Deitsch folklorist Don Yoder postulates that the song, "The Bear Went Over the Mountain," may have its origins in Germanic traditions similar to Grundsaudaag or Groundhog Day. Groundhog Day is known to have its roots in the behavior of badgers in Germany. In some German-speaking areas, however, the foxes or bears were seen as the weather prognosticators. When the behavior of the bear was considered, the belief was that the bear would come out of his lair to check whether he could see "over the mountain." If the weather were clear, the bear would return to his lair for six more weeks. If it rained or snowed, however, the bear would put an end to hibernation and demolish his lair (Yoder, Don (2003). Groundhog Day. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books, pp. 52-53).
The Bear Went Over the Mountain
The bear went over the mountain,
The bear went over the mountain,
The bear went over the mountain,
To see what he could see.
And all that he could see,
And all that he could see,
Was the other side of the mountain,
The other side of the mountain,
The other side of the mountain,
Was all that he could see.
The bear went over the river,
To see what he could see.
And all that he could see,
Was the other side of the river,
The other side of the river,
Was all that he could see.
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