Paper short abstract:

The research focuses on the experience interaction human with predators in the fishing and hunting societies of Eastern Russia. The natives have changed attitudes towards bears and tigers many times. The local predators have come a long way – from sacred, worshiped animals to endangered species.

Paper long abstract:

This research has been conducted in the Lower Amur region, in Eastern Russia, where local peoples have worshiped taiga predators, as a bear and a tiger, since ancient time. For Amur hunters and fishers, these animals were like mythical heroes, ancestors and patrons of their clans. The attitude to them was regulated by the rules and prohibitions that formed a set of the local environmental and ethical standards. The cult of taiga predators entered shamanic iconography, ritual and ceremonial activity, and become a part of the sacred sphere. It contained different spirits having the characteristics of physical nature that allows us to draw comparative analogy to the Earthly plane. Communicating with spirits that personified tigers or bears was based on the idea of “timing” animals, which originated within the community of Amur fishermen and hunters. The main animal-companions for them were dogs. Their hunting and transporting functions penetrated into the spiritual space. Dogs existed together with wild animals in some mythical episodes. For example, bears headed dog teams that carried away mortal souls, or main shamanic spirits-tigers helped shamans, "bringing, taking away" souls.

Industrial development of Eastern Russia has contributed to reducing the number of bears and tigers. Modern realities force the native peoples to reconsider their attitude to predators. It remains a dilemma for them: you need to treat wild beings as sacred animals, or manage their lives on a scientific basis.