A Bear Ceremony Song from the Pelim Headwaters
This is the third of the five "Simple Bear Songs" — complete first-person narratives told in the bear's own voice. Where Song I (from Munkesz) gives the full theological arc and Song II (from the Szaracht) lingers on the texture of summer, this Pelim River song is a journey-song: the female bear crosses three named rivers — the Sés (Wolf), the Lyám, and the Pelim — each recognized by the ritual formula "I gaze upstream, I gaze downstream, then I know it." The bear is explicitly female (női állat), sent by Golden-Khorés to the layered earth, and the song's emotional centre is hunger: the never-full barrel-mouth that refuses to fill despite a whole summer of searching through pine-groves, berry-sandbars, and winding rivers. When the first snow falls, the barrel is still empty. The turning point comes when the bear discovers a human food-cache on stilts, breaks its pillar, and buries the spoils — village-sized, city-sized. The hunters arrive, the bear flees through the night, doubling back on her own trail to confuse them. But at the den on the Pelim, they find her again. The ceremony lasts four god-appointed nights (the female count), and on the third night she ascends to the silver-footed, seven-doored house of Golden-Khorés. Recorded by Bernát Munkácsi among the Mansi people of the Pelim River headwaters, Western Siberia, and published in his Vogul Népköltési Gyűjtemény, Volume III: Medveénekek (Bear Songs), Budapest, 1893. No English translation of this song has previously existed.
The Fifth Section: Specimens of the Simple Bear Song
Golden-Khorés my father,
Golden-Khorés my sire —
the Mighty Animal with full-grown claws,
to the layered earth where humans dwell
he sent me down,
to the littered earth where humans dwell
he sent me down.
Its summers became seven,
its winters became seven,
and I reached the middle of my middle animal-years.
Through one sweating summer,
through one muggy summer —
with the three-branched green grass
that Golden-Khorés my father conjured,
my never-full barrel-mouth
I try in vain to fill:
back-sap for lying through winter —
none do I find,
chest-sap for lasting through winter —
none do I find;
my never-full barrel-mouth
will not fill.
Red-headed, headed berries
I search for,
through many bogs full of spreading-branched pines
in great numbers I walk:
my never-full barrel-mouth
there too will not fill.
Sweating summer, muggy summer —
thus far I reached its middle.
Goose-gut winding rivers in great numbers
I search,
duck-gut winding rivers in great numbers
I walk across —
thinking: my never-full barrel-mouth
perhaps there I could fill.
Bird-cherry-bearing, cherry sandbars
in great numbers I search,
berry-bearing, berry sandbars
in great numbers I search —
thinking: my never-full barrel-mouth
perhaps there I could fill,
back-fat for lying through winter
perhaps there I could find,
chest-fat for lasting through winter
perhaps there I could find.
I walk in vain, I walk in vain:
my never-full barrel-mouth
there too will not fill;
back-sap for lying through winter,
chest-sap for lasting through winter —
there again I do not find.
Through many hills of young stone-pines
I walk,
through many groves of berry-growing bushes
I pass —
long cones a hand-span wide
perhaps there I could find,
full-clustered, clustering berries
perhaps there I could find.
Cone-dropping hills in great numbers,
berry-bearing groves in great numbers —
I walked across in vain:
my never-full barrel-mouth
there again will not fill;
back-sap for lying through winter,
chest-sap for lasting through winter —
there again I do not find.
As I walk — all at once —
Golden-Khorés my dear father:
to the mountain-leaves he had made,
to the forest-leaves he had made,
as I turned my gaze —
Golden-Khorés my father's
thick-grained, grainy snow
was falling.
Yet back-fat for lying through winter —
I had not found;
chest-fat for lasting through winter —
I had not found.
As I walked, at a certain place,
upon some small river
I stumbled.
I gaze upstream:
what manner of little river could this be?
I gaze downstream:
what manner of little river could this be?
Then as I look:
the much-named, much-famed
Sés River — the Wolf — it was.
Across the much-named, much-famed
Wolf River I crossed;
upon a grove of spreading pines I stumbled.
In the grove of spreading pines —
one shaped like me, with full-grown claws —
Mighty Animal walking,
I meet the mark of a man's axe.
Thick-necked Mighty Animal,
with my black-currant "two" — my eyes —
I peer: what manner
of human-marked, marked earth
have I stumbled on?
Then as I look:
a food-cache on resin-sticky pillars,
a pillared cache
that a man's son set up —
stands here.
To the pillar-base of the pillared cache,
thick-necked Mighty Animal,
in one bound I rushed.
The pillar of the pillared cache —
that I broke apart.
The pillar of the pillared cache,
as it fell:
Mighty Animal, two leaps I took,
Mighty Animal, three leaps I took.
A village-sized great cache-heap,
a city-sized great cache-heap —
there I buried.
Frozen fat, icy fat in abundance
I found there;
back-sap for lying through winter, chest-sap —
I found there.
After no more than two days,
after no more than three days,
as I sit there —
above the visible tree's aching branch,
above the visible tree's hard branch,
aching footsteps sound.
I, with a village-destroying great roar,
with a city-destroying great roar,
rise to face them.
Then as I look:
four men of one height
are walking there.
I, unknowing animal that I am,
inexperienced animal that I am,
just keep sitting on my village-sized cache,
on my frozen-fat-rich cache —
as I sit there:
"Au, vau!" — a fine call
they direct at me.
My clever animal mind —
every which way I turned it:
after all, these same four men of one height —
would they come to play with me?!
With my five-clawed, clawed little hands,
Mighty Animal, I dash away.
Birch-covered hills in great numbers
I left behind,
stone-pine-covered hills in great numbers
I left behind,
stone-pine-covered streams in great numbers
I left behind,
willow-covered streams in great numbers
I left behind.
When I reached the middle of middle night —
the trail behind me,
in the shape of a goose-gut winding path
I made it wind;
in the shape of a duck-gut winding path
I made it wind.
Yesterday's traveled trail
I traveled again —
so that the navel-cut human
could not follow my animal trail.
Long I walked, or short I walked —
how would I know?! At a certain place,
a river thick with trees
I reached.
To the middle of the middling river
I stepped;
I gaze upstream:
what manner of little river could this be?
I gaze downstream:
what manner of little river could this be?
Then as I look:
the much-named, much-famed
Lyám River — it was.
With five-clawed, clawed feet
across the Lyám I passed.
Long I walked, or short I walked —
another much-named, much-famed
river of some kind
I came down upon.
To the middle of the middling river
I stopped.
I gaze upstream:
what manner of river could this be?
I gaze downstream:
what manner of river could this be?
Then I recognize it:
the name-bearing, fame-bearing
fish-filled Pelim, nourishing Pelim —
it was.
Fish-filled Pelim, nourishing Pelim —
to its far side I crossed.
Young-pine groves in great numbers
I walked through.
As I walked — the former winter's den
where I had lain:
that sunless, skylight-roofed house of mine —
straight toward it I went.
Into my sunless, skylight-roofed house,
a soft bed of marten fur
I spread there,
a soft bed of wild-animal fur
I spread there.
After at most three days
of lying there,
after at most four days
of lying there —
the juniper tree's aching branch,
aching footsteps are treading upon it.
As I listen:
"Au, vau!" — a fine call
they direct at me.
The Mighty Animal — upon an iron arrow
they fit me there.
Then as I look:
into a wicker-hooped, hooped cradle
somehow they have bound me.
The topknotted wife-woman —
to her hearth-lit,
forest-fire-smoky house,
juniper-smoke-blackened house —
they carry me, animal.
Three cheers for the Mighty Animal
they cry for me;
four cheers for the Mighty Animal
they cry for me.
In shining cloth they seat me,
in shining silk they seat me.
Frozen fat in bountiful abundance
they set before me;
icy fat in bountiful abundance
they set before me.
Hand-twisting fine games
they play before me;
foot-twisting fine games
they play before me.
A daughter-celebrating, festive house
they show me;
a son-celebrating, festive house
they show me.
Three nights of the idol's appointed time
they keep for me;
four nights of the god's appointed time
they keep.
When the god's appointed fourth night
was past —
to the outside of the cross-beamed house
they carry me out;
to the outside of the cornered house
they bring me for one night.
Then the second night —
the topknotted wife-woman,
at the end of her firewood-carrying path —
one night of the idol's appointed time
I spent there;
one night of the god's appointed time
I spent there.
On the god's appointed third night —
to the house where Golden-Khorés my father dwells,
the silver-footed, seven-doored house —
I climbed.
Haja-haj!
Colophon
Translated from Mansi (Vogul) source text via Munkácsi Bernát's Hungarian intermediary translation. Source: Munkácsi, Bernát. Vogul Népköltési Gyűjtemény, III. kötet: Medveénekek (Bear Songs). Budapest: Magyar Tudományos Akadémia, 1893. Fifth Section (Ötödik szakasz: Az egyszerű medveének mutatványai), Song III (A Pelim folyó forrásvidékén leterített női «állat» éneke), pp. 266–282. Archive.org identifier: f1vogulnpklt03munkuoft. Public domain.
The Hungarian translation was the primary intermediary; the Mansi source text (presented below) was consulted for proper nouns, ritual formulae, river names, and structural verification. The bear in this song is explicitly female (női állat), and the ceremony lasts four nights (the female count — male bears receive five). The "never-full barrel-mouth" (telhetetlen bödönyöm szádja) is a ritual euphemism for the bear's stomach. The "navel-cut human" (köldöke vágott ember) — the standard Mansi circumlocution for a human being, distinguished from the animal by the midwife's cut. The "au, vau" cry is the ritual call of the hunting dogs. The "five-clawed, clawed little hands" (öthorgú horgas kezecském) — the bear's paws, always described with the diminutive, reflecting the ceremony's theology: the bear is a child of the Sky Father, powerful but young.
River geography: The bear crosses three rivers in sequence — the Sés (Wolf River), the Lyám, and the Pelim (a tributary of the Ob in the Khanty-Mansi region). This westward trajectory from the interior taiga to the Pelim headwaters maps a specific landscape known to the singer and audience.
Good Works Translation (AI-assisted). Translated by Laulu, Tulku of the New Tianmu Anglican Church, for the Good Works Project. First English translation. March 2026.
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Source Text
Mansi (Vogul) — Polém-tal'ét vailtém ne-uj eryd
OCR from the DjVu text layer of the 1893 Budapest edition. Special phonetic characters are partially degraded; verify against the PDF at archive.org/details/f1vogulnpklt03munkuoft for critical readings.
Polém-tal'é^t va^iltém ne-uj eryd.
Sorni-Kworés jdyémné,
Sorni-Kworés dsémné,
kiüonsa tq,ulém riürém-uj
elém-yqlés alné sq,win mdn
5 tárdtawásém,
elém-}(q;lés qlné pdnkin mdn
tdrdtawdsém.
tüwd-ke sátV jemts,
tdld-ke sdtV jémts,
10 kwoÜin uj not-kwoÜén jo^tsém.
akw' alné munmin tüw,
akw' q,lné sánkin tüw,
Sorni-Kiüorés jáyém sátém
XÜrém yaspd nár jintdn
15 ta intettül sautém-sünt
ta-kwo88 taintapteim :
tdl xujné sis-ná'i
at '/q,nte'iin,
tál yöltné mail-nd'i
20 at yq,7iteimf
ta'intettal sg^utém-sünt
at.ta'inti.
kélp punkép punkin yil
kinse'im,
25 larki taryin saw nár
saivél yölteim :
ta'intettal sq/utém-sünt
tot q,s at taHntL
munmin tüw, sdnkin tiiw
80 kivoÜdn toyin joytésém.
lunt-say mesin saw ja
sawél kinseHm,
vdS'Say mesin saw ja
sawél yölte'im ;
35 taHnteltal squiém-süíit
tot vek tdinténüm mbnt.
Idma telem íámin rös
sawél kinseHm,
jnla télém pilin rös
40 saivél kinse^im ;
ta'intettal sq/atém-sünt
tot vek ta^inténüm mönt,
tol yujné sis-vöj
tot vek yqntnüm,
45 tdl yöltné maHl-vöj
tot vek '/q,ntnüm. *
ta-kwoss jqme'im, ta-kwoss jqme^im :
ta'intettal sq^utém-sTint
tot q>s at ta'inti ;
50 tal yujné sis-ncii,
tal ydltné ma'll-nai
tot as at yánteHm.
il ul'pafi smv ur
ti jq^meHm,
55 pilá sdstém saw suj
ti mineHm,
törés palit ygsa pakw
tot vek yántnüm,
taHlin morip morin pil
60 tot vek yq,ntnüm.
pakwa patém saw ur
pild sdstém saw suj
ta-kwoss y öltsem :
ta^intettal sq^utém-sünt
65 tot qs at taHnti ;
tol yujné sis-ncLi,
tál yöltné ma'tl-n(Vi,
tot q^s at yqnte'im.
Toy jqmném yalt akw'-mat-ert
70 Sorni-Kworés ja'ikém,
taw teltálém ur-löptatá,
taw teltalém vör-löptatd
tll kwoss yqntilmin patém :
Sorni-Kworés üsém
75 Hákw samp samin tüjtá
ti pats.
an tol yujné sis-na'i
at ](qntsé7n,
tál yöltné ma'il-nai
80 at yq,ntsém,
an toi jq^mném j(alté akw' miit
matér-sir mat mán jákwén
ti patsém.
alydU-ke sunse'im :
85 ti manér-sir mdnjám qUm,
lg,n^ále-ke sunseHm :
ti manér-sir mán jám qlém ;
tll kivoss yq,ntilém :
an namá láwéltané, suja suj téltané
90 'Sés-jám, tan) ti qlém.
namá láwéltané, sujá suj téltané
'Ses-jám ültá jqmsém,
larki taryin sujin patsém.
larki taryin sújt
95 am yuripém kwonsá tq,ulém
nürém-iij toy^ jq^mirném,
elém-yqXés sairép-yilén
'^q,nt^atdsém.
sipd tq.ulém nürém-uj
100 sernél sosV kit^dyémtél
ti sülteHm : ti mafiér-sir
eléjYi'xqlés-pl ylUn yilin mdn
am yq,ntyatasém.
tll kwoss yántilém :
105 elém-yqlés-'pl ünttém
q,f0ém lailép laHlin tul
ti ünli,
Wüin tul Wil-titén
sipd tqulém nürém-uj
110 tü jq;mlitépasém.
la^ilin tul la'ild
supV ti manttdslém.
laHlin tul Wilá
jol raHpém porát,
115 rmrém-uj kit patil viséin,
nürém-uj yürém patil visém ;
paul jánV, jánt poti,
üs jdni\ jani poti
tot ti raumtdsém.
120 jankéjn vöj, pölém vöj én na
tot ti ^ántdslém.
tal yujné sis-na'i, ma^il-rmi
tot ti yq/ntsém,
*
Ardn-ke kit yq^tél q,lém jui-pdlt,
125 ardn-ke yürém yqtél além jui-pdlt,
an toy ünléném yalté
ndnkpd jiw aumin tqw,
ndnkpd jiw vortin tq,w
auminis jqmdsimdt sujti.
130 am paul yqlné jam turél,
üs j((jlné jánV turél
talt ti kwale'im.
Hl kwoss ^antilém :
akw^ lulit nild yum
135 tíjq,me*it.
a ni at vdné nj ma^és,
at yasné uj ma és
akw fa paul jdnV potim,
janhém voj úunin potim
140 ti ünlilém. — to^ ünliméyn
qn-vq,an jqmés turél
vanvdsém.
ngmtin uj nqmtém
kwosd yotd pintldslém :
145 taw tajéy akw' Hül'it nild yum
am-páltém jo7iyunkwé yim jiut ? !
am nürém-uj at ncísáp nasdh katlal
élül! nuwitdslém.
yaXll-ke saw ur
150 saiüél yüHsém,
ul'pdn-ke saw ur
sawél yül'sém,
taryifí'ke saw sös
sawél yjüXsém, .
150 nirin-ke saio sös
sawél yütsém.
kivoÜin tt kwoÜdn joytmém j^ordt
jui l'anyém,
lunt-say miném Idkwin Jlcpny
leo lakwifiV vdrdslém,
vds-say miném lakwin l'any
lakwinV vardslém.
an möl yq^tél miném lq>n^ém
ültd mindslém ;
165 an p nyúlt jdktim elém-yqlésné
íanyin uj lq>nyém ul voss kojawé.
*
yasd jq^msém, man vdfi jq^msém,
yotél vailém ? ! — akw' mat
pal' jiwin jiwin jdn
170 neildsém,
kwottin ja kwot'ldn
jqmUtdsém ;
alydU-ke sunseHm :
ti man ér sir man jdm q>lém,
175 Iqnydl'é-ke sunseHm :
ti manér-sir man jdm q,lém.
til kwoss yq^ntilém :
L'am-jam, taw ti qlém.
180 at kwonsép kwonsin la'ilél
L'am-já ülta élül' jq>mentdscm.
XQ'Sá jq,7nsém, man vát'i jamsérn,
akw' as nama sujtné, siija siijtné
matér-sir mat ján
185 nalu ti jqjinlitépasém.
kwoÜin ja kwot'lén
jolá lul'émtáséyn,
alyáU-ke sunse'im :
ti manér-sir man ja qlém,
190 lq,nyáU-ke sunse'im :
ti manér-sir man já qlém
ti yassílém :
an namd totné, sajd totné
yidin Polém, tépifí Polém,
195 taw ti alcm.
)(ulin Polém, tepin Polém
além-yalén tara jámsém.
nakasi taryin saw suj
sawél xölte'im. —
200 Tox jaTTiimém elnin tol yujém
/átél vdtal surmin kivolém
jassá jamilém.
Xatél vatal surmin kicol kiwrémné
no^s-pun námékjol
205 tü tépvlijeHm,
ujpun namék jol
tü teywlije'im.
ardn-ke yüréKn yqtél
pijémém jui-^alt,
210 ar cin-ke nild yqtél
yujémém jui-pált
yqéép-jiio aiimin tqiv
auminié jamcisimat sujti. ' -
to^ ypntléném x^^t^
215 q,u-vq,u jq,més turél
tot ta váraivém,
nürém-uj kerin ndlél
tot ta nataivém.
tU kwoss /antilém :
220 an-íiialin nir kispd kisin apán
yünté yasimém.
tat átép netci ank
taw yatéltém
res-jiiv tumin kívolné,
225 x^sép-jiw tumin kivolné
uj ti totawém.
nürém-uj yürém rqnyél
rq,nywdsém,
nürém-uj nila rqnyél
230 rq>n^wasém.
nakin nuj-kiwérné ünttuwdsém,
nakin jarmak-kiwérné ünttuudsém.
jánkém vöj sunin sunil
suntawém,
235 pölem vöj sunin sunil
suntawém.
katd peri jqmés jonyil
jonyawémy
la'Ud peri jqmés jonyil
240 jonyaiüém.
dyi-kdsin kdsin kwolél
sunstawém,
pi kasin kdsin kwolél
sunstawém.
245 pupV -posin ^ürém étem
tq^rém-posin nild etem
yöltawé,
tq>rém-j)osin nild etem
250 j(öltimé jui-pált
sirin kwol kiconi-yálné
kwond ktvaltuwdsém,
sámin kwol kwoni-pdlné
akw' et pattuwdsém.
255 ta jui-pdlt kitit et,
tat átép netii dnk,
taw uP'jiw totné l'q,ny pattdt
puin'-jyosin akw' etem
tot pattdslém^,
260 tq>rémposin akw* étem
tot pattdslém.
tq^rém pasin yürmit St
Sorni-Kworés jdyém ünléné
aln éirkippii sat awin kwolné
265 nq^ny ta yánysém, —
kajajuj!
ezüst sarkú hót ajtós házba
265 hágtam ím fel.
Haja-haj !
Source Colophon
Mansi (Vogul) source text: Munkácsi Bernát, Vogul népköltési gyűjtemény III. kötet: Medveénekek (Budapest: Magyar Tudományos Akadémia, 1893), Fifth Section (Ötödik szakasz: Az egyszerű medveének mutatványai), Song III (A Pelim folyó forrásvidékén leterített női «állat» éneke), pp. 266–282. Phonetic transcription by Munkácsi from oral performance recordings, Pelim River headwaters, western Siberia, 1880s fieldwork. Archive.org identifier: f1vogulnpklt03munkuoft. Public domain.
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