Bjørnabrot

Bjørnabrot (translated: bear breaking/breaking of the bear) is an Auregelending coming of age ritual to prove the courage of a child. While the big city aure regard this as an outdated and unnecessary tradition, it is still considered an important tradition in rural regions.

At the age of eight, during winter, a child is taken by their father deep into the woods to the entrance of a cave. They are told there is a hibernating bear inside, and they will have to walk inside alone and touch the bear. It is to be a test of courage and stealth, as waking the bear will surely cause death or injury. It is the duty of the father to encourage the child, assuring them it is safe by telling stories on how all their ancestors have survived. Should they refuse, the father will take them next year, and the next year, and the year after that. To the people that still perform this tradition, it is common practice to not let a person inherit property or get married until they have entered the cave with the bear.

Of course, there is no bear inside the cave, hibernating or otherwise. When the child finally finds the confidence needed to enter, they will instead find a painting of a bear surrounded by the hand prints of all who entered the cave before them. Their father will enter soon after, instructing them to cut their palm and leave a print of their own, adding to this disorganized family tree. The test of courage and stealth is rather a test of bravery and trust between the father and child.

To keep the nature of the ritual a secret, there are surprisingly few stories about bjørnabrot in this country otherwise filled with tales of all sorts. There are speculations that the tale of Ivar and the Silver bear was a story about a bjørnabrot that was intentionally twisted to hide the truths of the ritual.