Third Section of Munkácsi's Bear Ceremony Songs (1893)
These are the final four dawn songs of the Third Section — the morning-waking songs sung at the Mansi bear ceremony as the first light strikes the treetops. The bear sits in its plank house at the sacred end of the room, and the singers address it directly, coaxing it to open its eyes and watch the festivities.
Song III is a split-consciousness song — the bear's two eyes attended different worlds even in sleep: one half sank into the angular resting-place of deep dream, while the other counted the seven stars standing in heaven. Now the children of the village have been up since dawn, sweeping rubbish from one end of the village to the other and dancing until they are soaked through like swimming squirrels. And still the bear sleeps.
Song IV is brief and domestic — the hare-sister has already visited the reed-rimmed lakes, the nutcracker-hen has alighted on the pine crown, and still the bear lies in its head-severing, neck-severing sleep. Song V, a fragment from Kuzjina village, is the shortest in the collection — a six-line rebuke in which the singer reminds the bear of the bird-cherry banks it once claimed, and the thirty kerchief-wearing women it once chased down to the river.
Song VI — the Song of the Wolf-Elder's Three Sons — is the longest and most narratively complex of the dawn songs. It is the only one that tells a complete story: the bear narrates, in first person, how the Wolf-Elder's three sons hunted it through the seven frost-covered forests with their wolf-sized hound, how the hound found its den, how the iron arrow struck, how the bear fell upon the lady's knee, was bound in a wicker cradle, carried to the village, honoured for five nights of dancing and feasting, then carried outside and sent onward — night by night, station by station — to the land of sparse trees where Golden-Kworés the Sky-Father dwells and thirty bear-cubs walk. The theological teaching is embedded in narrative: the ceremony is not arbitrary but decreed; the nights of feasting are counted by the idol; the bear's homeward journey is a passage through sacred time.
Recorded by Bernát Munkácsi among the Mansi (Vogul) people of the Sosva, Lozva, and Kuzjina river basins in Western Siberia in the 1880s–1890s, and published in his Vogul Népköltési Gyűjtemény, Volume III: Medveénekek (Bear Songs), Budapest, Magyar Tudományos Akadémia, 1893. These texts have never previously appeared in English.
Song III
Bear-Awakening Song
Beast, wake! Beast, arise!
The Wolf-Elder and his three sons —
the enchanted iron weapon they struck you with —
how could you have been so utterly taken?
Wake! Arise!
When you lived in the seven frost-covered forests,
through the night the idol's wakeful eye kept watch —
one half of your little star
sank in deep sleep to the angular resting-place;
the other half of your little star
counted each of the seven stars standing in heaven.
When you lived in the seven frost-covered forests,
before, at the shimmer of dawn —
your many steep banks where the wild roses grow,
with your beast's seven heavy treading steps you long trampled through;
your many steep banks where the raspberries grow,
with your heavy, heavy treading steps,
wild one, you long trampled through.
In deep sleep, at the angular resting-place —
how could you have fallen so deeply asleep?
The young crowd of children —
long since, at the shimmer of dawn,
at that very hour they rose.
The rubbish of the upper village-end
they swept with wings of fine atlas cloth
down to the lower village-end;
the rubbish of the lower village-end
they swept with wings of fine silk cloth
up to the upper village-end.
Fine hand-twisting dance
at the shimmer of dawn
they have long been dancing.
Like a male squirrel swimming in water
they have long been soaked through,
like a male ermine swimming in water
they have long been soaked through.
Beast, wake! Beast, arise!
Beast, look up!
Song IV
Munkesz Village Early Morning Song
Beast, arise! Arise!
A house merry with maiden-joy
awaits you,
a house merry with boy-delight
awaits you.
This head-severing true sleep —
how long will you still lie?
This neck-severing true sleep —
how long will you still lie?
Beast, arise! Arise!
Sister Hare
has long since visited the many reed-rimmed lakes,
the many rush-banked lakes.
But you — this head-severing true sleep,
you are still sleeping;
this neck-severing true sleep,
you are still sleeping.
Beast, arise! Arise!
The Cone-Eating Hen, sister Nutcracker,
has alighted on the low tree's crown;
the Pine-Nut-Pecking Hen
has alighted on the high tree's crown.
Beast, arise! Arise!
In the house merry with maiden-joy
you are sitting;
in the house merry with boy-delight
you are sitting.
On a stand three planks wide
you are sitting;
on a stand two planks wide
you are sitting.
In the village of maidens, in the village of boys,
maiden-games, boy-games
they perform before you.
Beast, arise! Arise!
Song V
Kuzjina Village Bear-Awakening Song (Fragment)
Beast, wake! Beast, arise!
The dawn has flushed — where do you linger?
The two men who enter your den — how did they strike you dumb?
In your former life you claimed the bird-cherry bank for your own,
you trampled it under your own feet;
the thirty kerchief-wearing women who came to gather bird-cherry —
you chased them down to the river.
Song VI
Song of the Wolf-Elder's Three Sons
Wolf-Elder's three sons
walk through the seven spaces
of the forest's frost-covered trees.
Their hound, as large as a male wolf,
sniffs at all the overturned root-mounds
on every side,
sniffs at all the earth-hillocks
on every side.
As it sniffs: my roofed den
where the forest-beast lies,
where no sun enters —
it has scented me straight and true.
"Au, vau!" — fine sounds
it makes there before me.
In that time,
Wolf-Elder's three sons
have likewise arrived.
With iron-tipped arrow-weapon
they provide for me there.
Then as I look:
upon a lady's knee
I have somehow fallen,
upon a lord's knee
I have somehow fallen,
into a wicker-hooped cradle
I have somehow been bound.
To the village of maidens
where the topknotted wife dwells —
they carry me, the beast.
When I, the beast, arrive —
the girls running, running outside,
the boys running, running outside,
all gather together.
From the topknotted wife,
into the house she has lit,
the house dark with forest-wood smoke —
the forest-beast, with the joy of their hands
they bring me in;
the wild beast, with the joy of their feet
they carry me in.
In wrappings of bright-sided cloth
they seat me;
in wrappings of bright-sided silk
they seat me.
Fine hand-twisting games
they play before me,
fine foot-twisting games
they play before me.
With the rich bounty of frozen fat
they bless me;
with the rich bounty of icy fat
they bless me.
When the dawn — the torn-cornered silk kerchief —
splits open,
the topknotted wife
enters the house,
builds up a seven-tongued mighty fire,
and with hands fragrant from morning birch-tinder smoke
stands there before me,
with hands fragrant from evening birch-tinder smoke
stands there before me.
And you, little beast!
The iron arrow-weapon your lady's fine son gave you —
at the place of that wound,
how long will your mind still wander?
Little beast, arise!
Little beast, wake!
Frozen-fat bounty
they set before you;
icy-fat bounty
they set before you.
Fine hand-twisting games
they play before you,
fine foot-twisting games
they play before you.
With the loins of a fattened horse
they honour you;
with the breast of a fattened horse
they honour you.
The running girl, the running boy —
the rubbish of one village-end
has already reached the other.
And you, little beast —
this neck-severing root-deep sleep,
how long will you still sleep?
This head-severing root-deep sleep,
how long will you still sleep?
Your two nights allotted by the idol
they pass in merriment;
your three nights allotted by heaven
they pass in merriment.
Fine hand-twisting games
they show you;
fine foot-twisting games
they play for you.
After your three idol-allotted nights have passed —
your four idol-allotted nights
they spend in games;
your five idol-allotted nights
they spend in games.
When your final idol-allotted night has passed —
to the outside of the plank-walled house
they carry you out.
One idol-allotted night
outside the plank-walled house —
spend it there!
Whatever fine hand-twisting games you saw before,
let them show you even finer ones now!
Then on the second night,
at the end of the topknotted wife's firewood path —
one idol-allotted night,
spend it there once more!
Then on the third night —
to the land where your father Golden-Kworés dwells,
to that land of sparse, sparse trees
you shall arrive.
Thirty bear-cubs, your father's kin, walk there;
among your father's many sons,
there you shall mingle.
Colophon
Translated from Mansi (Vogul) source text via Munkácsi's Hungarian intermediary by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, March 2026.
Source: Munkácsi Bernát, Vogul Népköltési Gyűjtemény, Volume III: Medveénekek (Bear Songs), Budapest: Magyar Tudományos Akadémia, 1893. Third Section: Reghajnali medveköltő énekek (Dawn Bear-Awakening Songs), pp. 200–215. Song III: "Állat-költő ének" (Bear-Awakening Song, Middle Lozva transcription). Song IV: "Múnkeszfalvi korai ébredő ének" (Munkesz Village Early Morning Song). Song V: "Kuzjina falubeli medveköltő ének" (Kuzjina Village Bear-Awakening Song). Song VI: "Farkas-öreg három fiának éneke" (Song of the Wolf-Elder's Three Sons). The Mansi source text and Hungarian translation appear together in the original edition. Archive.org identifier: f1vogulnpklt03munkuoft.
Translation method: Independent verse translation from the Mansi source text, with Munkácsi's 1893 Hungarian translation serving as the primary interpretive bridge. The English verse was composed independently. No prior English translation of these songs exists; no English reference was consulted.
Terminology: "Beast" and "little beast" render Mansi uj and ujukwé — the ceremonial term for the bear, never called by its true name during the ceremony. "Wolf-Elder" (S'é'sik-ánsuk) is the wolf, euphemistically elevated as an elder. "Golden-Kworés" (Sorni-Kworés) is one of the names of the Sky-Father, to whose land the bear returns after the ceremony. The "idol-allotted nights" (pupí-posin étén) refer to the prescribed number of nights the bear ceremony must last, decreed by the idol (pupí) — five nights for a male bear, four for a female.
Note on Song V: The Kuzjina Village song survives only as a short fragment in Munkácsi's collection. The six lines presented here are the complete text as recorded. The fragment's brevity may reflect the circumstances of collection rather than the original song's length.
A Good Works Translation. NTAC + Claude.
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Source Text
Song III — Uj kénsémiéné jéri (Middle Lozva transcription)
Mansi source text from Munkácsi, Vogul Népköltési Gyűjtemény III (1893), pp. 200–203. Phonetic transcription by Munkácsi Bernát. OCR from the archive.org digitisation; diacritical marks may be partially degraded.
Uj kensémlén, uj voqrémlén!
Sus-ansuy khürém püyinét,
tan jünitoqlém pennén kér-oqtné
mán nairis vdjívdsén?!
kénsémién, voqrémlén!
sal'in vuor soqt khalté ölkén,
popi-sdm sojtén li
poql squ-poqlkén
ősin ülém úrén jelné
jel khartqu;
mot squ-poqlkén
törém tusné sot squmé
sakha láttidn. —
sal'in vuor soqt khalté ölkén,
mántdn, khwql-khuj-pdnkét
jini'pánk soqu rekwén
uj soqt lqmpél janit lampéyjdsén;
ümis-pánk soqu rekwén
siis lqmppd lqmpén pat'tél
jánit lqmpéyjdsén, —
ősin ülém urénjolné
mdn ndiris qjwdsén?
ver püpd tailén mantd
dldm mdntdn, khwql-khuj-pdnkét,
te sit ié kwoqlst.
dlké poél-qil pqrs
tinén atlés képiéi
luiké peél'qilné khartwés;
luiké peél-qil pqrs
tinén jdpék-tail képiéi
dlké peél'qilné khartwés,
koqtd per jdmés jani
mdntdn khwql-khuj-pdnkét
janit joqmentdst,
wüfté uji khér-liin
mdntdn jdnit naprejaytést,
wüfté uji khör-péksd
mdntdn jdnit ndprejaytést,
Uj kensémlén, uj voqrémlén!
Uj sullqqlén!
Song IV — Muun-kesin alpél sajkéléiié erí
Mansi source text from Munkácsi, Vogul Népköltési Gyűjtemény III (1893), pp. 204–207.
üj sankélén, sankélén!
ayi kasin késin kwol
üryateilt,
pi kasin kasin kwol
uryateilt.
punk jdkténé sári ülém
yotd-mos yuje'in?
síp jákténé sári ülém
yotd-mos yujein?! —
uj sankélén, sankélén!
kaj-squr opi ndj
péslán selp saw tür jdlés,
yanyin vdtap saw tür jalés.
nan qs punkd jdkténé sári ülém
in ti yuje'in;
sipd jdkténé sári ülém
in ti yujé'in, —
uj sankélén, sankélén!
pakw'tépi-ne opi náj
talkwé jiw tal'yén ués,
nqyér lqtné opi ndj
kars jiw talyén ués,
uj sdnkélén, sdnkélén!
dyi'kasin kdsin kwol
ünlilén,
pV-kasin kdsin kwol
ünlilén;
yürém part pdnywit norma
ünlilén,
kit part pdnywit norma
ünlilén;
ayin pault, piyin pault
dji-jonV, pV-jonV
ti vdrawé.
Uj sankélén, sdnkélén!
Song V — Jq iil'-tit pailén uj kenséltdné jeri
Mansi source text from Munkácsi, Vogul Népköltési Gyűjtemény III (1893), p. 207.
Uj kensémlalén, uj sqnyémlalén!
khuj vöspenti, khwqtal' rqssén?
sqqa miném kit khumna khün sengwejdmén?!
pés qlmén-qil l'amantén rös nangwén üslén,
nangwén lqmyejentdslén;
vöt tör lapné ndj nal posentidn
Song VI — S'é'sik-ánsuk yürém pV eri
Mansi source text from Munkácsi, Vogul Népköltési Gyűjtemény III (1893), pp. 208–215.
S'é'sik-dnsuk yürém pV
vör soqnjiw sat yal
jqme'it.
yar-sés janit lqmánl
yotaX qlné jekwér-pál
pusén atejálitd,
yotdl qlné kamtd-pdl
pusén atejálitd.
toy atejdlndt yalté nürém-uj yujné
yátél vdtal surmin kwolém
jdssd ti atejéstd.
au-vqun jq,més turél
tot ta varawém.
ti sisd mantin
S'é'sik-ansuk yürém pV
tü ta jqmlité'it.
kerin ndl at'akél
tot ta at'aktawém.
tll kwoss ydntilém:
najin sáns aulné
yunté patimém,
qtrin sáns aulné
yunté patimém,
nir kisép kisin apán
yunté yasimém.
tat atép netd ank ünléné
ayin paulné uj joytawém.
uj joytaném qrémté
kwon yajtné yajtné áyi,
kwon yajtné yajtné pV
akwán at'yate'it,
tál' atép netd ánk
taw yqtdltém
res-jiw tumin kwol kwérné
nürém-uj kát saitel'pi
totawém,
unt uj la'il saitel'pi
tülawém,
nakwin nuj mantd kiwérné
ünttawém,
nakwin jarmak mantd kiwérné
ünttawém,
kdtd peri jqmés jonyil
jonyawém,
la'ild peri jqmés jonyil
jonyawém;
jankém vöj sunin sunil
suntawém,
pöl'ém vöj sunin sunil
suntawém.
Xolitdn, sama manémtimé japak-tör
yünté yalipém,
tdl' atép netd ánk
jü sálti,
sat nelmép terén naj
nqny tusti,
yoli-sös atin kátél
ta lül'i,
et'i-sös atin kátél
ta tuti,
Nan qs, ujukwé!
najin jqmés yum-pV ataktém
kérin nál aiak-má
yotd joytnáV yajtilén?!
ujukwé vqramlén,
ujukwé kensamlén!
jankém vöj sunkwél
ünttawén,
pöl'ém vöj sunkwél
ünttawén;
katd peri jqmés jonyil
jonyawén,
la'ild peri jqmés jonyil
jonyawén;
tuldm lü sank-pálél
jorléptawén,
tuldm lü ma'il-pálél
jorléptawén,
yajtné áji, yajtné pV
möt paul qul porsanl
möt paul qulné ti joytémanl,
nan qs, ujukwé,
sipá jdktim tárin ülém
yotd mos pijé'in,
punká jdktim tdrin ülém
yotd mos yujé'in?!
pupí-posin kit étén
minlawé,
tqrém-posin yürém étén
minlawé,
kdtd peri jqmés jonyil
sunstawén,
la'ild peri jqmés jonyil
jonyawén,
pupí-posin yürém étén
minné jui-pdlt
pupí-posin rü'ld étén
jonyawéy
pupí-posin at étén
jonyawé,
pupí-posin morsin étén
minné jui-pdlt
sámin kwol kwoni-pdlné
kwond kwdltawén.
pupí-posin akw' étén
sámin kwol kwoni-pdlt,
tot pattdin!
möldl man kdtd peri jqmés jonV sussén:
an ti kwoni-pdl jqmés jonyil sunstawén
ta jui-pdlt kitit ét,
tat dtpd netd dnk,
taw ut'-jiw totné lqny pattité
pupí-posin akw' étén
tot qs pattdin!
ta jui-pdlt yürmit ét,
Sorni-Kworés jdyén miléné
ju'üá yard yard mán neiliHn.
vöt üli jdyén-pV tot jqmite'it;
jdyén saw pV yalén, tü telile'in.
Source Colophon
Mansi source text from Munkácsi Bernát, Vogul Népköltési Gyűjtemény III: Medveénekek, Budapest, 1893, pp. 200–215. Phonetic transcription from oral performance among the Northern Mansi of the Sosva, Lozva, Kuzjina, and Munkesz river settlements, 1880s–1890s. OCR from the archive.org digitisation of the original Budapest edition (identifier: f1vogulnpklt03munkuoft). Diacritical marks may be partially degraded from OCR processing; consult the original PDF for verification of individual characters.
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