TIL the Ainu worship bears, seeing them as divine gifts that provide hide and meat. When they find a cub, they raise it lovingly in the village, sometimes feeding it breast milk, and treat it as a god. Once the bear reaches one or two years old, they ceremonially kill it, honoring its sacred role.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ainu_people
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1gn2hwr/til_the_ainu_worship_bears_seeing_them_as_divine/