The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1919-05-15
ANU BEAR FEAST
Festival That Is Really a Com.
munion Service.
Ceremonial One Of a Number Of simI
lar Celebrations That Have Reli.
oious Significance Among peo-
pies OF Lowest Culture.

The most important object Of the
Ainu chase is the bear. AT a certain
season of the year ii is the ambition
of the hunters of every village 70 cap
ture a wee bear cub. 1t Is taken home
and treated with affection. If, as is
often the case, the little creature is too
young to have been properly taken
from its mother, IT is turned over to
the young women OF the village, who
suckle 1t at their own breasts. A spe-
cial pen made of logs Is erected for. the
cub, and here ii is reared. the net of
the entire village, until fairly grown.
When the day of the feast comes the
invited guests assemble from all quar-
tiers; food and drink in plenty have
been prepared. The signal given, the
bear is led out from its wooden nen
II is tethered by a rope to a posi- and
everyone leases and i~rritates the un-
fortunate creature; ii is set upon.
| struck, prodded, beaten. When the
scene has become n Of wild excite
ment, and the tormented creature
snarls and turns and runs in every
way to escape from his tormentors,
young men come forward with two
poles, one Of which Is placed upon the
ground. They then throw themselves
upon the stunned creature, and, seiz-
ing him by the legs, place his head
upon the pole In such a way that the
lower jaw rests on 1t. The second
pole is now laid across the back Of the
head, above. A group of the young
men now throw themselves with all
their might upon the upper pole. The
head of the animal caught between the
W. poles is subjected Il the pressure
of the whole mass Of struggling hu.
mans. Leaning w the dying crea,
ture, one of the old men strokes both
sides Of his head and prays, at the
same time catching and inhaling the
creatures dying breath. When tn,
bear has breathed his last CASPIAN,
he must be killed without the shedding
of bloOd-the corpse with the head i
skinned. and the rest Of the body i
taken inside and prepared for cooking
The skin and head are now CAREFUL
laid out upon a handsome mat. Whe
the flesh is cooked a bowl of soup
first brought out. This is offered wit
prayer to the skin and head of tn
animal. He is begged to take a pc
ton of the soup; he is reminded of I'll
kindness which the village has show
him he Is begged to carry their pet
tons and regards TO his parents an
to send favor and prosperity to the
in return for their respect, attentio
and kind treatment. Pieces Of IL
flesh of the animal are then brougl
out and offered to him. After thes
acts of prayer, thanksgiving and wo
ship, the people themselves begin
feast. Abundance Of millet beer hi
been provided, in addition to the foo.
and the celebration ends In a scene
wild i~ntoxication.
The bear'f feast is really an interes
ing communion service. To kill II
god, to eat his flesh and drink his bloc
is a commonplace In many religions
lower culture. The bear feast Is Il
most startling ceremonial Of the Ain
but IL is only n of o considerab
number of similar celebrations. Thu
they capture and ear hawks and 9th,
birds of prey, eagle-owls, rocks an
foxes. All are treated with kin,
ness. All ultimately are sacrifice
with prayer and offerings, to secul
from the creatures of their kind bles
ings and favor for the people.-AsI
Magazine.