AHC: Major Bear-worshipping religion

[SeaCambrian]

Bear worship (also known as the bear cult or arctolatry) is the religious practice of the worshiping of bears found in many North Eurasian ethnic religions such as the Sami, Nivkh, Ainu, pre-Christian Basques, and Finns. There are also a number of deities from Celtic Gaul and Britain associated with the bear, and the Dacians, Thracians, and Getians were noted to worship bears and annually celebrate the bear dance festival. The bear is featured on many totems throughout northern cultures that carve them.

Could a Bear worshipping religion have become a major world religion and if so what would be the best time period for this to occur?

 

[Philip]

I'm sure there is a @CalBear joke in here.

 

[Inferus]

I'm sure there is a @CalBear joke in here.

You would jest in regard to our deity?

 

[Philip]

I think getting bear-is-god to survive to the modern day is difficult while bear-is-sacred should be rather easy. Sadly, I don't know enough about the OTL cults to make any believable TL.

 

[ArcBeetle]

We already have cow-is-sacred (hinduism) and dog-is-sacred (zoroastrianism) in OTL so bear-is-sacred shouldn't be difficult.

 

[Tomislav Addai]

Yup the problem is that North Eurasia is on the periphery, thus not definig but receivong world culture. You would need norty Eurasiansto enterthe Heartland... todefien religion yet there would be no bears in the area

 

[ramones1986]

Hmmm... How about an alternate Korean shamanism that incorporated bear worship/veneration (alongside tiger worship/veneration)?

 

[VirginiaStronk]

Weren’t bears very important in early Japanese religion? Maybe, since they’re somewhat isolated, Bear Worship could mix with Shinto, giving bears a sacred status later on. I could see something similar happen to Britain, if they don’t convert to Christianity.

 

[JonasResende]

Yup the problem is that North Eurasia is on the periphery, thus not definig but receivong world culture. You would need norty Eurasiansto enterthe Heartland... todefien religion yet there would be no bears in the area

What about the Romans meet up with a (group of) tribe(s) that holds the bear as divine/sacred. They already adopted Mithras from Persia, Isis from Egypt, and Epona from the Celts, so for a bear-divinity to make its way into the Roman pantheon isn't unthinkable. Now we just need to find a tribe that practises arctolatry and bring them into contact with Rome on a more permanent basis that the Romans decide "hey, you know what we DON'T have? A bear-god! Lets steal that one".

There is a theory that Daniel's apocalyptic vision of the bear (alongside the lion and winged leopard) is inspired by/based on animals that were held in religious esteem in Babylon, so there's that. However, Daniel is probably one of the strangest books in the canonical Old Testament, so I'm not sure it's likely to gain ground.

Also, don't the Native Americans do the bear worship/reverence thing? Or did I watch too much Disney's Brother Bear?

 

[GeographyDude]

In junior high (age 13), i was taught monotheism is more “advanced” than polytheism. Of course it’s not that simple at all!

However, do wonder if bear-centric faith could develop and evolve that is partially monotheistic and partially polytheistic ? ?

 

[Timeline Junkie]

Not all gods have to be borrowed from other religions. Actual events that have transpired could be perceived as supernatural and otherworldly. For example, one day a Roman soldier could have been travelling with his legion into Northern Europe. His century gets ambushed by a tribe of Germanic speakers and it looks like he and his comrades are marked for death. Out of nowhere, a huge bear jumps in a mauls only the Germanic tribe. The Romans scatter except for this one soldier. The Bear dies of its wounds, but for some reason, this soldier takes the bear pelt and believes it to be holy. He hallucinated, after being hit in the head, that the Bear spoke to him saying that he was Ursus, the Bear God of War and Strength. This soldier is discharged for his service but spreads his visions throughout Rome. Within a century, Rome conquers Germania and creates the city of Ursinium as its capital with the city being the holiest site in the Bear-Cult. One Emperor decides to only worship the Bear and enforces this across the Empire. 500 years later, Ursunism is practiced as henotheistic faith focused on the Bear God

 

[Ninja Bear]

A late 1980s Soviet breakup turns into a military coup and then into a nuclear war. Five hundred years hence, much of the former United States has been overrun by barbarian tribesmen, followers of Ditt'Ka, the Northern Bear God.

 

[Lord_Vespasian]

Bear worship (also known as the bear cult or arctolatry) is the religious practice of the worshiping of bears found in many North Eurasian ethnic religions such as the Sami, Nivkh, Ainu, pre-Christian Basques, and Finns. There are also a number of deities from Celtic Gaul and Britain associated with the bear, and the Dacians, Thracians, and Getians were noted to worship bears and annually celebrate the bear dance festival. The bear is featured on many totems throughout northern cultures that carve them.

Could a Bear worshipping religion have become a major world religion and if so what would be the best time period for this to occur?

The REAL Bear we should fear

 

[Arcavia]

Yup the problem is that North Eurasia is on the periphery, thus not definig but receivong world culture. You would need norty Eurasiansto enterthe Heartland... todefien religion yet there would be no bears in the area

Then make the Norse trade routes survive longer and have a reformed Norse Paganism become a major religion. The Bear already played a role in Norse religion as shown by the berserkr.

 

[CountPeter]

Only loosely so, but I have always loved the idea of an Arthurian cult (i.e. instilling warrior virtues, chivalry and a veneration of the knights as saint like figures). It would still be Christian, but Arthur is often associated with bears in the celtic world.

 

[Arcavia]

Only loosely so, but I have always loved the idea of an Arthurian cult (i.e. instilling warrior virtues, chivalry and a veneration of the knights as saint like figures). It would still be Christian, but Arthur is often associated with bears in the celtic world.

I could easily see St. Arthur of Avalon becoming a popular cult

 

[John Farrier]

I can't think of any possible major bear-worshipping religion, aside from the Ainu somehow retaining independence and expanding. On this topic, I recommend The Bear: History of a Fallen King by Michel Pastoreau. It's a fascinating look at the bear as a symbol in Western European culture.

 

[Joe Bonkers]

Bears are fast.

 

[Monter]

Weren’t bears very important in early Japanese religion? Maybe, since they’re somewhat isolated, Bear Worship could mix with Shinto, giving bears a sacred status later on. I could see something similar happen to Britain, if they don’t convert to Christianity.

Not Japanese, bears were very important to the Ainu in Hokkaido.

 

[Somebody-Someone]

And the Matagi people of Tohoku