bear walker

English

Alternative forms

• Bear Walker
• bear-walker
• bearwalk used in the comedy "Escanaba in da Moonlight" Escanaba in da Moonlight

Etymology

Calque of Ojibwe me'coubmoosa (“bear walker”).

Noun

bear walker (plural bear walkers)

1. (Native American, folklore) An evil sorcerer, specifically one who walks by night in the form of a bear.
   • 1901, Charles Edward Brown, The Wisconsin Archeologist, page 116:

     The hair ornament was worn by the Bear-Walker before and during the casting of spells.

   • 1953, Inland Seas, Great Lakes Historical Society, page 13

     He told Jim he saw a Bear-walker approaching the house then and there.

   • 1983, Christopher Vecsey, Traditional Ojibwa Religion and its Historical Changes‎^[1], →ISBN, page 148:

     These bear-walkers owed their powers to their personal manito, the bear, and traveled in disguise at night, causing disease among their victims.

Synonyms

• werebear (fantasy)

Related terms

• bear walk

Anagrams

• law-breaker, lawbreaker