Present!

[qos]

Last weekend, queenofhalves went to an arts festival and posted in her LJ that she had found something she had to buy for me.

It arrived today: a pendant made from a bear claw.

It's certainly an authentic claw, not one of the many horn or stone claws that are marketed as "bear claws." The nail is layered, with softness beneath, and still anchored in porous bone. There are small pieces of black hair embedded in some of the ridges.

When I opened the package and saw what was inside I cried out so loudly that my daughter was alarmed.

I don't do that very often.

It's a very small claw, so I'm wondering if it was from a very young bear.

In any case, I definitely feel that before I wear it I need to do some kind of ritual honoring the bear -- and my friend who sent it to me.

Comments

[tx-cronopio.livejournal.com]

You have lots of beliefs I don't understand, which is one reason I love reading your journal, I love learning about it...

but in what universe is that not kind of a horrible gift? I'm missing something.

[queenofhalves]

i don't know if the claw was found (on a corpse or skeleton) or removed from a bear that was shot, but i would say, it's not a horrible gift in any universe where people eat meat. (and yes, people do still eat bear, and use the fur.)

every home is full of relics of the dead; we're just not trained, as a culture, to see them that way.

[tx-cronopio.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your answer. I wasn't trying to attack you, just trying to understand. I fully understand relics of the dead, this just wasn't one I'd come across before. Best wishes.

[queenofhalves]

likewise. :>

[qos.livejournal.com]

*smile*

Thanks, Christine.

I made a more detailed response as well below.

[qos.livejournal.com]

There are many cultures in which people feel a special connection with the spiritual essence of another species. Most commonly you hear about people having totems, or relationships with totemic spirits.

In traditional cultures, people who have animal totems are usually bound by obligations or taboos around interaction with the physical animals. Medicine people often have relics of animals as focii for magic or prayer. Such relics would be gathered with reverence and dedicated with rituals of respect for the physical animal from which it came, as well as the spirit that it represented and from whom the medicine person sought assistance.

Since college, I've felt a special connection to Bear, as queenofhalves is well aware, and since an actual bear relic is rare, this is a very special gift for me. Especially since it is a "just because" gift and not tied to a special event.

Since we don't know for sure how the claw was obtained, I feel it is important to do a ritual honoring the animal who bore it, and demonstrating my gratitude and respect.

Does that help answer your question?

Thanks for asking, btw, instead of just silently wondering.

[tx-cronopio.livejournal.com]

Thanks for answering, and I thanked queenofhalves as well.

I like learning new things.

[qos.livejournal.com]

I like learning new things.

It's one of my favorite aspects of LJ.

[queenofhalves]

yay! i am glad the gift iis as appreciated as i thought it would be. :)

[qos.livejournal.com]

This was an honest-to-goodness squee event!

[professor-mom.livejournal.com]

be sure and tell us about the ritual when you do it.

[blessed-harlot.livejournal.com]

It must be a wonderful gift. Even the story about it is satisfying.