The king of the Finnish forest and a sacred animal, the bear bears great significance in Finnish mythology. In addition to respect and worship, it was of course also greatly feared and hated, possibly more due to the spread of Chirsitianity. Even mentioning the bear’s name in the woods was out of question as it meant summoning it, that’s why people came up with several nicknames. The bear’s yearly cycle also greatly defined the life of people, and it’s hibernation was used as help to measure time. Bear in mind that you wouldn’t want it to wake up from hibernation too early or it will be angry as a bear shot in the ass, as a common phrase says. After being killed, the bear’s teeth would be removed as well as the skull. A great feast was held, and the skull was hung on a pine tree called kallohonka, meaning skull pine, often on top of a hill. Sometimes there would be multiple skulls on the same tree. From there its spirit would return to the forest and allow the bear to be hunted again, a belief not uncommon among hunter gatherer peoples. A fitting end for the life cycle of this great animal, as the first bear was brought to the world by a pine tree according to one version of its birth story. This also justifies the hunt, as its spirit is then returned to the sky, the constellation where it came from. Especially in Eastern Finland, many plants and animals had an origin mother who gave birth, and is responsible for it. The bear’s origin mother is called Hongatar or Hongotar. Living in a forest called Romentola, she breastfeeds the bear. For that job I imagine she needs to be tough. Nearly extinct in the 1800s, the bear has found its place in the Finnish forest again. Today there are approximately 2000 bears in Finland (www.largecarnivores.fi/species/brown-bear/number-and-distribution-of-bears.html ). Moreover, it is still widely respected, and children are named after its Finnish nicknames, much like globally used names deriving from Celctic Arthur or Greek ἄρκτος. For more takes and illustration of Finnish mythology of the past and present, check out my other videos or even subscribe to the channel. The internet's most Trolled products: trolled.myteespring.co/?

Hyvää työtä, odotetaan uusia jaksoja suomalaisista ja heimokansoista. Kiitos videoistasi!

Missä Ohto synnytelty, Mesikämmen käännytelty? Luona kuun, tykönä päivän, Otavaisen olkapäillä. Sieltä on maahan laskettu Hihnoissa hopeisissa, Kultaisissa kätkyeissä.

it is important that the finns are beeing re-educated about these things. thanks antti, also... i need you to paint on my fireplace stone... would you be up for hire? (varsinais suomi)

thanks for making these

Very interesting video. I have always been drawn to this animal and have had many encounters with them, even in my backyard within a city, from growing up in western Canada. Since moving to Finland, I was able to reconnect with my cousins and have been told tales of two men I have descended from, nicknamed Karhu-Matti and Karhu-Matti 2 (his son) for their bear hunting exploits. They too, would hang the bear skulls on pine trees on their farm, according to the stories about them.

Thank you for these videos

Musta on ihanaa että vaikka itekkin on suomalainen, saa näistä sun videoista paljon semmoista tietoa josta ei ennen tiennytkään!

I very much appreciate your videos, I was born and grew up in Finland Savossa, still hold a lot beliefs in my heart💜

It's so fascinating to saw you drawing and to listening - so full of creativity

Thank You

My spirit animal ♡

this is interestingly similar to indo-europeans, when you said they avoided calling it by its name to avoid summoning it, fascinating

Hyvä ja mielenkiintoinen video jatka vain samaan malliin ❤️

Kiitos Antti! As I have the nickname "Bear Mother" since I was young, this is my totem animal. I even have a tattoo of a bear paw track that says "Karhu", but I found your channel in my search for authentic information on Iko-Turso. I am a musician and love to write about mythology. Listening to your videos, I get to hear the right pronunciation of all the characters from the Kalevala too!

Nice!!

what a fatastic painting and intersting storry. like that

Hienoja piirroksia sun videoissas.

Kuin pitkään sä oot tehny näitä videoita, kun vasta ny bongasin sun kanavan mut mahtavaa työtä ja noi sun kuvat/sarjikset on mahtavia.