Ursun - God of Bears and Strength

Ursun, also known as the Great Bear, or Father Bear is the God of Bears and Strength and the patron god of Kislev. His worship was first introduced by the Gospodars, but bears are such a major part of Kislevite life that the religion was absorbed almost instantly.
Bears continue to be a vital part of society to this day, and the religion is now inseparable from the Kislevite culture. Worship of Ursun is not a state religion as the worship of Sigmar in the Empire is, but the fate of Kislev is linked in many minds to the fortunes and favour of Father Bear. The Cult of Ursun is the main religious organization that mandates the worship of Ursun.
Ursun is usually depicted as a giant, brown, cave bear, sometimes wearing a gold crown. He also often has golden teeth or golden claws, which indicate not only that Ursun is king of the beasts but the value of bears as well. On the oblast, a killed bear will provide great wealth to an entire village.
Occasionally, Ursun is depicted as a large, burly man with grey streaks in his wild hair. He wears a loincloth and carries nothing but a spear.

Symbols of Worship

Besides a depiction of a bear, worship of Ursun is symbolised by wearing a symbol of a bear claw, worn around the neck. The truly devout will wear a gold-plated claw. It is also reverent to dress in a bearskin but only if the wearer killed the bear personally. Similarly, some wear an entire bear paw or fix a skull to their helmet or belt but, again, only if they killed the bear in question.
It is not disrespectful to wear a bearskin that was killed by another, as long as it is not done ostentatiously or ceremonially. Many keep warm through the long winters thanks to a bearskin shirt, without causing any insult to Ursun.

Strictures of Worship

1. Never hunt a bear in winter—let him sleep as he lets you sleep.
2. Wake the bear in the spring, and feed him well before his winter rest.
3. Bears must only be killed by the strength of your hand or the flight of an arrow.
4. Only display the hide, claw, tooth, or skull of a bear you have killed yourself.
5. Shun the comforts of indoor life whenever possible. In particular, all ablutions and bathing must be done outdoors.
6. Eat fish at least once a week, as the bear does. Never eat fish and other meat on the same day, as this is wasteful.

Historical Basis

The origin of bear worship is shrouded in the mists of time, but certainly pre-dates the Gospodar settlement of Kislev and the myth of The Ancient Widow.

Spread

The worship of Ursun has been in decline for centuries and was almost eclipsed by the worship of the Old World Gods Ulric and his parents Taal and Rhya. However, in more recent times Tzar Boris has revived the tradition of bear worship and the Cult of Ursun has grown to rival those of both Ulric, Taal and Rhya. This status is mostly because the Tzar is now the high priest of the Cult of Ursun, the first to claim that title in over four hundred years.
Despite his wild nature, Ursun is as popular in the cities as he is in rural areas.

"The Gods are great, but only a fool would trust them with his life."

—Borya Bearfinder, Priest of Ursun