Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2023 October 9

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October 9

Grizzly bear claws

According to [1] grizzly bears were killed for their pelts and claws. What were the claws used for? Google returns results for what bears use their claws for. What did people do with them? Grizzly bear does not give any insight. 41.23.55.195 (talk) 09:03, 9 October 2023 (UTC)

My guess was 'jewelry', so I searched and found this -- Verbarson  ^talk_edits 13:08, 9 October 2023 (UTC)

Traditional Chinese medicine values many animal body parts, including bear claws[2] and - I kid you not - bat fecal matter. So believers in it are literally batshit crazy. Clarityfiend (talk) 23:45, 9 October 2023 (UTC)

Guano is good for a lot of stuff. Did you know, in China, treatment by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners is more expensive than treatment by Western allopathic medicine practitioners? It's effective in many cases. No idea if they're still as into animal sources. Folly Mox (talk) 19:42, 10 October 2023 (UTC)

Here's a grizzly bear claw necklace in an American museum. "Some tribes believed such ornaments were sacred and held special ceremonies to honor them. Revered for its ferocity and supernatural power, the grizzly bear was associated with both war and healing, and since ancient times, men have sought the animal’s spiritual help." DuncanHill (talk) 23:48, 9 October 2023 (UTC)

And here is an interesting essay "Whether they were obtained directly by killing bears, traded for, captured, or purchased, claws were thought to have an inherent, latent power that could be activated to the benefit of the owner if handled in an appropriate ritual fashion." DuncanHill (talk) 23:50, 9 October 2023 (UTC)