A Bear Ceremony Song from Munkesz Village

This is the foundational song of the Second Section of Munkácsi's bear ceremony collection — the songs of being brought down by the World-Guardian Man (Mir-susné-xum in Mansi, Világ-ügyelő-férfi in Hungarian). Where the First Section songs tell of the bear's descent from heaven, and the Third Section songs wake the bear for the ceremony, this song tells the central drama: the pursuit, the death, the ceremony, and the resurrection.

The World-Guardian Man — known also as the Son of Sky — is one of the most important figures in Mansi religion: a solar deity who rides through the world on a horse, mediating between heaven and earth. In the bear ceremony, he is the sacred hunter — the one who brings the bear down from its forest life to its ceremonial death. The pursuit is not cruelty but destiny: the bear was sent to earth by Lofty Sky, and the World-Guardian Man is Sky's own instrument for calling it home.

The entire song is narrated in the bear's voice — first person, intimate, vivid. The bear wanders to the Nyáis river, feeds on yellow raspberries, and then sees the horseman: "what a fine man on an ice-furred horse appeared before me." Three times the bear flees and prays to its Sky-Father for help; three times hills and pits rise from the earth to block the horseman. But autumn comes, snow falls, and the horseman returns. The bear builds its winter den, curls inside — and is found. The gun fires through the smoke-hole. "Then my consciousness departed."

What follows is the resurrection. The bear is placed in a cradle, carried to the ceremony house, seated on a platform. Five nights of feasting, dancing, wrestling. On the sixth night, the bear's spirit rises in the form of a mole, speaks to its Sky-Father — "to what land do you appoint me?" — and is sent back into the berry forests. "My little human children's gaze was upon me no more." The bear is not killed. It is released.

Throughout the song, the bear is never called by its true name — always "Mighty Animal," "Mighty Forest Animal," "Mighty little beast." Its eyes are "stars," its ears are "stumps," its belly is "barrel" and "basket," its claws are "buttons," the smoke-hole is an "arrow-slit." This euphemistic register is the language of the bear ceremony itself: sacred circumlocution, because to name the bear truly would be to break the compact between hunter and hunted.

Recorded by Bernát Munkácsi among the Mansi (Vogul) people of Munkesz village on the Ob-Irtysh watershed in Western Siberia, and published in his Vogul Népköltési Gyűjtemény, Volume III: Medveénekek (Bear Songs), Budapest, Magyar Tudományos Akadémia, 1893, pp. 133–149. This is the first song of the Second Section: Songs of Being Brought Down by the World-Guardian Man (A világ-ügyelő férfitől való leteríttetés énekei). No English translation of this song has previously existed.

"Mighty little beast" — my sacred mind
ponders thus,
"Mighty little beast" — my radiant mind
considers thus:
to what named, famous river
have I come,

to what famed, renowned river
have I come?
The recognisable waters of this region —
I recognise them:

to the nourishing waters of the Nyáis
I have come indeed —
a salmon-ascending river
it was,
a herring-ascending river
it was.

The headwaters of the headwater-river I traverse,
the headwaters of the headwater-river I walk along,
the headwaters of the headwater-river — as I traverse them,
I look about thus:
a yellow-raspberry-bearing, yellow-raspberry marsh
I found.

My insatiable "barrel" — its hollow
I fill with gathering,
my insatiable "basket" — its hollow
I fill with gathering.

As I am gathering thus, suddenly —
"Mighty little beast" — with my two "stars"
I look about thus:
what a fine man on an ice-furred horse
appeared before me,
what a fine man on a snow-furred horse
came toward me!
What a lock-grown, curly-haired man
he was,
what a beauty-ripened, handsome man
he was!

Upon the back of his ice-furred horse
he sits —
the "man-buttoned Mighty Forest Animal" —
thus he chases me.

"Mighty Forest Animal" — with seven leaps
I bolted away,
"Mighty Forest Animal" — with seven bounds
I bounded away.

Then suddenly my ice-furred horseman
began to draw near —
"Mighty Forest Animal" — I stood before him.

To my Lofty Golden father
I began to pray:

"The other day a fine red-headed snow grouse
I was slaying —
the headed animal's fine head
I was vowing to you.
Lofty Golden father dear!
This ice-furred horseman of mine —
he overtakes me.
Lofty Golden father dear!
Horse-foot-blocking hilly ground —
send it down!
Beast-foot-blocking pitted ground —
send it down!"

My Lofty Golden father dear —
horse-foot-blocking hilly ground
he sent down indeed,
beast-foot-blocking pitted ground
he sent down indeed.

"Mighty little beast" — with seven leaps
I bolted away.
Into the dark wilderness's seven corners
I went indeed,
into the dark forest's six corners
I went indeed.
The ice-furred horseman —
he fell behind.

As I walk on thus, suddenly —
"Mighty little beast" — with my two "stars"
I look thus:
Lofty Sky my father
has changed to the autumn time —
tussock-eyed, bright-eyed snow
is falling.
My ice-furred horseman
has appeared again,
my snow-furred horseman
is chasing me again.

"Mighty Forest Animal" — with seven leaps
I bolted now away,
"Mighty Forest Animal" — with seven bounds
I bounded now away.

My ice-furred horseman
began to draw near.

To Lofty Sky my father
I pray again,
to Lofty Kworés my father
I pray again:

"The other day a fine red-headed bird
I was slaying —
the headed animal's fine head
I was vowing to you.
Lofty Golden father dear!
This ice-furred horseman of mine —
he overtakes me.
Lofty Golden father dear!
Horse-foot-blocking hilly ground —
send it down!
Beast-foot-blocking pitted ground —
send it down!"

My Lofty Golden father dear —
horse-foot-blocking hilly ground
he sent down,
beast-foot-blocking pitted ground
he sent down.

"Mighty little beast" — with seven leaps
I bolted away.
Into the dark wilderness's seven corners
I went indeed,
into the dark forest's six corners
I went indeed.
The ice-furred horseman —
he fell behind,
the snow-furred horseman —
he fell behind.

As I walk on thus, suddenly —
"Mighty little beast" — with my two "stars"
I look thus:
a mound fit for building a winter-sleeping earth-house —
a great earth-mound, god-given —
appeared before me. I arrived there.

My little right-side paw
I dig in:
six sable-pillow's worth of soil
fell out.
My little left-side paw
I dig in:
five sable-pillow's worth of soil
fell out.
My ridge-poled house's ridge-pole — now it is finished.
My end-poled house's end-pole — now it is finished.

My winter-sleeping little earth to cover —
I walk to tear moss,
I go to pull lichen.
One clump of moss I pull up,
another clump of lichen I pull up;
I toss them together, I fling them together.
When a full armload has gathered —
into my cross-beamed earth-house
I carry it in,
into my end-beamed earth-house
I carry it in.

Now, "Mighty little beast," curling-up man —
my curly-haired, fine little head
I have carried inside.

My falling-asleep throat —
barely has it fallen asleep,
my falling-asleep tongue —
barely has it fallen asleep —
"Mighty little beast" — with my two "stumps"
I hear thus:
a hard twig's small piece —
somewhere its cracking is heard,
a branching twig's small piece —
somewhere its snapping is heard.

Then as I listen —
that ice-furred horseman of mine has arrived,
that snow-furred horseman of mine has arrived.
My doored house's door — he opens,
my smoke-holed house's smoke-hole — he opens.

"Mighty little beast" — my sacred mind
ponders thus:
with this peaceful, lock-grown, curly-haired man —
what shall I do?
With this peaceful, beauty-ripened, handsome man —
what shall I do?

"Mighty little beast" — my sacred "arrow-slit" —
he pierces through it,
"Mighty little beast" — my sacred "arrow-slit" —
with snow he fills it.

That bright place I notice,
and I look up:
that lock-grown, curly-haired man's
thing-of-possession, his "loud-voiced something" —
suddenly it tore.

Then my consciousness departed.

On the headed animal's head —
they lay a looped rope.
After they dragged me out —
"Mighty little beast" — my five "buttons"
they count and unbind.

When I awoke:
into a bird-cherry-hooped cradle —
somehow they had laid me,
into a rowan-hooped cradle —
somehow they had laid me.
Onto a six-legged little sled —
somehow they had loaded me.

"Mighty little beast" — my five sacred shouts
they count and cry them all,
"Mighty little beast" — my seven sacred shouts
they count and cry them all.

To where my ice-furred little horseman lives,
to where my snow-furred little horseman lives —
to a house rich, rich in water
they carry me in,
to a house rich, rich in food
they bring me in.

My village's many, many men,
my town's many, many women —
on their spacious village's square,
on their spacious town's square —
snow-games they play,
water-games they play.
Where one of my men begins to wrestle —
there he wrestles.

At the end of the guest-partition of the guest-partitioned house,
on a fine platform built of five planks —
there they seat me now.
Spring bull-elk's fine meat
they cook,
autumn bull-elk's fine meat
they cook.
The lake's abundance of food I survey,
the Ob's abundance of food I survey.

My hump-backed many men,
my pot-bellied many men —
my hand-skilled man's hand-skill
I watch to the end,
my foot-skilled man's foot-skill
I come to know entirely.
With a girl's merry, merry dance
they dance before me,
with a boy's merry, merry dance
they dance before me.

"Mighty little beast" — my five nights
they count and celebrate.

"Mighty little beast" — my sixth night
has now arrived:
with a horned bull's fine blood-offering
they stand now before me,
a hoofed bull's fine food-offering
I receive from them now.

From the fine corner of the guest-partition —
in the form of a fine mole
I rise up.

To my Lofty Golden father
I speak thus:

"Lofty Golden father dear,
Lofty Sky father dear —
to what land
do you appoint me,
to what land
do you send me?"

My Lofty Golden father dear speaks thus:

"To berry-bearing berry forests —
walk on.
To cone-bearing cone forests —
walk on!"

With my paw's dear, sweet joy
I rejoice,
with my foot's dear, sweet joy
I rejoice.

Into the dense forest's seven corners,
into the dense wilderness's six corners —
"Mighty little beast" — with seven leaps
I bound,
"Mighty little beast" — with six leaps
I bound.

My little human children's gaze
was upon me no more,
my little human children's watching
was upon me no more.

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, pp. 133–149. Section II, Song I: "A «Világ-ügyelő-férfi»-tól, az «Ég-fiá»-tól való «leszállíttatás» éneke Múnkeszben" (The song of being brought down by the "World-Guardian Man," the "Son of Sky," at Munkesz). 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 Mansi text was read first for rhythm, structure, and key vocabulary; the Hungarian was then used to resolve meaning; the English was composed independently of any prior translation. No prior English translation of this song exists; no English reference was consulted.

Terminology: Throughout the bear ceremony songs, the bear is addressed only by euphemisms — nörém ünt-voj ("mighty forest animal"), vojle-önle ("mighty little beast"), punkin uj ("headed animal") — never by its true Mansi name (quj). Similarly, the bear's body parts are disguised: eyes are sq̈w ("stars," glossed by Munkácsi as csillag); ears are ankwél ("stumps," glossed as tuskó); belly is süntém ("barrel" and "basket," glossed as bödöny and puttony); claws or finger-joints are kenné ("buttons," glossed as gomb); the smoke-hole of the den is nal-ás ("arrow-slit," glossed as nyílrés); the gun is turpá utá ("loud-voiced thing," glossed as hangos hangú valami). This euphemistic register is the ceremonial language of the bear feast itself — to speak plainly of the bear would be to violate the compact between hunter and hunted. "Lofty Golden" renders Numi-Sorni, "Lofty Sky" renders Numi-Tq̈rém, and "Lofty Kworés" renders Numi-Kworés — all names or aspects of the sky god, the bear's celestial father. The "World-Guardian Man" is Mir-susné-xum, the solar deity who surveys the world on horseback. The Nyáis is the lower Ob region.

A Good Works Translation. NTAC + Claude.

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Source Text (Mansi / Vogul)

Mansi source text from Munkácsi, Vogul Népköltési Gyűjtemény III (1893), pp. 133–149. Phonetic transcription by Munkácsi Bernát among the Northern Mansi of Munkesz village, 1880s–1890s. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above. OCR from the archive.org digitisation of the original Budapest edition; diacritical marks may be partially degraded.

Vojle-önle jelpin nq̈mtém
ẋuml'é nq̈mésáli,
vojle-önle pasin nq̈mtém
ẋumté patilali:
5 mand nampá namin járisén
neilálmém?

mana sijpá sijin járisén
neilálmém?

ẋasséné vitá-jerá
10 ẋassilém:

tepin Nq̈is vitné
ti neilalmém,

soréẋ-ẋul talmánjá
q̈lilálém,
15 nálék-ẋul talmán jà
q̈lilálém.

tatyinjá tatyá totiláleim,
talẋin jà talẋá jq̈miláleim,
talẋin jà talẋá totné-mös
20 ẋuml'é sunsildleim:

morayá sástém morayin nár
ẋq̈ntilálmém.

tá'intettal sq̈wét-süntém
vátililém,
25 tá'intettal paip-süntém
vátililém.

toẋ vatiléném ẋalté akw'-mat-ert
vojle-önle kiti ẋöš
ẋuml'é sunsileim:
30 ta mortés jánk luwin ẋum
neilálém!

ta mortés tüjt luwin ẋum
joytilálém!

maná sayá sástém sayin ẋum
35 alilálém,
maná vesá sástém véšin ẋum
q̈lilálém!

jánk lü sisá tármél
ünlilali,
40 ẋoj-poẋlép nörém-ünt-voj
toẋ ti nawilawém,

nörém ünt-voj sát patil
elá ti tármatsém,
nörém ünt-voj ẋq̈t poryil
45 elá ti porimasém.

akw'-mat-ért jánk luwin ẋumimné
ti vátimtawásém,
nörém ünt-voj tü ti l'ül'sém.

Numi-Sorni ásém numpél
50 ti pojkileim:

"mölál, kelpin punkpá jq̈més anyá
alileim,
punkin uj jq̈més punká
nanén kástélilém.
55 Numi-Sorni ásikém!

ti jánk luwin ẋumimné
ti jóytawém,
Numi-Sorni ásikémi

lü-lail šaẋlin má
60 tarátálén,
uj-lail vq̈nẋán má
tarátálén!"

Numi-Sorni ásikémné
lü-lail šaẋlin má
65 ti tarátawés,
uj-lail vq̈nẋán má
ti tarátawés.

vojle-önle sát patil
elá ti tarmatilásém,
70 sér ünt sát sámné
elá ti minamém,
sér vör ẋq̈t sámné
elá ti minamém.

jánk luwin ẋum
75 juil ta ẋültém,

tüjt luwin ẋum
juil ta ẋültém.

Toẋ minilém ẋalté akw'-mat-ert
vojle-önle kiti ẋöš
80 ẋuml'é sunsileim:

Tq̈rém-öni ásikém
takwsi palí ti jémtilálém,
ẋq̈más sampá samin tüjtá
ti patilali.
85 jánk luwin ẋumim
q̈s ti neilálém,
tüjt luwin ẋumim
q̈s ti nawlyati,

nörém ünt-voj sát patil
90 elá ti tármatsém,
nörém ünt-voj ẋq̈t poryil
elá ti porimasém,

jánk luwin ẋumimné
ti vátimtawásém.
95 Tq̈rém-öni ásémné
q̈s ti pojkseim,
Kworés-öni ásémné
q̈s ti pojkseim:

"mölál kelpin punkpá jq̈més sánsi
100 aliláslem,
punkin uj jq̈més punká
nanén kástélaímém,

Numi-Sorni ásikém,
ti jánk luwin ẋumimné
105 ti joytawém.

Numi-Sorni ásikém,
lü-lail šaẋlin má
tarátálén,
uj-lail vq̈nẋán má
110 tarátálén!"

Numi-Sorni ásikémné
lü-lail šaẋlin má
ti tarátawés,
uj-lail vq̈nẋán má
115 ti tarátawés,

vojle-önle sát patil
elá ti tarmatilásém,
sér ünt sát sámné
elá ti minamém,
120 sér vör ẋq̈t sámné
elá ti minamém.

jánk luwin ẋum juil
ta ẋültém,
tüjt luwin ẋum juil
125 ta ẋültém.

Toẋ minilém ẋalté akw'-mat-ert
vojle-önle kiti ẋöš
ẋuml'é sunsileim:

tál ẋujné má-kwol varunkwé
130 taml'é jani má-sayl kapaj
ti neilém, — tü joẋtlásém,

jq̈més pál q̈lné katlamém
pinililém,
ẋq̈t noys q̈smán ẋürí
135 kwoná pattilém;
vorti pál q̈lné katlamém
pinililém,
at noys q̈smán ẋürí
kwoná patilém,
140 sirin kwol sirém ta ástém,
aulán kwol aulém ta ástém.

tál ẋujné mánsém nortunkwé
ẋasli manitunkwé jq̈mileim,
tankw manitunkwé minileim.
145 möt ẋasli-sayl manémtilém,
möt tankw-sayl manémtilém;
akwán páẋwtilánèm, akwán saltémtidném,
ál-tail jémtšén jü ti áléntdném.

má sirpá sirin kwolémné
150 jü ti tülilánèm,
má auláp aulán kwolémné
jü ti tülilánèm.

an vojle-önle nártáp ẋum,
sayin ẋum jq̈més punkkém
155 jü ti tülilálmém.

Ojilmatné turém-jer
álá ojilmatawé,
ojilmatné nelmém-jer
álá ojilmatawé,
160 vojle-önle kiti ankwél
ẋuml'é ẋöntleim:

punéin jiw mán lq̈mt
ẋotté saimtémát sijti,
talin jiw mán lq̈mt
165 ẋotté sakwátimát sijti.

akw'-mat-ert toẋ ẋöntilimém,
an jánk luwin ẋumim joytilálém,
an tüjt luwin ẋumim joytilálém,

áwin kwol áwim vojilimé,
170 surmin kwol surmém vojilimé,

vojle-önle jelpin nq̈mtém
ẋumté nq̈msilali:
néss q̈lné sayá sástém sayin ẋum
ẋuml'é várililém?!
175 néss q̈lné vesá sástém véšin ẋum
ẋumlé varililém?!

vojle-önle jelpin nal-ásém
toẋ ti pasátawés,
vojle-önle jelpin nal-ásém
180 tüjtél ti tarátawés.

anposin má kásélásém,
nq̈ny ti ankwátawim:
an sayá sástém sayin ẋum
taw ánné sijin turpá utá
185 rottí ti tq̈lmatém,

tül ẋottá ta torsém,
áwán uj áwamné
léšin kwályél pintéltawásém,
kwonál ẋartilálimém jui-pált
190 vojle-önle at kenném
lowintimé anyẋltálawét.

nq̈ny sajkélamém kémt:
ẋám-jiw kišin apán
ẋün ẋujiptimém,
195 pasár-jiw kišin apán
ẋün ẋujiptimém.

ẋq̈t lailétp mán tátán
ẋün táltilimém.

vojle-önle at jelpin rq̈nyém
200 lowintimé pusén rq̈nyawé,
vojle-önle sát jelpin rq̈nyém
lowintimé pusén rq̈nyawé,

jánk luwin ẋumikém ünlilálné,
tüjt luwin ẋumikém ünlilálné
205 vitá lóšit lóšit kwolné
ti totilawém,
tépá lóšit lóšit kwolné
ti tülilawém.

paul saw saw ẋumim,
210 üs saw saw ném,

kanin paul kanánélt,
kanin üs kanánélt

tüjt jonyil jonyeit,
vit jonyil jonyeit.
215 ẋot püyétaẋtiléné ẋumim
tot püyétaẋtili.

mulin kwol muli-pül aulné,
at part pinim jq̈més normán
tü ta ünttawém.
220 tüjá-ẋar jq̈més nq̈ẋul
pajtilawé,
takwsi-ẋar jq̈més nq̈ẋul
pajtilawé,

tür-tep suntá sunsildlilém,
225 Ás-tep suntá sunsildlilém,

sis-mokšér saw ẋumim,
sorí-mokšér saw ẋumim —

kát aprin ẋum kát-apránl
pusén sunsililém,
230 lail aprin ẋum lail-apránl
pusén ẋamétálilém,

ayi-kášin kášin jekwél
jekwilawém,
pi-kášin kášin jekwél
235 jekwilawém.

vojle-önle at etem
lowintimé totilawé,

vojle-önle ẋq̈tit etem
ti jémtilali:
240 ántin ẋar jq̈més jirél
ti jütilawém,
toyyin ẋar jq̈més pürí
ti vojileim,

muli-pál jq̈més sámnél
245 nemié lenkér jq̈més ẋurí
kwoná kwalilém.

Numi-Sorni ásém numpél
ẋuml'é lamleim:

"Numi-Sorni ásikém,
250 Tq̈rém-ön jaikém!

üném ẋoti má-lq̈mt numpél
joltililén?
áném ẋoti má-lq̈mt numpél
šatililén?"

255 Numi-Sorni ásikém ẋuml'é láwi:

"apilá sástém pilin vorné
minilálén,
pákwá sástém pakwin vorné
minilálén!"

260 saitém kát tinin aul
saitileim,
saitém lail tinin aul
saitileim.

sér vör sát sámné,
265 sér ünt ẋq̈t sámné
vojle-önle sát patil
tármateim,
vojle-önle ẋq̈t patil
tarmateim.

270 elém-ẋq̈lés pikáném šusmanl
átim q̈lilálém,
elém-ẋq̈lés pikáném vámanl
átim q̈lilálém.

Source Colophon

Mansi source text from Munkácsi Bernát, Vogul Népköltési Gyűjtemény (Vogul Folk Poetry Collection), Volume III: Medveénekek (Bear Songs), Budapest: Magyar Tudományos Akadémia, 1893, pp. 133–149. The Mansi text above is presented in Munkácsi's original phonetic transcription. Recorded among the Northern Mansi (Vogul) of Munkesz village on the Ob-Irtysh watershed, Western Siberia, in the 1880s–1890s.

OCR from the archive.org digitisation of the original Budapest edition (identifier: f1vogulnpklt03munkuoft). Diacritical marks have been normalised from the degraded OCR where possible; some degradation may remain. The original edition uses Hungarian typographical conventions for Mansi phonetics, including acute accents, umlauts, and special characters for palatal and velar consonants. The character ẋ represents the Mansi velar fricative (IPA [x]).

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