BEAR'S HOLIDAY

BEAR'S HOLIDAY, is a calendar ritual. Its origin is connected with ancient pagan beliefs (see Cults, Totemism). The image of a bear is common for many peoples of the world. Udmurts perform the B.d. dirung Maslenitsa period. Somebody was dressed up in an inside-out fur coat (as an image of a bear) and led around the village with his neck tied. People performed B.d. in crowded places. People would line up in a large circle and a “bear” would be put in the center, people would clap their hands and the “bear” would spin, wave his hands, tumble and charge at the surrounding people. The ritual had another variant that was held after the prayers in Bydzynal’s honor were finished (see Great day) and the oshorok rite; Men, dressed in inside-out fur coats, participated it. People would perform a round dance, one chained up “bear” was put into the center and would be made to dance and spin in the course of the Sun.

T.G. Minniyakhmetova