Due to their strength and dominance, bears are the rulers of
the forest. Fast, big and powerful hunters, they are one of the most feared and
respected of the woodland animals.
In mythology, since bears hibernate in caves, and caves are
associated with the goddess’s womb, they appear to die in winter and are reborn
in spring. Because of their association with death and rebirth, they are
believed to have the ability to communicate and travel to other worlds, the
dream and spirit realms.
In her aspect as Bear Goddess, Artemis is fierce—queen of
the forest—protector and destroyer, nurturer and hunter. Of all the animals in
the forest, she-bears are fiercely protective of their young. Just like the
bear, Artemis is a protector of mothers, children and those giving birth—human
and animal. She rules her forest, defending what is hers and destroying any
threats. She is mother, hunter, and guardian.
In The Bear Goddess,
one nymph is chosen for the honored position of Bear Goddess. She safeguards
the barriers surrounding Artemis’s forest, can travel in the dream realms and
acts in the goddess’s stead when she is away. All nymphs can take the shape of
forest animals, but only the Bear Goddess can take the shape of a bear. Just
like in the original myth of Callisto, a bear plays an important part in my
story.
Bears are awesome, magical creatures. It’s no wonder Artemis
has a close relationship with them.
**********************************************************************
Excerpt from The
Bear Goddess:
The bear roared, this time an enraged growl, and paced
from side to side.
Kasin’s grip tightened around the end of the spear,
his body coiled, ready for the bear to charge.
The bear remained in the same place, growling at him
in an unusual way. He must be going mad because he was certain the bear was
yelling at him.
And then he remembered: Callisto had told him only the
Bear Goddess could change into a bear.
“Callisto?”
The bear stopped growling for a moment and stared hard
at him.
He lowered his spear. Using caution, he took one step
forward, keeping his gaze on the bear, prepared to throw his spear if
necessary.
The bear calmly watched him.
Taking a deep breath, he took another step forward. He
squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, calling on his faith, hoping it was
Callisto standing before him and not a hungry she-bear. He also prepared
himself for a deathblow to his head from a swipe with one of her huge
sharp-clawed paws.
He looked the bear straight in the eyes. There was no
emotion or other sign in its beastly gaze indicating the bear was Callisto. He
had to believe it to be true or he knew he would die. I am either a fool or
I have a death wish. He dropped his spear.
He could feel the heat of the bear’s breath, and he
could hear the animal’s ragged breathing. Closing his eyes again, he imagined
Callisto, her quiet beauty, her compassion. Slowly, he reached out to stroke
her head. He waited for the pain of the deathblow. The pain never came. His
fingers touched soft hair, not animal fur.
He opened his eyes. “It is you.” His voice came out
sounding rough with emotion.
Her sorrowful eyes glistened. “I almost killed you. If
you had not said my name…”
He pulled her against him. “You are quite frightening
as a bear.”
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
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