2) It's easier for me to read 16th century English than it is 19th century Finnish. I don't know what half of the words mean! Especially the fact that the word that now means 'that is to say' used to mean 'or' throws me off all the time. I come across things that read 'gold, that is to say: bronze'. Or the one that always amuses me -- "Yes, that is to say: no" meaning 'whether or not'.
3) The bear was not usually hunted in the Karelia, and definitely not eaten. This has been thought to mean that the bear was a totem: there were many purity norms and taboo denials associated with it. It is therefore possible that the bear was the totem animal of especially the Karelian people, their worshiped forefather. -- The burial of the bear was a practice with specific norm conducts. The bear was to be buried in the fashion of a man. -- To this end indicates also the fact that the burial of the bear has been set up in the form of a wedding ritual. One of the young boys or girls or the village would play the part of groom or bride to the hunted bear. The burial of the bear was a wedding through which the forefather was born again, giving his power and blessings to the descendants.
Fanfiction has nothing on mythology. I was especially amused by the instance of not only mpreg, but man giving birth to an eight-legged horse. Find that in the Harry Potter fandom.
