate Siberia in the first half of the 11th century. This is what the chronicles testify, but in fact, our ancestors could have ended up there earlier. Novgorodians committed to Siberian lands boat sailing from White Sea to Karskoye, and then down the Ob, Yenisei and other rivers. They sailed for valuable furs, which they bought from local residents– Kets, Yakuts, Tuvans, Evenks, Buryats and others.
From these same peoples, Russian merchants could hear about Siberian or Far Eastern beast, which in folk tales was transformed into Kota-Bayun. The story that he sits on a high pole immediately brings to mind a lynx. In taiga stories by hunter writers, this predator attacks prey from a tree. There she sits in ambush for a long time. But there has never been a known case of a lynx attacking a person - it is too small to cope with it. She can't be a cannibal. Means, huge size, Bayun borrowed a strong voice and remarkable strength from another predator.
The animal that most likely laid the foundation for such tales and legends is the Amur or Ussurian tiger. The following facts speak in his favor. Firstly, in those distant times, the habitat of tigers was much wider than today. This formidable predator could be found in the east Central Asia to Alaska, in the south of the Siberian region and even on the coasts of the Caspian Sea.
Secondly, the tiger is the largest of the cats. At the withers it reaches a meter in height, and its body weight reaches 350 kg. The tiger is so strong that it does not tolerate any competitors in its habitat. His possessions are abandoned by all others beasts of prey– wolves and even bears. The traveler and geographer V.K. Arsenyev wrote about this more than once in his books dedicated to wild lands Far East. Here is the real ruler of the distant lands of the “Far Far Away Kingdom”! And tracking down and defeating the most formidable and largest taiga predator was indeed a great feat worthy of legend! 
Thirdly, the Amur tiger has a strong and loud roar that can be heard for kilometers around. This is how this predator warns competitors about its presence. Also, as a representative of the cat family, he can purr with pleasure. Since ancient times, the Slavs considered a cat’s purring to be healing. Perhaps this property was attributed by analogy to Amur tiger.
Fourthly, regarding cannibalism. This quality is often famous Bengal tiger. And then, only old and sick predators attack people, unable to track down and kill large and strong prey.
The same applies to the Amur tiger. Possessing enormous strength and size, he, even sick and weakened, can easily defeat a person armed with a spear or knife. After all, the striped predator hunts the largest ungulates: wild boars, deer and even giant elk. And in difficult times winter time he can take a bear out of the den. And when food becomes very scarce, the tiger is not afraid to approach human settlements and attack domestic animals.
But how could a lynx and a formidable tiger turn into a domestic cat in Russian legends?
Imagine, a Novgorod merchant returned from distant Siberia with furs and began to talk about the miracles he saw and heard there. When telling stories about the man-eating tiger, he could compare it to the European lynx. And for those who have not seen a lynx, he could explain that the tiger is like the domestic red Kuzka, only the size of a horse. So Kot-Bayun united three different animals.
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