Bear, Wolverene, and Wolf, brothers, clash over marriage. When the youngest Wolf seeks the middle Wolverene’s daughter, he is rejected due to their different origins. Bear arbitrates, limiting Wolf to two or three offspring and Wolverene to one child. Wolverene curses Bear to winter-long sleep, making him vulnerable to hunters. Their conflict shapes the reproductive patterns of their species.
Source
Tales of Yukaghir, Lamut, and Russianized Natives of Eastern Siberia
by Waldemar Bogoras
The American Museum of Natural History
Anthropological Papers, Vol. 20, Part 1
New York, 1918
► Themes of the story
Family Dynamics: The narrative centers on the relationships and conflicts among Bear, Wolverene, and Wolf, who are brothers. The tension arises when Wolf seeks to marry Wolverene’s daughter, leading to familial discord.
Conflict with Authority: Bear assumes the role of an arbitrator, making authoritative decisions about the reproductive capacities of Wolf and Wolverene, which reflects a challenge to personal desires by an authoritative figure.
Transformation: The curses imposed lead to significant changes in the natural behaviors of the animals, such as Bear’s hibernation and the reproductive patterns of Wolf and Wolverene.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about the Evens (Lamut)
Told by Ulashkan, a Lamut man, on the Molonda River, in the Kolyma country, summer of 1895.
Bear, Wolverene, and Wolf, being brothers, lived side by side. The youngest brother paid suit to the daughter of the middle one. “No,” said the middle one, “How is it that you ask me for my daughter? We cannot join. You are born from the snow, and I am born from the earth.” [The polar wolf is of light gray color, sometimes almost dirty white. The wolverene is brown.] Wolf grew angry and made complaint to Bear. Bear bore judgment and ordered, “If that is so, you must part.” He said to Wolf, “Your temper is worst of all, you shall bring forth not more than two or three children.” Wolf departed sorrowfully. Bear said to Wolverene, “You have a daughter, and refuse her to suitors, so you must not bring forth more than one, child.” He blamed Wolverene, and said, “If you had given your daughter in marriage, our people would be more numerous, so you must meet your fate in the wooden thing.” [deadfall made of logs]
► Continue reading…
Wolverene also grew angry, and retorted, “And you must meet your fate underground.” [in the bear-lair when sleeping in winter, and tracked by the hunters] Wolverene laid a curse upon Bear: “You must sleep throughout the winter, and your fate will come to you while you are insensible to it.”
So the Bear’s word caused young wolves to be born by two’s and three’s, and wolverenes singly. The Wolverene’s word caused the Bear to sleep throughout the winter, so that hunters kill him in his sleep.
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Dreamtime Whispers 