THE CELESTIAL BEAR.[1]
It is probable that in no part of the world has the observation of the stars exerted a greater influence over religion and mythology than amongst the native civilized peoples of Central and South America. With the possible exception of the Pueblo Indians of our Southwestern States, the ruder tribes of North America have naturally shown much less progress in astronomical knowledge, but throughout their mythology the most beautiful legends are those associated with the heavens.
The two stellar groups which seem to have played decidedly the most conspicuous part in these legends are the Pleiades[2] and the Great Bear. Turning our attention to the latter group, we can easily imagine the astonishment of the early missionaries when they pointed out its stars to the Algonkians, and received the reply, "But they are our Bear Scars too."
The minds of these worthy men were already impressed by the discovery in other parts of America of native traditions of a deluge, a passage through divided water, and a hero miraculously born, as well as a ritual, including baptism, confession, communion, and the use of the cross as a sacred symbol. Doubtless, therefore, they regarded the identity of the Algonkian Bear and their own as only another proof that an apostle had at some time visited this continent. While that explanation is not tenable to-day, the interesting question remains as to what this identity does mean.
The answer is best found by an examination of the traditions associated with this stellar group. Its stars seem to have been called the Bear over nearly the whole of our continent when the first Europeans, of whom we have knowledge, arrived. They were known as far north as Point Barrow, as far east as Nova Scotia, as far west as the Pacific Coast, and as far south as the Pueblos.
Some tribes within these boundaries, however, seem to have called the group by other names. When we seek legends connected with the Bear, we find that in spite of the widespread knowledge of the name there is by no means a wealth of material.
The best known legend is that common to the tribes of the Algonkian and Iroquois families. It has been related to me many times, in what is perhaps its most complete and extensive form, by the
- ↑ From papers read before the American Folk-Lore Society, Annual Meeting, December 28, 1899, and before the British Association for the Advancement of Science.
- ↑ See the researches of Mr. R. G. Haliburton, whose name will ever be connected with this group.
