In the Caucasus mountains, the bear had got used to visiting this village in the Aragvi gorge, destroying the maize crops, smashing the bee-hives, snatching sheep and cows, killing hunters and their dogs, avoiding traps, keeping away from bullets. The village chief, with the support of the locals, tries to kill this elusive bear, but is opposed by a twelve-year-old boy, the boy’s grandparents and other villagers, because the latter believe that this bear is a visitor from the past, the sin committed by the chief and the whole village. The Big She-Bear is a professional playwright’s version of a film novel (consisting of 61 episodes, based on visual material, as well as film scenes) is an original story, derived from Biblical and Georgian highland mythology, about a twelve-year-old boy and his family, about revenge and its consequences. The inhabitants of a village in the Caucasus mountains fight a big she-bear which is destroying their maize crops, smashing their bee hives and snatching their sheep and cows, killing hunters and their dogs, and avoiding traps. The village chief, who bears the Biblical name of Ahab, to help the inhabitants, tries to kill the she-bear, but is opposed by the twelve-year-old boy Vache and his family, because the bear represents a sin committed by Ahab and the villagers when Ahab deceived them with false promises when he took a bride and being excommunicated by the villagers caused Vache’s mother, Lela, to commit suicide. Vache the boy wants to stop the village chief Ahab and his supporters killing the fatefully antagonized big she-bear. A native of the Caucasian highland village, the twelve-year-old Vache sees the bear killing the hunter Gocha, Ahab the chief’s son. The desolate Ahab begins his battle against the bear. The superstitious villagers don’t want to come out to kill the bear, so Ahab tries to persuade them by getting the physics teacher Baido to help him cut down the sacred oak tree (the angel living in this oak tree is the ‘monk Giorgi’, whom the people believe to be the bear’s protector), but Ahab fails. Ahab is forced to take his gun and go off alone to hunt down the bear: this ends in defeat, for the bear tramples him, buries him, leaving Ahab barely alive. Vache and his grandfather Elia are overjoyed by Ahab’s failure, because they don’t want the bear to be killed. When he gets out of hospital, the crippled Ahab is offered by his supporter Baido, who has now been promoted to lead the club, a new plan for catching the bear, by a ‘beat’ — a collective hunt, to drive the bear into a pit that has been dug beforehand. This is put into practice and when the bear falls into the trap, it is given a drug to make it sleep, then is tied to a bulldozer with chains, pulled into the village and tied to the stage in the club, a converted church. Ahab invites a film crew to come from Tbilisi and, when the bear is to be put on trial, grandfather Elia takes his gun, climbs the mountain and shoots at the mountain slopes to cause an avalanche of snow. The avalanche comes roaring down the mountain and half buries the club in snow. The bear breaks free of its chains and kills Ahab with a blow of its paw. Frightened, the people run out of the club. Vache sees Baido aiming his gun at the bear, which has burst into the courtyard. Vache shuts his eyes and puts his hands over his ears so as not to hear the gunshot; but he does hear it, as well as the sound of the bear collapsing onto the ground and Baido’s yells of joy… In a dream, Vache sees a great arm coming down from heaven and picking the big she-bear up by the tail, lifting it up and turning the great she-bear as a constellation of seven bears. 


EXTRACT
Translated into English by Manana Ruseishvili  

Once, whilst meditating, I had a vision of a mountain village with its first abandoned and later restored houses, of St. Mary's Church with the sawn-off cross, of dusty, stony and narrow village roads. The countryside was also visible - hills, mountains and ravines, the snowy peaks of the Caucasus, alpineplanes, hay-stacks towering on the hilltops, a foaming and splashing river running down therocks, birds circling in the sky...
The forest, full of a serene and great silence, attracted me with its enigmatic power, filling me with an equal mixture of fear and curiosity. I followed this lure eagerly. I stood on dried autumn leaves and leaned against an ancient mossy oak. If I did not move I could even hear the soft rustle of the leaves. Far, far away, a raven would crow, or a black kite would screech, giving way to a deep silence again. I could hear strange, subtle sounds – the cracking of breaking, dried branches, the rustling of leaves and suddenly a huge bear would appear, treading heavily through the branches and twigs. The bear did not worry about caution and moved openly, her straw-coloured fur glistening like gold in the slanting sunrays pouring through the leaves. I noticed a glowing sparkle in her eyes as she passed me, leaving her odour behind, before disappearing again between the trees. Next, I saw village people, following in the wake of the bear. The people from the village of Shuburi, armed, proud, intense, shouting… desperate to kill the bear. A lunatic, trembling with fear, was heading the procession. Women, children and the elderly of the village followed. All were united with one overwhelming desire - to kill the bear!
Finally, in Shuburi, in the graveyard surrounding St. Mary's Church, I saw another barefooted lunatic, a skinny boy standing at the holy oak- a white sheet was fastened around a branch and people were performing prayers to God for a plea as innocent as virgin snow- to protect the bear... (See PDF)




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