2009-02-05

‘Leading the bear’ – a tradition in Polish Silesian villages

By Agnieszka “Texas Agn

(Editor’s note: Recently, a group of mummers plowed through the deep Silesian snow to bring luck to residents during the coming year. Our good friend Agnieszka “Texas Agnes” Pospiszyl sent us a colorful account of this old Polish tradition.)

“Leading the bear” is a carnival tradition that still occurs in some of the Silesian villages in Poland.

The colorful procession of people dressed like the devil, hunter, gypsy, doctor, nurse, policeman, chimney sweep, fireman, priest and death, among others, goes from door to door in a village. The group also includes several buskers who often play the accordion and drum.

The hunter always leads the bear by a rope or leash. Traditionally, a bear symbolizes bad things that can sometimes happen. For this reason, the bear cannot be allowed to roam free, but must be held tightly.

For good luck in the New Year, every housewife in the village must dance with the bear. If a farmer also dances with the bear, he will have many pigs and cows.

In return, homeowners treat members of the traveling group to a little vodka. If a homeowner neglects to offer refreshments, the devil or chimney sweep uses soot to put black marks on the faces of stingy homeowners.

To thank the group for the visit, families offer sweets or put coins in a moneybox. At conclusion of the carnival, the group uses the collected money for a party, the highlight of which is a “killing the bear” act.

This tradition purportedly stemmed from the 14th or 15th century when bears, which were then common in Silesia, often ravaged villages. At that time, people tried to avoid trouble.

In contemporary times, when the group visits a home, people offer money, sweets or alcohol to ensure the hunter keeps the bear on a tight leash and does not allow him to make trouble. In the past, rather than money, people gave food such as sausages, ginger cakes or flour.

The carnival group not only visits homes, but also stops vehicles, too, “demanding” that drivers pay tickets for some off-the-wall reason like having too much air in their tires.

The ceremony concludes with a party in which time the hunter symbolically “kills” the bear. Everyone participates in the party – members of the group as well as residents of the village.
Everyone decides that since the bear has caused all the misfortune, he must be “punished,” and so the hunter dispatches the bear.

As part of the ceremony, a doctor or nurse checks to see if the bear has truly expired.

They are surprised, of course, when a small teddy bear emerges from the big bear’s belly. As everyone notes, it would be a shame to kill such a small, sweet teddy, so they don’t. And he grows up to be the big bear at the next carnival.

Radek, a journalist who visited Bandera last summer, filmed a movie about a carnival that took place Saturday, Jan. 31, in Suchodaniec, a village about four miles from Strzelce Opolskie. It can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxgEr1q45cs.

It is a shame our friends in Bandera can’t take part in this crazy ceremony as it is always great fun. Last Saturday, when we went to record this group, we came back with black faces.

When my mum looked at me, she remarked, “As always … big kids.”