Bear Hunt Song
Among the spruce trees
In the springtime
We're hunting a bear
We're chasing a big one
We're waiting around it's nest
We're lurking at it's front door
We're sharpening our spears
We're testing our weapons
The savage one tried to escape
The king of the forest raged out
The bear went down as a king
Impaled by alder stakes
Now we're having the feast
Remembering the forest's king
We make sacrifice to Ukko
And we worship his son
[Korpiklaani note:
The bear has always played an important role in the Finnish and Finno-Ugric mythology. Finns always used euphemisms when speaking of a bear, as it was believed to cause bad luck if the true name of bear was actually spoken. The word for bear in modern Finnish, karhu, is actually one of those euphemisms. Bear hunt was a sacred rite which was celebrated with a several days long feast which was called "karhunpeijaiset", in which the spirit of the bear was sent back to heaven, to its father: the supreme god.]