Photo from open sources
This incident was told by my father, Vasily Fedorovich Tarasov, born and raised in the village of Verkhovye, Shenkur district Arkhangelsk region. It happened shortly before the Great World War II. Father was then 14 years old, and he is all well remembered.
Before the war, there were about 40 farmsteads in their village, and each kept cattle – cows, bulls. The village herd totaled 140-150 goals. For his grazing, the owners hired for summer a shepherd.
And it must have been a man – unmarried, responsible and non-drinker. And these requirements were not a formality! The fact is that the inhabitants of their village, located among dense forests 60 kilometers from the district center, they believed in the action of a talisman – the spells that have guarded the herd from bears since ancient times and wolves.
There were almost no weapons in the village, only two hunters. Shepherd also did not have a gun, he was only given a scourge, well, and dogs, of course, were to help him. So, especially from the wild beast nothing. Yes, only thanks to the beast spell never herd touched!
Before getting down to business, the shepherd swore that he would abide by certain conditions: do not drink alcohol (in the village cooked homemade oat beer and some drove moonshine) and not to be recognized by women. And the owners in no case should not score their cattle.
The villagers have long noticed that the amulet was in effect – the bears do not they fought cattle if the shepherd complied with the agreed conditions. If suddenly noticed that he and a woman had started a trick, or drunk under lies with a bush, or which of the owners took his cow from the herd on slaughter … All – wait for trouble! A bear or a wolf some cow or bull, or even two. However, the shepherds in mostly come across responsible. It used to be lost in the summer alone Burenka, and even then not every year.
Once, a check came to their state farm from Shenkursk district authorities. And I wanted this most checking fresh meat They demanded to slaughter one of the cows. Though a shepherd and he started talking, the chairman of the state farm did not dare to quarrel with his superiors. They took a cow from the herd, immediately slaughtered, refreshed, and gave the meat checking.
– The amulet is broken! – locals whispered anxiously.
The trouble did not keep itself waiting. The next day wild beasts immediately pulled up twenty cows!
Alexander TARASOV
War Bears
