A Bear Ceremony Song from Tremjugan

The second bear-waking song from the Tremjugan Khanty on the Tromagan River — a longer and more elaborate variant of the first. Where Trj1 traces the bear from sleep to feast-watching, this song narrates the full arc: snow falls through the roof-hole, the bear pricks its ears and opens its eyes, takes food from the birch-bark bowl, rises on its bony legs, is dressed by the kuj-tˊăpə̑r-goddess mother in bast shoes and a painted garment, steps outside to watch the wrestlers tumble, then returns inside, undresses, takes its place at the sacred corner, and watches the marriageable girls and boys dance before it. The singer ends with a prayer: do not draw your anger near; your Khanty sons have honored you well.

Collected by the Finnish ethnographer K. F. Karjalainen at the village of Tremjugan on the Tromagan River, Eastern Khanty territory, 1899–1901. The singer was Alexander Kētšəmep. Published in Csepregi, Márta, ed., K. F. Karjalainen's Eastern Khanty Text Collection (1899–1901), Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seuran Toimituksia 279, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, 2024. The Eastern Khanty language belongs to the Ugric branch of the Uralic family; the Tremjugan dialect was spoken along the Tromagan River in what is now the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. This is the first English verse translation from the Khanty source.

By your great father-God —
through the roof-hole
of my roof-holed house,
the house your son of man has lit,
the fire-warm house, the not-frozen house —
your great father-God
lets fall through that roof-hole
wide-eyed dry snowflakes,
wide-eyed wet snowflakes,
upon you.

Your right-hand ear,
broad as a snow-scraper —
it lifts toward the sky.
Holy-iron, bright-iron jingling —
what kind of sound is sounding?
By you, your left-hand ear,
broad as a snow-scraper,
your log-like ear —
it lifts toward the sky.
Holy-iron, bright-iron jingling —
what kind of sound is sounding?

Your right-side star opens.
In the midst of the endless
holy-iron, bright-iron,
it opens.
Your left-side star opens
in the midst of the holy-iron, bright-iron.

Wandering through the dense thicket-woods,
through the many forests —
such holy-iron, bright-iron jingling
you had never heard.

From the birch-bark bowl
before your head —
with your finger-tip,
with your thumb-tip —
a bite is taken by you.
In your heart
the elk fat, the reindeer fat
grows sweet.

From your right-hand bowl —
finger-tip, thumb-tip —
a bite is taken.
In your heart the elk fat,
the reindeer fat grows sweet.
From your left-hand bowl —
finger-tip, thumb-tip —
a bite is taken.
In your heart the elk fat,
the reindeer fat grows sweet.

On the strength of your tall bones,
you rise up.

From the water-spirit's climbing-place,
from the edge of the high sleeping-board —
you step down
to the floor of the planked house.

Your bast-woven, clinging shoes —
made by your kuj-tˊăpə̑r-goddess mother —
you, beast of the meadow,
with your clawed hands,
your palmed hands,
pull on.

Your thread-fine painted dress,
made by your kuj-tˊăpə̑r-goddess mother,
rises up
onto your wood-carrying shoulders.
Your fish-patterned braided belt
you draw on
over your woven dress.

You open
the slatted door
of the spirit-house.

Out onto the smooth snowy ground
trodden by your men from the city —
you step outside.
Like a coal-bird chick
testing the wind with its wings,
you turn in all directions.

You step there — one shoulder forward.
Two men, wood-carrying
shoulder to shoulder,
clash together,
like a knot of snow,
like a knot of ice —
they tumble.

To dampen the bright cloak
of your bright-cloaked man,
to dampen the bright shoes
of your bright-shod man —
you step there, one shoulder forward.

Two women, wood-carrying
shoulder to shoulder,
clash together.
Like a knot of snow,
like a knot of ice —
at last they tumble.

Into the noisy house —
its noise like the terns
of the swamp-lake, the forest-lake —
you step.

You sit into the noise
of the noisy house —
the terns of the swamp-lake,
the terns of the forest-lake.

Your fish-patterned braided belt,
made by your kuj-tˊăpə̑r-goddess mother,
you remove.
Your thread-fine painted dress,
made by your kuj-tˊăpə̑r-goddess mother,
is lifted from your wood-carrying shoulders.

Into the sacred corner
of the prayer-house —
into the shadow of the cold wind,
the frost-wind —
it is laid.

Your bast-woven, clinging shoes,
made by your kuj-tˊăpə̑r-goddess mother —
you, beast of the swamp,
beast of the forest,
with your clawed hands —
you take them off.
You sit at the sacred corner
of the prayer-house.

In your noisy house —
the noise like the terns of the swamp-lake,
the terns of the forest-lake —
you watch the hand-having merriment,
you watch the leg-having merriment.

How many bare-handed
marriageable girls,
marriageable boys,
dance for you!

Beast of the swamp —
do not draw your near thoughts near.

How many dance for you!
How many girls accused before God,
boys accused before God,
dance for you!

Beast of the swamp —
do not shorten your short mood.

By your Khanty sons,
your before-honor and your after-honor
are placed in the dear end.

Colophon

Translated from Eastern Khanty (Tremjugan dialect) phonematic transcription by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, March 2026.

Source: K. F. Karjalainen's field notes, village of Tremjugan, Tromagan River, 1899–1901. Singer: Alexander Kētšəmep. Published in Csepregi, Márta, ed., K. F. Karjalainen's Eastern Khanty Text Collection (1899–1901), Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seuran Toimituksia 279, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, 2024. DOI: sus.22

Translation method: Independent verse translation from the Khanty phonematic source text. K. F. Karjalainen's original Finnish and Russian field glosses (1899, public domain) served as the primary interpretive bridge. Csepregi's 2024 scholarly apparatus (notes, vocabulary commentary, cultural context) was consulted for ceremonial vocabulary. The English verse was composed independently; Csepregi's English rendering was consulted after drafting for verification only.

A Good Works Translation. NTAC + Claude.

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Source Text

Eastern Khanty (Tremjugan dialect), phonematic transcription
K. F. Karjalainen, 1899–1901 | Singer: Alexander Kētšəmep

ən[ə]ʌ tŏrə̑m ko jəɣənnə
kăntə̑[ɣ] ko păɣ ü̆ʌŋiʌi
təɣₒtəŋ kåt påtʌə̑ŋ kåt
ən[ə]ʌ tŏrə̑m ko jəɣənnə
kŏnə̑ŋ kåt kŏnə̑ʌi̮
kŏmə̑t sä̆mpə čoɣə̑t sä̆m pȧɣtiʌəmȧ
kŏmə̑t sä̆mpə ḷŏpi̮ sä̆m pȧɣtiʌəmȧ

jəmsipi ʎåń[tˊ] săŋki̮p ʌŏɣₒi̮t pəʌȧ
nomə̑n tăɣₒri̮|tə̑ʌi̮
tˊətˊ wăɣi̮ kȧm wăɣi̮ ʌorə̑ŋ sü̆j
məɣₒə sü̆j setˊ[ə]ʎ
nü̆ŋnə pəɣipi ʎåń[tˊ] săŋki̮p
oni̮ pəʌȧ nomə̑n tăɣₒri̮|tə̑ʌi̮
tˊətˊ wăɣi̮ kȧm wăɣi̮ ʌorə̑ŋ sü̆j məɣₒ sü̆j setˊʎ

jəmsipi kosʌi̮pe nomə̑n puṇ[č]ḷi̮
kŏʌʌapə̑ tˊətˊ wăɣ kȧm wăɣi̮ kü̆təʌi puṇ[č]ḷə̑ʌ
pəɣipi kosʌi̮pe tˊətˊ wăɣ kȧm wăɣi̮ kü̆təʌi puṇ[č]ḷi̮

ʎəkəs juɣpə̑ ȧr wŏnt ur sočma ʌȧtnə
timin[t] tˊətˊ wăɣ kȧm wăɣ ʌorə̑ŋ sü̆j nü̆ŋ
əntə kuʌə̑n

nü̆ŋnə uŋkə̑tpi̮ săɣₒṇani̮ ʌoj-tŏji̮ pȧŋ tŏji̮ əj puḷ wəʌi
səmȧnȧ ńŏɣ wŏji̮ kår wŏji̮ ḷăɣi̮ʌa pittʌ

jəmsipi săɣₒṇani̮ ʌoj tŏji̮ pȧŋ tŏji̮ əj puḷ wəʌi
səmȧnȧ ńŏɣ wŏji̮ kår wŏji̮ ḷăɣi̮ʌa pittȧʌ
pəɣipi săɣₒnani̮ ʌoj tŏji̮ pȧŋ tŏji̮ əj puḷ wəʌi
səmȧnȧ ńŏɣ wŏji̮ kår wŏji̮ ḷăɣi̮ʌa pittȧʌ

nü̆ŋnə ŏɣₒə̑r ʌŏɣₒa såtə̑ŋ tŏj nomə̑n mä̆ḷəṇtəʌi

pä̆ʌəŋ kåt pä̆ʌəɣȧ jəŋ[k]wä̆siki kuŋə̑tʌi̮
ki̮pḷə̑ŋ ʌi̮n oɣₒti̮ʌa nȧmən nü̆ŋnə ki̮tˊtˊi̮

kuj tˊăpə̑rnȧj ȧŋke wä̆rəntəm siń[tˊ] kåntaŋ ńăsi̮ɣə̑ʌa
ńorə̑m wåjə̑ɣ kü̆ṇčəŋ kö̆t ḷåɣʌə̑ŋ kö̆t nomə̑n puʌta

kuj tˊăpə̑rnȧj ȧŋke wä̆rəntəm suɣə̑m kŏri̮ ḷŏksaŋ tä̆ʌ
juɣ ä̆ʌʌi wån tˊiŋkər nomə̑n rä̆ɣₒitȧ
jəŋ[k] kuʌi̮ ʌăɣtaŋ əntəp suɣə̑m kŏri̮ ḷŏksaŋ tä̆ʌȧ nü̆ŋnə nomə̑n wä̆rəksəʌi
jü̆ḷe̮ŋ kåt si̮ɣ[ə̑]ʌ oɣₒpi̮ nü̆ŋnə kemən puṇ[č]ḷi̮

wåč kuje̮ pȧnməʌti juɣʌa tˊăɣə̑r oɣₒtə̑ja kemən pitʌi
wåt ŏnʌə̑ɣ|tə̑ʌi̮ səjʌår wåjə̑ɣ kö̆təŋ mok nü̆ŋnə jirəɣ|təʌi

nü̆ŋnə əj wånat soč[č]ə̑ kȧt kuɣə̑n
juɣ ä̆ʌʌi wån tˊiŋkərnȧt ńuʌa nəkkəm|təʌiɣən
ʎåń[tˊ] mü̆ŋkȧḷ jä̆ŋₒ[kₒ] mü̆ŋkȧḷ ʌin kirəɣ|təʌɣən

kănčaŋ săkə̑p kuje̮na kănčaŋ săk măraʌtə̑ta
kănčaŋ ńi̮rə̑p kuje̮na kănčaŋ ńi̮r măraʌtə̑ta
nü̆ŋnə əj wånat soṭḷi̮

kȧt niŋkən juɣ ä̆ʌʌi wån tˊiŋkərnȧt ńuʌa nəkkəm|təʌiɣən
ʎåń[tˊ] mü̆ŋkȧḷ jä̆ŋₒ[kₒ] mü̆ŋkȧḷ åʌə̑ŋ ʌin kirəɣ|təʌɣən

ʌår sări̮ tŏk sări̮ sü̆jȧŋ kåt nü̆ŋnə jăkₒə̑n ʌăŋʌi̮

ʌår sări̮ tŏk sări̮ sü̆jȧŋ kåt sü̆jiʌȧ i̮mə̑ʌmi̮ʌ
kuj tˊăpə̑rnȧj ȧŋke wä̆rəntəm jəŋ[k] kuʌi̮ ʌăɣte̮ŋ əntəp nü̆ŋn[ə] iʌən i̮ŋə̑tʌi̮
kuj tˊăpə̑rnȧj ȧŋke wä̆rəntəm suɣə̑m kŏri̮ ḷŏksaŋ tä̆ʌȧ juɣ ä̆ʌʌi wån tˊiŋkər iʌə rä̆ɣₒiʌi

muʌə̑ŋ kåt muʌe̮nȧ jä̆ɣʌi wåt tətˊəɣ wåt səjətɣə nü̆ŋnə pănʌi̮
kuj tˊăpə̑rnȧj ȧŋke wä̆rəntəm siń[tˊ] kåntaŋ ńăsi̮ɣə̑ʌa
ńorə̑m wåjə̑ɣ wŏn[t] wåjə̑ɣ kü̆ṇčəŋ kö̆t iʌən i̮ŋə̑ta
muʌə̑ŋ kåt muʌe̮na nü̆ŋn[ə] i̮mə̑ʌʌi̮

ʌår sări̮ tŏk sări̮ sü̆jȧŋ kutə̑nnə̑
kö̆tʌȧ wăʌʌi̮ juɣə̑ʌ tˊursem nü̆ŋ ʌeɣəʌətȧ
kü̆rʌȧ wăʌʌi̮ juɣə̑ʌ tˊursem nü̆ŋ ʌeɣəʌətȧ

məɣₒ ȧrit ńȧrə[ɣ] kö̆təp urä̆ɣₒinə urpăɣnə̑ jekₒʌo

ńorə̑m wåjə̑ɣ wȧṇ ṇămsa wȧṇɣ[ə] ȧʌ tiʌe

məɣₒ ȧrit jekₒʌo
tŏrə̑m mi̮čə̑m ur ä̆ɣₒinə
məɣₒ ȧrit tŏrə̑m mi̮čə̑m ur păɣnə̑ jekₒʌo

ńorə̑m wåjə̑ɣ wȧṇ ṇămsa wȧṇ ḷä̆ɣₒȧ wȧṇɣ[ə] ȧʌ tiʌe

kăntə̑[ɣ] ko păɣannə̑
iʌi ḷitpe kŏʌi̮ ḷitpe
juɣ ʌȧʌə̑ŋ pănʌo

Source Colophon

Eastern Khanty (Tremjugan dialect). Field transcription by K. F. Karjalainen, village of Tremjugan, Tromagan River, 1899–1901. Singer: Alexander Kētšəmep. Published in Csepregi, Márta, ed., K. F. Karjalainen's Eastern Khanty Text Collection (1899–1901), Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seuran Toimituksia 279. Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, 2024. DOI: sus.22

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