engleski

Bare emotions. Humans and bears in East Siberian indigenious communities

Throughout history bear has been a highly revered animal among indigenious Siberian communities. The contributions focuses on folk narratives and folk life practices in near-recent hunter-gatherer communities from East Siberian who accorded great significance to bears. These animals have been variably perceived as ancestors of indigenious groups or clans, as guides between the otherworldly realms and the world of humans or the shaman's guide through different leveles of the Universe. The paper will explore emotions connecting bears and humans in everyday practices, ritualized activities and folk narratives- such as fear, reverence, compassion, guilt and others. One of the focal points will be emotions associatied with the so-called "bear festival" comprised of the ritual killing and consumptions of a bear, followed by specific procedures in the treatment of bear's remains. Within the framework of this ritual some emotions can be freely expressed while others are withheld or are deemed as particularly not welcomed. Practices that precede the festival reveal emotions associated with providing care to an indovidual young bear cub while a different set of feeling may arise during the killing, de- fleshing and dismemberment of the animal.

bears ; emotions ; ethnographies ; East SiberIa ; indigenous communities

nije evidentirano