ORIGIN OF THE BEAR: THE BEAR SONGS

ORIGIN OF THE BEAR: THE BEAR SONGS

 

Long ago there was a Cherokee clan called the Ani′-Tsâ′gûhĭ, and in one family
of this clan was a boy who used to leave home and be gone all day in the
mountains. After a while he went oftener and stayed longer, until at last he
would not eat in the house at all, but started off at daybreak and did not come
back until night. His parents scolded, but that did no good, and the boy still went
every day until they noticed that long brown hair was beginning to grow out all
over his body. Then they wondered and asked him why it was that he wanted to
be so much in the woods that he would not even eat at home. Said the boy, “I
find plenty to eat there, and it is better than the corn and beans we have in the
settlements, and pretty soon I am going into the woods to stay all the time.” His
parents were worried and begged him not to leave them, but he said, “It is better
there than here, and you see I am beginning to be different already, so that I can
not live here any longer. If you will come with me, there is plenty for all of us
and you will never have to work for it; but if you want to come you must first
fast seven days.”
The father and mother talked it over and then told the headmen of the clan. They
held a council about the matter and after everything had been said they decided:
“Here we must work hard and have not always enough. There he says there is
always plenty without work. We will go with him.” So they fasted seven days,
and on the seventh morning all the Ani′-Tsâ′gûhĭ left the settlement and started
for the mountains as the boy led the way.
When the people of the other towns heard of it they were very sorry and sent
their headmen to persuade the Ani′-Tsâ′gûhĭ to stay at home and not go into the
woods to live. The messengers found them already on the way, and were
surprised to notice that their bodies were beginning to be covered with hair like
that of animals, because for seven days they had not taken human food and their
nature was changing. The Ani′-Tsâ′gûhĭ would not come back, but said, “We are
going where there is always plenty to eat. Hereafter we shall be called yânû
(bears), and when you yourselves are hungry come into the woods and call us
and we shall come to give you our own flesh. You need not be afraid to kill us,
for we shall live always.” Then they taught the messengers the songs with which
to call them, and the bear hunters have these songs still. When they had finished
the songs the Ani′-Tsâ′gûhĭ started on again and the messengers turned back to
the settlements, but after going a little way they looked back and saw a drove of
bears going into the woods.First Bear Song
He-e! Ani′-Tsâ′gûhĭ, Ani′-Tsâ′gûhĭ, akwandu′li e′lanti′ ginûn′ti,
Ani′-Tsâ′gûhĭ, Ani′-Tsâ′gûhĭ, akwandu′li e′lanti′ ginûn′ti—Yû!
He-e! The Ani′-Tsâ′gûhĭ, the Ani′-Tsâ′gûhĭ, I want to lay them low on the
ground,
The Ani′-Tsâ′gûhĭ, the Ani′-Tsâ′gûhĭ, I want to lay them low on the
ground—Yû!
The bear hunter starts out each morning fasting and does not eat until near
evening. He sings this song as he leaves camp, and again the next morning, but
never twice the same day.
* * *
Second Bear Song
This song also is sung the bear hunter, in order to attract the bears, while on
his way from the camp to the place where he expects to hunt during the day. The
melody is simple and plaintive.
He-e! Hayuya′haniwă′, hayuya′haniwă′, hayuya′haniwă′, hayuya′haniwă′,
Tsistuyi′ nehandu′yanû′, Tsistuyi′ nehandu′yanû′—Yoho-o!
He-e! Hayuya′haniwă′, hayuya′haniwă′, hayuya′haniwă′, hayuya′haniwă′,
Kuwâhi′ nehandu′yanû′, Kuwâhi′ nehandu′yanû′—Yoho-o!
He-e! Hayuya′haniwă′, hayuya′haniwă′, hayuya′haniwă′, hayuya′haniwă′,
Uyâhye′ nehandu′yanû′, Uyâhye′ nehandu′yanû′—Yoho-o!
He-e! Hayuya′haniwă′, hayuya′haniwă′, hayuya′haniwă′, hayuya′haniwă′,
Gâtegwâ′ nehandu′yanû′, Gâtegwâ′ nehandu′yanû′—Yoho-o!
(Recited) Ûlĕ-ʻnû′ asĕhĭ′ tadeyâ′statakûhĭ′ gûñ′năge astû′ tsĭkĭ′.
He! Hayuya′haniwă′ (four times),
In Tsistu′yĭ you were conceived (two times)—Yoho!
He! Hayuya′haniwă′ (four times),
In Kuwâ′hĭ you were conceived (two times)—Yoho!
He! Hayuya′haniwă′ (four times),He! Hayuya′haniwă′ (four times),
In Uyâ′hye you were conceived (two times)—Yoho!
He! Hayuya′haniwă′ (four times),
In Gâte′gwâ you were conceived (two times)—Yoho!
And now surely we and the good black things, the best of all, shall see each
other.

 

Source:
Myths of the Cherokee, James Mooney