Fourth Section of Munkácsi's Bear Ceremony Songs (1893)
These are the two songs that close the Mansi bear ceremony — the final liturgical act of the five-night festival. In the first song, the singer addresses the bear directly: your nights have passed, I teach you now how to depart. The house has three openings. Through the lowest — that is the navel-cut human's passage, and it does not befit a beast of your kind. Through the highest — that is the passage of the king who circles the sun-warmed lands, and it does not befit you either. Through the middle — that is the way of the little god who runs among the twigs. Go through there, my dear. Then spend one night outside the house, one night at the end of the firewood path, and then walk onward to the land of sparse trees where thirty bear-cubs and the Sky-Father await.
The second song — the Escorting Song — is the most structurally complex in the entire collection: a three-voiced dialogue in which the singer, the bear, and the host take turns speaking. The singer instructs and warns; the bear recounts its own experience of the ceremony; the host is addressed with compassion. The bear's journey home is narrated in vivid detail: a stream where floodwaters run, a bridge made of iron swords (do not cross it — go upstream instead), a mossy log felled in ancient times (cross there), and at last the grandparents' house where two collar-wearing pups play outside. The bear untie its fish-bundle and offers it. The grandparents ask: what did you see? The bear describes masked dancers, feasting, something sweet and rattling behind a curtain it could never quite see. And the singer turns to the host one final time: do not let your heart be troubled. He left his good fathers, his good kinsmen, for your sake. He is an orphaned creature, a poor creature.
The song ends with a command to the thirty tooth-grown cubs in heaven: follow your kinsman's footsteps before the snow covers them.
Recorded by Bernát Munkácsi among the Mansi (Vogul) people of the Lozva and Sosva 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 I
The Farewell Teaching Song for the Animal
Little son, little son!
Fine hand-twisting games
you have seen, my dear;
fine foot-twisting games
you have seen, my dear.
In a nest of bright-sided cloth
you have sat, my dear;
the bounty of frozen fat
you have savoured, my dear.
Your nights befitting the idol
have now passed;
your nights ordained by heaven
have now passed.
I teach you,
I instruct you.
When later you would go forth
from the outer side of this roof-poled house —
it has three openings.
Of these three openings, through the lowest —
if you would go forth there:
there, my dear, do not go forth!
That is the passage of the navel-cut human,
that is his coming-and-going way.
For a mighty beast of your kind,
for a forest-beast of your kind,
to go forth there does not befit, is not proper.
Of the three openings, through the highest —
if you would go forth there:
there, my dear, do not go forth!
For a mighty beast of your kind,
for a forest-beast of your kind,
to go forth there does not befit, is not proper.
That is the passage of the king
who circles the sun-warmed lands —
that is his coming-and-going way.
Through the middle opening of the three —
go forth, my dear!
That is the way of the little god
who runs among the twigs.
Through that way, my dear, go forth!
On the outer side of the plank-walled house,
one idol-befitting night —
spend it there;
one heaven-ordained night —
spend it there!
Then, at the end of the topknotted wife's firewood path,
one idol-befitting night —
spend it there;
one heaven-ordained night —
spend it there!
Then, my dear, you shall walk onward,
and at last you shall come
to a little stream where the floodwaters run.
There a bridge of iron swords will lie.
Along the length of that iron-sword bridge —
do not cross, my dear!
Along the length of that flood-running little stream
go only upstream!
There, across the little stream,
a mossy, lichened log lies.
Cross over upon that log.
After you have crossed upon that log —
to a land of sparse, sparse trees
you shall arrive,
to a land of sparse, sparse grass
you shall arrive.
When you arrive there:
thirty bear-cubs, your father's kin, walk there.
Among those thirty bear-cubs, your father's kin —
there you shall mingle.
Song II
The Escorting Song for the Animal-Elder
The singer speaks to the bear:
"Little beast, little wild one!
I explain to you, I teach you —
do you hear, or do you not?"
The bear speaks:
"To my lady's fine son
I descended.
The topknotted wife —
into the house she lit,
the house blackened with pitch-pine smoke —
they seated me.
A dish rich with foal-fat
I beheld;
a dish rich with colt-fat
I beheld.
Fine foot-twisting games
they played before me;
fine hand-twisting games
they played before me.
With bare bark-draped heads
they danced before me;
with bare arms, with bare shins
they danced before me.
Something good, something good
they drank and ate.
Behind the curtain I peered in vain —
what manner of thing was rattling there,
I could not see.
Unfamiliar spirits, idol-persons
came down among us!"
The singer speaks to the bear:
"And you now, little beast, you sit here,
thinking: I am not afraid.
But look well at yourself —
the seven hairs standing upon your body,
every one of them trembles."
The singer turns to the host:
"My lady's fine little son!
You think now: he is not afraid.
The seven hairs standing upon his head —
every one of them trembles."
The singer speaks to the bear:
"To you now, little beast,
I explain —
do you hear, or do you not?
I teach you —
do you hear, or do you not?
You sit here now,
thinking: which way might I depart?
Of the three openings, through the lowest —
to depart, to go away in the night:
do not depart that way!
There the little girl, the little boy —
that is their sin-bringing opening.
The tips of your fur would be fouled,
would be sneezed upon.
Of the three openings, through the middle —
you think: there I would depart.
There the topknotted wife,
the departing-flue of her two-tongued hearth-fire
has its opening.
That way, my dear, do not depart!
That way, my dear, do not go!
The tips of your fur would curl up,
your bear-hair would be singed.
Of the three openings, through the upper —
you think: there I would depart.
There, my dear, do not depart!
The little idol, the little god —
that is their sin-bringing opening.
The tips of your fur would be cut,
your bear-hair would be sheared.
You now, my dearest, sit here,
thinking: which way might I depart?
I explain to you, I teach you —
do you hear, my dear, or do you not?
On your right side, rich man,
a little hole the size of a needle's eye appears.
That way depart, my dear — that way go!
Through this night, in the mouth of the golden house's opening —
sleep there!"
The singer speaks to the host:
"My lady's fine little son!
A basket filled with haunches the breadth of its back,
a basket filled with haunches the breadth of its breast —
prepare them.
A bundle of fish, bound hand-and-foot,
tie to the back of the basket.
To the end of the firewood path,
carry it on your own back."
The singer speaks to the bear:
"Then you shall go walking,
and at some point
some manner of folk
will tumble into the water.
They will cry out —
if I were a little beast, I would help them! —
I teach you, I explain to you:
there, my dear, do not go.
There seven loons with iron breasts
wait to steal cunningly
your hand-and-foot-bound fish-bundle.
Do not walk there!
At some point you shall come down
to the bank of the Sinser River.
The knife's edge — wade across it!
The sword's edge — wade across it!
Walk back upstream
along the upper course of the river,
and you shall come upon a path —
it will look as if scooped out with plate and spoon.
That is the path your grandfather walked —
that path it is.
That is the path your grandmother walked —
that path it is.
Upon a mossy log
felled in ancient times,
you shall cross over.
Then go onward!
You shall arrive at your grandfather's,
your grandmother's home.
Two collar-wearing pups
play outside.
Your hand-and-foot-bound fish-bundle —
untie it and offer it!"
The grandparents speak:
"Among the people who eat food,
our dear kinsman was sent down.
He drags himself along,
see how he pulls himself."
The bear speaks:
"Mother's wretched little son —
thus I descended to my lady's fine son."
The grandparents speak:
"What did you see? What did you learn?
Tell your dear grandfather, your dear grandmother!"
The bear speaks:
"I saw, I learned
that something rattled.
Behind the curtain I peered in vain —
I could not see it.
They said to me:
'If you send down from above yourself
a fine little son,
we shall let you see it.
If you send down from above yourself
a fine little daughter,
we shall let you behold it.'
With bare bark-draped heads
they danced before me."
The singer speaks to the host:
"Mother's wretched little offspring —
let it not trouble your heart!
He left behind his good fathers,
he left behind his good kinsmen.
For your sake he departed from them.
Mother's wretched little offspring —
let it not trouble your heart!
For your sake he departed.
He is an orphaned creature,
a poor creature."
The bear speaks:
"After that —
a dish rich with colt-fat
they showed me;
a dish rich with foal-fat
they showed me.
Fine foot-twisting games
they showed me;
fine hand-twisting games
they showed me.
With bare arms they danced before me;
with bare shins they danced before me.
An axe-handle-length fat-vessel
they had in the mountain forest too —
there was no time to bring it home.
A resin-sweating tall granary
they had in the mountain forest too —
there was no time to bring it home.
Unfamiliar spirits, idol-persons
came down among us.
They ate something, drank something —
they made noise...
Sweet, sweet was some thing there!"
The singer calls to the cubs in heaven:
"Tooth-grown thirty cubs —
what are you lying about for?
Among the people who eat food,
your kinsman was sent down.
Before the snow covers his footsteps —
follow his tracks!"
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. Fourth Section: A medveünnepet záró, vagy kikísérő énekek (Songs Closing or Escorting the Bear Ceremony), pp. 216–237. Song I: "Állatot tanító záróének" (Farewell Teaching Song for the Animal). Song II: "Az állat-öreg kikísérő éneke" (The Escorting Song for the Animal-Elder, North Lozva transcription). 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. The "three openings" in the farewell song refer to the three holes in the roof of the ceremonial house: the lowest is the human doorway (the navel-cut man's passage), the highest is the passage of the sun-circling king (Mir-susné-xum, the World-Guardian Man), and the middle is the passage of the little woodland god — the proper exit for the bear's spirit. The "Sinser River" on the bear's homeward journey is a boundary between the human world and the celestial realm. The "seven loons with iron breasts" are trickster spirits who attempt to steal the bear's ceremonial gifts. The "mossy log felled in ancient times" is the true crossing-point — the path the bear's grandparents walked.
On the dialogue structure: Song II is unique in the bear ceremony collection. The Mansi ritual involved multiple voices — the singer (eri-yum), the slain bear (whose words the singer ventriloquized), and the host (najin jqmés pV, "my lady's fine son," the hunter who killed the bear). Munkácsi carefully marked which passages belonged to which voice. The dialogue structure preserved here follows his notation: [Az énekes szól a medvéhez] = the singer speaks to the bear; [A medve szól] = the bear speaks; [Az énekes szól a házigazdához] = the singer speaks to the host.
A Good Works Translation. NTAC + Claude.
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Source Text
Song I — Uj yarísténé parné ert
Mansi source text from Munkácsi, Vogul Népköltési Gyűjtemény III (1893), pp. 216–220. Phonetic transcription by Munkácsi Bernát.
Plkwé, plkwé!
kdtd peri jqmés jonV
ti sunséskálén,
la'ild peri jqmés jonV
ti sunséskálén,
nákin nuj piüt
ti ünlésakéln,
jankém vöj sima
ti suniskálén:
pupi'-morsin morsin étén
ti tqulés,
Tqrém lawém morsin étén
ti tqulés.
am nanén yanétilém,
am nanén pimentilém:
nan tájéy ti sirin kwol kwoni-palén
kwalunkw' patikén — yürém surém qli;
ta yürém surém joli surémnél
kwalunkw' patikén: tül ul kwalakén!
táji puynit jdktém élém-yqlés,
taw kwalné surém kapaj.
nan yuripén nürém ujin,
nan yuripén ünt-ujin
tül kwalunkwé at sapili, at táji.
nan tajéy yürém surém numi-qul surémnél
kwalunkwé patikén: tül ul kwaldkén!
nan yuripén nürém-ujin,
nan yuripén ünt-ujin
tül kwalunkwé at sapili, at táji;
táji nájin mát jqnyné yqn
taw jdlné surmá.
nan yürém surém kwoil surémnél kwáldkén!
ta nir-yal yajtné mán tqrém jdlné tqnyá
tül kwoldkén!
sámin kwol kwoni-palt,
pupí morsin akw' étén
tot pattdln,
Tqrém lawém akw' étén
tot pattdln!
ta jui-pdldt tál' atép netd ánk
ul'-jiw totné lqnx pattité
pupí morsin akw' étén
tot pattdln,
Tqrém lawém akw' étén
tot pattdln!
tül nan eldl ta jqmentikén:
tajéy nuld yajtém mánjdn joyteHn,
tot tajéy kérin sirei ünsay qli;
ta kérin sirei ünsay yqsit,
nan tül ul ünsákén!
ta nuld yajtém mán já yqsit
alyay jqmitén!
tájéy tot, man jánwé ültté
tankwitém, yaslitim lüpi-sup yqji,
nan tajéy ta lüpi-sup yqsit ünsákén!
ta lüpi-sup ültté patnén jui-palt
jiwa yam yard mán
néileHn,
puma yard yard mán
néileHn;
tü-ke néilé'in:
vöt ülV ja'i-plyén jqmiteHt tot.
ta vöt ülV jd'i-plyén yalné
nan tü télileHn.
Song II — Uj-ané süywésajné erV
Mansi source text from Munkácsi, Vogul Népköltési Gyűjtemény III (1893), pp. 220–237. North Lozva transcription.
«Ujkwé, suskwé!
pimentilém, yanstilém;
yqntlilén, man üi!?» —
«Najim jqmés pV pdlt
va'ilsdsém.
tdl'in atpd netd áñ
taw tüstdlém
any-jiw turnén kwolné
ünttélawásém.
nawér-vöj sunin kiwér
süssem,
süpél-vöj sunin kiwér
süssém,
jqsá peri jqmés jonyil
jon-ji'entawásém,
kdtd peri jqmés jonyil
jonyentawásém,
ndr sdit ünsitin punkél
jonyentawásém,
ndr kdt-sqrél, ndr la'il-sqrél
jonyentawásém.
jqmés, jqmés mater ajentast,
tajentást.
yasép-pdl yütdV ta-kwoss ankwétásém:
at ta vásém mater-piyét mater siné-pantwés.
yastal qlpd matd ménkwétné, lönyétné
joytéldltwésquw.»
«Nan anujkwé ünlente'in,
nqmse'in: at pile'in;
nankin kdrmitdlén:
alpin lulné sdt sqwsén
pusén saryenteHt.» —
«Ndjim jqmés pikwé!
nan an nqmse'in: taw at pili;
púnkat tüiné sdt dtd
sqyd saryenteHt.»
«Nanén an ujkwé,
us ti pimentilém;
yqntlilén, man di.
yanstilém;
yqntlilén man di! —
nan an ünlente'in,
nqmse'in: yotdl kwálépunkwé.
yürém surém joli surémnél
kwálépunkwé, lü minépunkwé:
tü ul kwdldpén!
tot an laj-ayiy laj-pV nakép surém.
pun-tal'éy yot-vikéemtawé,
nayténitawé. —
yürém surém yoti surémnél,
nan nqmseHn: tül kwálépe'im,
tot tay atya néta-ayi
taw tustipálém kit nelémpd
dréé-utd kwdlné surém,
tül ul kwdlákén! tll ul mindkén!
yun-tal'éy yot-sankwemtawé,
sqwés-taléy yot-kwosértawé. —
yürém surém numi qul surémnél
nan nqmsakén — yotdl kwdlépunkwé.
pimentilém, yanstilém;
yqntlákén, man dt?
jqmés pdlén, puun yum, üt
jüntép-pup janit askwé sildti,
tül kwdlépdkén, tül mindkén!
ti et-dluw qltén kwol surém süntté,
tot yülén!
Ndjin jqmés pikwé,
sisd-pdlit ünsds-pdip,
malid-pdlit vöj-pdip
taw sqpiti.
kdtén lakién dltV-yqrkwé
paip-sisné jot taremtitd,
ut'-jiw lqny pattd-mos
takwi yüntlititd.
tot el ust jqmenteHn,
din kwdnt ákmdtsit
matér-pit mát mám
yqmi sqsqtnét.
tqnn ajentét; am suskwén
qllkém nqnykwinidm.
yanstilém pimentilém
ndng tü ull mindkén.
tot kér mqilpd sqdt lülwé —
kdtén la'ilén yqrkén
yot-rététdlentawé.
tü ull jqmentén!
akmdtsit sinser já
vatan maljoytén
jdpet il'm supé ünssánén
sire il'm supé ünssánén.
nan elle jüw jqmenteHn
lqnyné patén gánl taill
kqmmsaytnén,
an asakén taw jdlné lqnyd
ti ndnki;
andkén taw jdlné lqnyd
ti ndnki,
jisén tqrémtd patém sünsén lüpi
tul supé üslitén, tül jqmenteyn!
asakén andkén pdlt tü néilén;
sip-awrén kit lqni pikwé
kwon jonyenteV,
nan kdtén la'ilén dltV-yqrkén
kwon pésmatdlén, tü ndremtdln!
tinénkdyéñ ásákén, ándkén
tén ldweV:
'tépél tépél dtém-yalné
va'ilsém ds-plrésmén,
taw sqyértdnti,
taw ti ydrtentt.'
— 'Ánkém l'ül' pV-siékwé,
ndjim jqmés pV pdlné va'ilsdsén.'
— 'manér vdssén, manér ydssén,
ldwdkén ásékinnê, dnáékdnné!'
— 'dvdssém, ydssém,
matér-piyét mater siné-pantwés.
yasép-pdl yütdV ta-kwoss dnkwétdsém:
dt ta vdsém. — tan ldweHt:
nankinnél numén qlné
jqmés ldjin pV yün tdrdte'in:
ta ért va'itileu;
nankinnél numén qlné
jqmés ldjin dyiy yün tdrdte'in:
ta ért sunstilqu.'
ndr sdl't ünsitin punkél
jonyentawdsém.»
«Ánkém l'ül' siskwé,
nqmtéñné l'ul ull qld!
taw jqmés jdydnnél yul'tés,
jqmés rqwn'-utdnnél yul'tés.
nan érkén taw kwdlilés.
dnkém l'ül' siskwé,
nqmtéñné l'ul ull qld!
nan érkén taw kwdlilés;
taw jqrli yqtpd, künér yqtpd.»
«Ton jui-pdlt
süpél-vöj sunin kiwrél
sunstawdsém,
nawér-vöj sunin kiwrél
sunstawdsém,
jqsd peri jqmés jonyil
sunstawdsém,
kdtd peri jqmés jonyil
sunstawdsém,
ndr kdt-sqrél jonyentawdsém,
ndr la'il-sqrél jonyentawdsém.
Sarép-nal pdlit vöj-sán
vdnit qs qssét:
jüw totunkwé at dstéldst.
qny tqlém la'ilén tül
vdnit qs qssét:
jüw lqnyélankwé at dstéldst.
yastal qlpd matd ménkwétné, lönyétné
joytéldltwésquw.
Akw'-mat téné tajentdst, ajentdst;
sujtentdst dtén, dtén mater!...»
«Punkd sdstém vöt üli
manérdV yujentiyin?
tépél tépél dtém-yalné
va'ilsém ds-plrésmén lqnyd-kwdl'é
jol poréslénat eli-pdlt
juit kwditdlélán!»
Source Colophon
Mansi source text from Munkácsi Bernát, Vogul Népköltési Gyűjtemény III: Medveénekek, Budapest, 1893, pp. 216–237. Song I from Northern Mansi oral performance. Song II: version (a) by Antal Reguly (recorded 1843–1845); version (b) in North Lozva transcription by Munkácsi (1880s–1890s). The translation above follows version (b) throughout; Reguly's earlier version (a) is not reproduced here but served as a check on Munkácsi's later transcription. OCR from the archive.org digitisation of the original Budapest edition (identifier: f1vogulnpklt03munkuoft). Diacritical marks may be partially degraded.
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