In Indian legends,what does the bear represent?

The Bear is the symbol of strength and greatness on Earth. Known as “Elder Kinsman” maintained great powers as well as many human characteristics and is an important family crest. It is also the symbol of strength and possessing many human qualities is a high-ranking figure.

Everywhere you go today you see many different Native American symbols, and some of the most common of these are things such as the totem pole, dreamcatchers, and animals such as the Native American bear. Bears have been seen in Native American arts and crafts for thousands of years since the American Indians had a special place in their hearts for the Native American bear.

The most commonly seen Native American bear are black bears and grizzly bears, since much of the early Native American artifacts are from the Northwest United States. These bears could be seen on totem poles, drawings, masks, and jewelry among many other pieces of Native American art. The bear is thought to be the master of the forest and that is another reason they are respected is because they shared the same land with the Indian tribes, so what would affect one species would in turn affect the other.

Many of the Native Americans tribes believed that when the Native American bear went into hibernation his spirit form would come out and roam freely. One of the famous Native American myths is about an Indian chief’s daughter who married a young bear who was the nephew of the great bear chief. The couple had twin bear cubs and she became known as the bear mother. In this myth the brothers of the bear mother killed her bear husband. Because of this the Native American clan called the bear clan was born, and they agreed upon using the bear as their crest.

This saved the relationship between the two species of bears and humans and they lived together in the forests. There are many Native American artists that are creating beautiful artwork of the Native American bear in modern day society. There are many other tribes that lived on the same lands as the bear but it is the tribes of the Pacific Northwest that made the symbol so popular with their handmade artwork and crafts. All of the Native tribes had great respect for such a big and strong creature, and if they killed a bear while hunting for food they had to first treat the bear like a guest in the home of their chief before they could eat the meat and use the hide for clothing and bones for tools.

Many Indians have different stories for the brown bear, and there is a special meaning throughout all tribes. The brown bear stands for courage, strength, protection and life. If an Indian was given a name that included "bear", he knew that the tribe thought that he was brave. Most of the time it would be because they went through a tough time in life, like if their parents had died and they took care of their family, or they got into a fight with a bear and lived. When an Indian receives a gift like this, they get to tell the story again.

The Nez Perce tribe have a story called, “The Man that Married a Bear". It shows a bear pretending to be a human girl and trying to get the interest of a man. In many ways, if you look at the story you can see that the bear is curious by nature, especially when there are strange intruders. The bear never does hurt the man and the man is just as curious. Together they find a common ground and become one, as husband and wife. The brown bear does die in the story by the man’s own tribe, then he is brought back home but disappears soon after.

Native American Indians regarded the grizzly bear with awe and respect. Early hunting tribes noticed that these bears had very complex behaviors. Many native tribes thought of the bear as a "god". American Indians saw that these grizzlies were large and very strong animals that could move quickly in spite of their size. It's no wonder that these magnificent animals would become the center of Indian legends. Often found in Indian paintings and engraved in jewelry, the grizzly was a sign of strength.

The grizzly bear stood for many meanings and rituals among the American Indians. The Indian Bear Dance was considered the Ghost Dance, bringing back the ghosts of their ancestors while helping the grizzly bear fall asleep for its winter hibernation. Ancestors join in the dance in their spirit form while the bears are lulled to sleep. After the dance is complete, another Dance is celebrated, called the Circle of Life Dance. This dance will be held around a burning log fire until the fire burns out. The Native Indians will dance, sing and chant for warmth and light from the sun during the time the grizzly sleeps.

Many Indians feared the grizzly bear but still they hunted the large bears for food, clothing, and even jewelry. Claws were made into necklaces and often worn hanging from their waistband. Because of the Indians' beliefs that the bear had some spiritual power, wearing a bear claw necklace would mean protection and good health to the Indian wearing it.

Today Indians still wear necklaces of grizzly bear claws but only a few are preserved from the 1800s in museums. One famous bear claw necklace can be viewed at the Peabody Museum at Harvard. Since bear claws were objects that Indians treasured, very few were obtained outside of the Indian tribes

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In Indian legends,what does the bear represent?

Indian legends say that when an indian brave dies,his spirit comes back in the form of an animal.Does anyone know what a bear symbolizes?

Any web sites where I can learn more on this subject?

Thanks.

Bear Claw Necklace Meaning

Introspection. A result of the Native observation of hibernation.

According to Native Mythology, the bear represents strength and the ability to look inward for answers.

Native American Bear Claw Necklace

i am an indian and borne and brought up in india also and believe me i have never heard any indian legend related to bear ever.

there is a legend that one should never kill a bear. when two braves did kill a bear the Bear's spirit turned into mosquito's to torment those who killed the bear.

this is a modern interpretation ; total PWNage.